As a first-time writer, I can tell you from personal experience that the process of writing is never easy. You’ll have ALL the feelings- excitement, love, amusement, frustration, confusion and you’ll be anxious and even scared. I’m here to tell you that these are all normal. In the coming weeks, I’m going to share some of the tips I’ve learned from my own experiences of being a writer. Today let’s start with the challenges of being a first-time writer.

One of the biggest challenges I face is sustaining the drive to write, whilst also having the ever-present doubt that I wasn’t any good at it, and would anyone ever read what I have to say, let alone enjoy it? Who am I to think I can write an entertaining and engaging story that people would willingly buy? Enter my friend and foe Imposter Syndrome, I use the term friend loosely as we have a long history of this symbiotic existence where she tells me I’m not good enough and I tell her to shut up, what would she know, and who asked her opinion anyway…But she has always kept my feet planted solidly on the ground and with her manifestation of self-doubt also came the drive to prove I would be good enough…its a complicated relationship.

Another challenge of being a first-time writer is learning the craft. If you’re not trained in writing, you’ll have to learn the basics, such as grammar rules and the various writing styles, different genres, story structure, intricacies of pacing and theme, character development, and world-building. This can be a little daunting at first, but don’t worry – there are plenty of resources available to help you. I found following other writers and writers groups on social media to get advice, tips, and craft book recommendations a great place to start, and listening to podcasts like ‘The Creative Penn’ by Joanna Penn where she talks about all things writing, publishing and marketing with her industry guests and her website https://www.thecreativepenn.com/ which is an absolute goldmine of tips and resources.

The final challenge that I faced as a first-time writer was finding the time to write. Life can be hectic and it’s easy to let the responsibilities of everyday life take over and forget about writing. I learned that it was important to set aside some time each day or at the very least each week to focus on my writing. Even if it was just half an hour, it was enough to make a difference. Timed writing sessions have been a great way for me to schedule writing my novel into my life. I learned not to compare myself to others who may write faster, and to be gentle with myself, I was writing because I have stories that just beg to be told but there is no hard and fast timeline to stick to, it needs to work for me and my life, as like most writers developing their first novel I have a fulltime day job, a family and a social life to balance.

While being a first-time writer can be challenging, it can also be very rewarding. You can become a great writer with a little bit of patience, persistence, and hard work. So don’t let the challenges discourage you – embrace them, learn from them, and use them to become the writer you’ve always wanted to be.