Psychological strategies for overcoming obstacles when writing a book

Writing a book is not an easy process: choosing an idea, structuring it narratively and developing it into words is usually a task that generally requires constant effort and time, it is difficult to fit it into a daily routine (unless you are a professional writer, something that, even so, does not guarantee always available). Finishing the book is already a conquest in itself, but then new challenges come: publishing it, having it read, facing the reader and critical judgment; more doubts, more uncertainty.

Just as sports psychology is a discipline that is already established among professionals, there are also experts who use their services to help work on the mental strength and other resources to successfully complete the writing of the book. One of them is Kelly Weekeswho, after years in the marketing departments of major publishing houses, runs his own business training and advice on literature. At the last book fair in London, she spoke with successful authors katie khan and Luan Goldie to address some of these strategies, moderated Nikola Solomonpresident of the British Society of Authors, who confirmed that many of the issues under discussion were of common concern to its more than 12,000 members.

The main challenge you face while writing is the temptation to give up: throwing in the towel due to obstacles such as loss of confidence or lack of time. “My main fear when writing my first book was whether I would have the skills to structure it and see it through,” admitted Khan, author of romances with titles such as touch the stars, translated into twenty languages. Weekes offers an explanation from his field: «The brain’s mission is to protect us from danger. If he notices this in your writing for whatever reason – stress, doubt, weakness – he will make an obvious decision: stop writing. To avoid this, you have to have a dialogue with him and counter him with other arguments. Having a support network, friends or colleagues from writing workshops, can also be very positive.

write at night

Lack of time is another formidable opponent. Both Kahn and Goldie wrote their first books in the evening, after their day’s work was over; the other, moreover, was just a mother. Both of them preferred to dedicate the gap in the day by waiting for weekends or holidays. “It’s important not to separate yourself from what you’re writing,” emphasizes Goldie. And Weekes agrees with them: «Consistency and regularity are key. What did you say Philip Pullmanyou have to be at your table as much as you can, because if one day your wife visits you and you are not there, that day is a lost day».

The completion of the manuscript is the first eight thousand, but there are still peaks to climb. For example, look for an agency or a publisher and expose yourself to the rejection of what has been written with so many disclaimers. Accumulating negativity is a test of resilience. “I would be very frustrated,” Goldie recalls, “everywhere they’d say, ‘We like your writing, but not this book. Send us the next one.’ I worked on it for eight years: how am I going to throw it away? “Rejection is part of the experience and it’s something you have to deal with,” adds Khan.

editorial work

Once the editing process begins, other fronts open up. “You think your handwriting is perfect. But then you see that there is a lot of work,” Khan explains. Requests for structural changes, deletions or new parts, rewriting dialogue… “It can be very difficult, because you wrote from the heart, but you have to understand that it’s a professional context and you have to make decisions objectively » advises Weekes.It is also necessary to distance yourself in order to deal with negative criticism.

There are times when, despite success, insecurities lurk. The famous impostor syndrome. Khan remembers when he flew to Los Angeles to adapt his book into a series. “I was there, with the producers stranger things. And I asked myself: do I deserve to be here? “Of course, you devoted hours of work to your book. You deserve everything good that happens to you,” Goldie and Weekes reply. “Yes, that’s right. In the end, it’s about writing the best book you can within your means. No more,” says the author.

Ledicia Costas: “It takes a lot of mental strength”

Or September 28, 2022. Ledici Kostas He announced on Twitter that he is starting to write a new novel for an adult audience. I confirmed last Sunday that they would complete the process. Two 214 days passed between the two dates, Costas managed to dedicate barely 79 to writing. And that is his profession. Children confirm this paradox: school visits, reading sections, trips and round tables… all this is part of their work, but the time of creation, which is close to everything, should be taken into account. The author herself confirms that, since she became a professional in 2013, it is increasingly necessary to “protect the writing time”. – It’s all an apprenticeship, and it’s not easy – he was deceiving himself. Or it would be ideal to set aside a few months a year just for writing, but that’s not always possible. Considering this, it is important not to break the connection: «I need regularity. Constancy and discipline are fundamental. If I had to write my books on weekends, I was clear that I would give up.

Costas is a very popular writer and her interventions are in high demand. But written, porén, it’s a lonely road. Guys telling us about their strengths and obstacles was “therapeutic”. And it is very important to feel support and support: «There are many days when black birds come to peck at your head. You don’t know how you will be received or what you will write. Having that affection helps a lot, but you also have to protect yourself, protect yourself or your work and relativize, otherwise it’s bad. “It takes a lot of mental strength,” I concluded.

The creator of beloved characters such as Scarlatina, Esmeraldina or Estravaganzza, who are part of the greedy landscape of reading, it is clear that many times this great effort corresponds to the commercial life of two books of barely two months. “News is fleeting. E o system é unha shredder cos libros».