Hi James,

I’m starting on writing my first story. I’ve never really done more than a short story that only spans a couple of pages. What do you feel is the biggest hurdle you have to overcome in order to get a satisfactorily publishable book and how do you deal with them?

Thanks,
Jan

Hi Jan,

Congratulations on taking that first big step into novelization. Creating a whole new world with dynamic characters! That first step is a huge deal, because you’ll be dedicating months to possible years on your first book. (Divinity took me 3 years to get right and was the 4th book to be published!)

So there are SEVERAL major hurdles you’re going to need to overcome… which ones are the biggest hurdles is subjective to the writer. So you may have an easier time with some over others. For me, they are as follows:

1. Time management.
2. Avoiding Burnout/Writer’s Block.
3. Editing.

Let’s address each one, shall we?

1. Time Management:
   This is no joke. Setting aside the proper amount of time to work is absolutely crucial. You can’t spend all your time working on your book. You need to make time for your family (if you have one), as well as other responsibilities and just self-maintenance in general. Personal well-being, including exercise, socializing, etc. is a must. I say this because too many writers, myself included have to fight the temptation to just keep writing and let all else fall to the back burner. You can’t let this happen. Which brings us to #2.
2. Avoiding Burnout/Writer’s Block:
   As I said above, don’t spend all of your time writing. You will experience this if you do, and even if you don’t, you may experience it. You may become disillusioned with the book, feel like the story went in a direction you didn’t want it to, or feel like it’s laborious just to get the good parts that you want to write about. Be prepared for this. This can be tempered if you really develop a relationship with your characters. Write out a set of questions and have them answer them. Get to know your characters before you start in on them. Once you do that, you should be able to get through almost anything. If that doesn’t help, there is plenty of great music out there to help you get the creative juices flowing again. I have included a massive playlist on my blog where I post (usually) daily songs that I use and where I use them.
3. Editing:
   So this one is tough. For one, you’re working with another person. DO NOT RELY ON YOUR OWN EDITING! Yes go through and fix mistakes, but don’t just assume that this is all you need. Allow another set of eyes to go through your book and make sure they’re impartial. No family members or people who won’t be painfully blunt with you. I told my editor to rip the book apart and be as blunt as possible. I wanted it harsh so that I could fix anything and everything that came up.
   Boy did I get schooled.
   So this is why editing is a hurdle… because what makes sense and sounds right in your head, doesn’t always translate to the written word as well as we may want. You have to be open to the idea of having to change scenes, perspectives, and even cut rather massive amounts of story. It’s not going to be easy and you may not want to do it, but you’re going to need to be prepared for that. This is especially the case if you want to release it to the public.

So I hope this helps, but let’s open it up to the general forum:

Readers – What are your biggest hurdles and how do you overcome them?

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim