Challenges writers face and solutions

Writing can be difficult at times and becoming a professional writer can even be more complicated. Having to structure and arrange thoughts and experiences while still infusing creativity into every line and paragraph is no small feat. According to two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and author, David McCullough, “Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly and that is why writing is hard.” What David probably forgot to add is that there are great thinkers who have a mental picture of what they want to write but to string the first few words for the opening sentence is a real challenge.

Conceptualization, creative thinking, determining a flow and threading the ideas for readability do not come easy and several reasons have been attributed to this. For some people, making extensive research can be very time-consuming and draining, for others, the flair, mastery of words or writing prowess needed to convey their beautiful stories isn’t just there.

Another set of individuals suffers from writer’s block where the ideas are not as forthcoming as they should be and this often makes them get stuck on a particular page. The manuscript is abandoned if adequate attention is not taken to deal with the situation. Writer’s block has in recent times proven to be one of the most significant barriers to writers, in that they cannot access their internal creative ability and lack inspiration even in its slightest form. On the other hand, some writers, although well-equipped with the creativity and necessary writing skills, simply do not have the time to write their books. Procrastination and the fear of not getting traction or being accepted by readers are also other challenges that some writers face in producing a beautiful masterpiece.

All of these writing obstacles have impeded the birth-to-completion process of books that are meant to be additions to the already existing body of knowledge. In fact, according to a study conducted by Savannah Gilbo, out of 80% of adults who want to write a book, only 3% ever get to ‘The End’ of the draft. This simply implies that 97% of people who want to write a book never get to finish it, leading us to the conclusion that there are millions of incomplete manuscripts filled with great ideas that, if completed, could have easily been bestsellers.

So, how do we solve these issues? How do you ensure that your mental image is conveyed through letters without losing its value and originality?

The first thing a writer must do in the quest of authoring a book is to determine the scope of the book. What should the book be about and how deep should it go? This scope would then be broken down into editorial sub-plots that would make for easy structuring. Once this is done, the writer can then begin to gather as much information as necessary to be used in the book. Information gathering could come from the personal experiences of the author or through research. While research can be a difficult task, hiring research assistants is an alternative to consider, provided there is a clear direction on what is needed.

Writer’s block happens to everyone and can be managed whenever it sets in. Instead of fighting it or forcing yourself to sweat out the draft, it is best to take a break and go for a walk, binge-watch TV, scroll through social media feeds, or drink a cup of coffee; in short, do anything that has nothing to do with the draft you are writing.

To be a strong writer, one must also be a strong reader. Read widely to become acquainted with other writers and their writing styles, as well as to expand your vocabulary, which will help you not run out of words when writing. It is important to note that writing can be repeated until the final draft is complete, so writers must understand that it is perfectly acceptable not to have a perfect first draft. However, the first draft should include all of the writer’s ideas, including those that are out of context or make no sense. Subsequent drafts would cut down unnecessary words, adjectives, sentences or paragraphs as the case may be.

In conclusion, it is important to note that not everybody can be an excellent writer. However, even average writers still produce excellent books. This is where professional writers come in. Professional writers come in various forms like blog writers, copywriters and creative content writers. Sometimes referred to as ghostwriters, their main job is to either conceptualise and completely write or build up on the ideas of the author and flesh them out.

Hiring the services of professional writers not only helps to word and craft your story creatively, but they also help to save your time and polish your ideas and bring them into reality. A non-disclosure agreement just needs to be signed and you keep the intellectual property of your work. They also help to provide the readership base of your book for profitability as well as suggest better ways of gaining traction like partnering with a known figure to jointly write the book.

Do you need help expounding your ideas, crafting an editorial guide to structure your thoughts, editing your book manuscript and other communication materials for your brand? If you need the services of professional book writers and editors, kindly contact us at +2349010000120 or alimemedia1@gmail.com