What’s Really Stopping You From Writing Your Novel?

(Hint: It’s Probably Not Actually a Lack of Time)

Writing a novel is hard work. It takes a commitment to learning about the craft of writing, dedication to spending time getting words on the page, then enough motivation to sustain us through the process of what might feel like endless rounds of revision and editing. We’re often battling a lack of time as other obligations vie for our precious hours and keep us from crafting our characters. We often dream of having endless hours to spend on our writing, convinced that if we only had more time, we’d churn out story after story and be the successful, bestselling authors we know we’re meant to be.

But then there are those moments when the universe calls us on our bluff. We’re given a chunk of free time and gleefully sit down at our desk to write…only, the words don’t come. Instead of effortlessly writing our stories, we’re paralyzed by the blank page. And then our thoughts begin spiraling: if we were real writers, the words would come; if we were real writers, this wouldn’t be so difficult; if we were real writers, we’d be ecstatic to have this time to write rather than wasting it scrolling social media. We let these thoughts take root in our mind, and then we begin to question if we’re simply not meant to be writers. And then we stop writing. 

It's easy to assume that all we need to finish writing a novel is more time. We’re all busy with other jobs, parenting, caretaking responsibilities, other hobbies, etc., and it makes sense to think these are the things holding us back from writing a novel. But the truth is, time usually isn’t our biggest obstacle. Novels have been written on lunch hours, during baby nap times, and in the margin time in the mornings and evenings before and after the rest of the world is awake. Novels can and have been written by finding five minutes here and ten minutes there. I’d argue that most often, time isn’t what’s really stopping us from writing our stories. There’s usually another underlying reason we’re not writing.

So, what’s that underlying reason? There’s no easy answer to that, and that’s because the reason is different for everyone. Maybe imposter syndrome is holding you back. Maybe it’s the fear of failure. Or maybe it’s the fear of success (yes, this is a real thing). You might be lacking support from your family or friends, or maybe you rfear of what those close to you will say or think of your writing is stopping you from putting your words down on the page.

These are examples of what I call the “real roadblocks”. In therapy, there’s a term called the “presenting issue.” This is the idea that an individual may present for counseling for a certain concern, but upon further exploration, the real issue is discovered beneath the surface. The presenting issue is merely the manifestation of that deeper issue, and until that underlying cause is addressed, it will be very difficult if not impossible to resolve the presenting issue.

With respect to writing, the presenting issue often looks like not having enough time to write. And on the surface, this seems valid. For example, if you’re working full-time and have two kids at home, finding some peaceful time to sit down and write will be challenging, no doubt. But if the real roadblock is that your spouse doesn’t support your dream of writing a book, then carving out all the time in the world to write your story won’t get you any closer to accomplishing that goal. Until you address the real roadblock, there will always be something standing in your way of writing.

So, how do you figure out what your real roadblock (or roadblocks) might be? This might be difficult for many as it requires a lot of reflection and complete honesty with ourselves. It’s easy to deflect these issues and blame our lack of writing on not having enough time, but to really dig deep and pinpoint what’s at the root of our writing block can feel uncomfortable and scary. Journaling can help you clarify these issues. Book coaching can also help.

On the surface, book coaching is about helping you write your novel. Whether your goal is to finish your first draft or revise and polish your manuscript, book coaching can help you achieve those goals. But when I work with you as your book coach, we’ll dig deep beneath those presenting problems and identify and target those real roadblocks – those issues that are really holding you back from writing the story you’re meant to tell.

Identifying and labeling these roadblocks is scary. It requires us to sit with discomfort and then do something about them. It requires us to recognize that time might be a factor, but it’s not the biggest factor. And no amount of scheduling, planning, time blocking, etc. is going to magically allow us to write a novel until we resolve those roadblocks. I know this can be a scary process, but it’s absolutely one that is worth working through. And that’s where I come in. I’m here to walk with you through that process and help you live the writing life you’ve always dreamed of. I’d be honored to be part of your process, and I’d love to hear from you about your roadblocks and brainstorm ways to resolve them.

No more telling yourself “one day” you’ll write a novel. Let’s look those roadblocks in the face and move past them. Let’s get your story written.