Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
    • On Being a Writer
      • Media Kit
  • Speaking
    • Book Ann as a Guest on Your Show
  • Podcast
  • Courses
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Work With Me

July 28, 2015 5 Comments

Top 5 Writing Hurdles – Survey Results

Ann Kroeker | Writing Coach - Top 5 Writing Hurdles - Survey Results

This week, I asked writers to share their biggest writing hurdles. I want to know where writers are struggling, because whether you’re just starting out or writing full-time, you’ll face a variety of internal and external hurdles over the years. You don’t have to freeze up or give up when facing these hurdles. Discover ways to overcome them.

Knowing your top hurdles will help me create content through blog posts and podcasts in the weeks ahead. Even via social media I hope to generate conversation and solutions to these hurdles.

Survey Results

I provided a list 15 hurdles you might face and asked you to rank them in order. Thank you for your participation. Here are the top five.

1. Writer’s Block

Because so many writers cite this as their biggest hurdle, we’ll need to get to the bottom of it. I’ll be exploring the trouble of writer’s block. If you’re currently stuck, I want you to experience release and freedom to create again. If you find yourself blocked in the future, I want you to have a resource to return to. Stay tuned.

2. Lack of Productivity / Time Management / Scheduling Challenges

Though creative types stereotypically struggle with time management and scheduling, don’t feel alone. People from all walks of life find it a challenge to organize their schedules and systems to accomplish tasks more effectively and efficiently, making the most of their time. We can all experiment and find an approach that fits the way we think, live, create, and work.

3. Lack of Confidence

Writers just getting started often feel uncertain about some aspect of their work; experienced writers can feel shaky when they embark on a new project or let significant time pass between assignments. How can we gain confidence at any stage of the writing life? We’ll discuss this in a future post.

4. Lack of Ideas

How do some writers seem to have an endless supply of material? Where do the ideas come from? Are there secrets to finding things to write about? What resources can we use to store those ideas so we can access them when it’s time to write? Watch for a practical post packed with methods for collecting, generating, storing and retrieving ideas. [Update: I’ve published a comprehensive post on how to generate ideas for writing]

5. Compare with Others / Feeling Inferior or Irrelevant

Oh, friend. It’s human nature to look around and feel you fall short or to believe your work isn’t needed in this world of established, experienced writers, but doing so gets us nowhere except slogging through a slough of despond. Expect to hear me plead with you to believe the truth about yourself. There’s writing to be done. By you. I have more to say on this, but start with that.

These aren’t the only things writers struggle with, but these top five from the survey remind me that if we identify the root problem(s) and seek a healthy mindset, habits, tools, and encouragement, we can clear those hurdles.

Thank you again for your responses. I look forward to offering specific input in the weeks again.

Image by Isabelle Kroeker, used with permission.

* * *

You may enjoy this resource for your writing life: On Being a Writer

“a must-have for career writers, whether seasoned or just starting out.”

— from “10 Great Books for a Writer’s Wish List” on Huffington Post

On Being a Writer book by Ann Kroeker and Charity Singleton Craig

PURCHASE TODAY

“A genial marriage of practice and theory. For writers new and seasoned. This book is a winner.”

—Philip Gulley, author of Front Porch Tales

 

 

Filed Under: writing

Comments

  1. Diane Bailey says

    July 29, 2015 at 8:17 am

    How fun to see the results! Thank you for continuing to help our writing experience be the best it can be. I have your book and LOVE it!

    Reply
    • Ann Kroeker says

      August 1, 2015 at 7:10 am

      I’m so glad you took time to comment–and I’m delighted you are enjoying the book!

      Reply
  2. bobby says

    January 8, 2016 at 5:47 pm

    hi

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Don't Write Alone: Author Learning Center | Lulu UK Blog says:
    June 7, 2018 at 9:02 am

    […] And the usefulness of an effective task tracker really can’t be overstated. Time management is consistently one of the biggest issues writers face when they’re working to produce their book. Just like any other difficult task, it […]

    Reply
  2. Don't Write Alone: Author Learning Center | Lulu Blog says:
    January 10, 2019 at 4:03 pm

    […] And the usefulness of an effective task tracker really can’t be overstated. Time management is consistently one of the biggest issues writers face when they’re working to produce their book. Just like any other difficult task, it […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach

Providing you with resources and inspiration to be more curious, creative, and productive.

Ad - SiteGround Web Hosting - Crafted for easy site management. Amazing Speed; Powerful Tools; Top-rated support. Learn more.
Make Your Sentences Sing: 7 Sentence Openers to Add Music to Your Prose (Mini Course from Ann Kroeker.Teachable.com)
TWL-100-best-websites-2016-2-300x300

Archives

Categories

Ann Kroeker is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Not every link leads to compensation, but assume that each does.
© 2006-2022 Ann Kroeker All Rights Reserved

instagram twitter facebook pinterest

Landing page graphic and other design elements by Sophie Kroeker.

Privacy Policy · Copyright © 2023

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkNoRead more
Revoke Cookies