I’m currently about 21,000 words into writing a novella (Bureau book 8, for those of you who are fans of the series). I love this particular series, and the characters are fun, but this story is going slooooooowly. I’m lucky when I hit a thousand words a day, which is less than half of my average. A lot of people may assume that the only things that impede an author’s progress are writer’s block and laziness, but in fact there are many more potential impediments. Here are a few of them:

1. Other obligations. Sometimes more pressing things suck away your time. In my case, that usually means the day job and family matters.
2. Other authorial obligations. You could be knee-deep in editing something else. If you’re self-publishing, you may be working on formatting and other details. You may have another book out that needs promoting. Maybe you have to write your monthly guest blog!
3. Physical and mental health. It’s difficult or impossible to write if you’re not feeling well. This became very clear over the past year, when a lot of authors struggled due to the pandemic and/or current political and social stressors. For many of us, lack of in-person contact with our author friends and writing groups made this situation even worse.
4. Discouragement. When other things have not gone as well as hoped for, it can be hard to work up enthusiasm for the present task. Maybe sales or reviews of another book are lukewarm, maybe agents aren’t jumping at a new project, maybe editors or beta readers are suggesting what feels like a ton of changes. Any of these things can make an author doubt their own competency, which impedes the creative process.
5. Distractions. Oh, so many distractions. In my case, those often come from the controlled chaos of my beloved family. But it could be that great new Netflix series or a vacation or research for the current project or a future one (the Medici are calling to me right now….). The next shiny new story is often a distraction, which is why I don’t allow myself to begin a new book until I finish the last.

   

6. Floundering. You thought you knew where a story was going but that’s not working out. You’re having trouble fleshing out your characters. The story doesn’t feel as interesting as you thought it would. The plot’s getting tied up in horrible knots. I can’t speak for other authors, but I know these things sometimes happen to me.
7. Fatigue. Whatever we’re doing, sometimes we just need a break. There can be a lot of pressure on authors to keep writing—Fast! Faster! But it’s hard work. Our creative muscles need rest just as much as our physical ones do, although that can be harder to recognize.

Next month I’ll discuss some potential solutions to these issues. In the meantime, though, may I offer a suggestion to you as a reader? One of the things that gives me the biggest push to work past these barriers is positive reinforcement—especially hearing from a reader. So please consider reaching out to an author and telling them you enjoyed their story!

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Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.

After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her family and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.

Follow Kim:

Website: http://www.kfieldingwrites.com/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/KFieldingWrites

Twitter: @KFieldingWrites

Email: Kim@KFieldingWrites.com

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bau3S9

A complete list of Kim’s books: http://www.kfieldingwrites.com/books/