Obstacles to Writing

What obstacles are getting in the way of your writing? What's holding you back from picking up a pen and putting your thoughts down on paper? If you want to get serious about writing, it's time to take a look at what's holding you back, and what you can do to take control.

Time
If you're the same as me, time can seem hard to come by. I have a full time job outside of writing and by the time I get home every day, I'm tired with lots of other responsibilities that need my attention. There's supper to make, a house to clean, a dog to feed and walk and two bunnies that need exercise and attention. But honestly, you have more time than you think. If you need convincing, do what Alice Kuipers suggested in this post on her website. Keep a journal of your time for a week. Write down exactly how you spend your time, all day, every day. I bet you'll find that there's some time spent on unimportant things that could be reassigned as writing time. When you start looking for it, you'll be surprised by just how much time you actually have.

Inspiration
There's a lot of time spent waiting for inspiration. But if we try to wait for inspiration to come find us, we'll never get anything done. When I have time set aside for writing but I feel as though I have nothing to write about, I write about that. No matter how you get the words going, just get them going. The more you practice, the easier it'll be to get started.

Fear
Personally, I find this to be a big one. What if no one likes my writing? What if I try and fail? What if I never publish anything? These are the ghosts that haunt me every time I sit down to write. They keep me from starting big projects, from reaching out to other professionals. What if no one takes me seriously? But before you let these questions and fears get to you, remember that you're writing for yourself first. No matter how much of a success you end up being, you'll have followed your passion. You'll have tried something new and stretched yourself in a new direction. There's really nothing to lose when it comes to writing. Your words belong on paper, even if they're just for you.

What obstacles are keeping you from meeting your own writing goals? How do you get around them? I want to hear your opinion! Please share in the comments section below.