The Hardest Part of the Writing Journey

Most writers classify themselves as one of two things: a plotter or a pantser. A plotter painstakingly outlines, researches, and THEN begins to craft their story. A pantser takes to the keyboard with a nebulous idea and lets the character they’ve created have free reign while they take dictation. Plotters can’t understand how pantsers can begin to write without a clear endpoint, and pantsers find outlining stifling to the creative process. Their different writing styles don’t make them enemies. Plotters and pantsers tend to respect each other’s ways while continuing on their own.

Weirdly, the creative aspect of writing is usually the easiest. Even if we hit a creative block ( https://youtu.be/0EyRjbadqm8?si=a9MvJY9UBgWvCK49 ) in our current WIP, many of us have multiple stories in our computer files that we can revisit while we wait for the story problem in our main project to shake loose.

When it comes to publishing, that’s a different story. Most writers are in the “Do what’s right for you, boo!” camp, but there are a few who get vocal about the “Only way to publish.” Some think that the traditionally published are the only “real” books. They see the trad pub as the ultimate goal of the writing journey, with plenty of roadblocks set up to sift out “bad” writers. The few who dismiss non-trad writers tend to lump everyone in with self-published (through a vanity press) authors. Using a vanity press isn’t the mark of a talentless hack, but writers usually warn against these companies for their high prices and lack of promised support to the customer. No one should have to pay a publisher up-front. Indie writers pay out of pocket for edits, copyrights, and cover art before publishing their own books. Many, like me, choose this route so we can maintain ownership of our work (traditional publishing houses hold the copyrights of their author’s books) and write the stories we choose at our own pace.

Each category of writer faces difficulties. A plotter working for a traditional publisher may lose their contract mid-series. An indie pantser may get hit with a creative block they can’t shake. The combination of writing issues is as varied and real as the authors themselves. One thing we all tend to agree on, however, is that marketing is a time-consuming and difficult part of the writing journey.

Cue all the aggressive AI and IRL marketers who promise us readers — for a hefty price. It used to be the dream of writers to sign with traditional publishers specifically so they could have the marketing taken care of. After all, if the publisher doesn’t market the book, it won’t sell, so it would be in their best interest to pull out all the stops, right?  Wrong. Once you get into the biz and talk to trad pub authors, you discover they are also competing for readers and looking for new ways to market their books. In fact, most publishers won’t look at a writer’s work until that author can prove the health of their online platform.

For an indie, like myself, maintaining my platform takes a large chunk of my day. Usually, I’ll create an ad in the form of an IG story and share it across my social media platforms. On weekends, I can post in various readers and writers’ groups. I try to shake things up a bit by also posting memes and reviews. The memes because that is exactly my sense of humor, and the reviews because I believe in promoting my fellow authors — whether indie or trad pubbed.

Many of us jokingly whine that we “just want to write!” instead of dedicating so much effort to publicizing our work, but we also understand that this is part of our chosen career. Marketing is hard, but it isn’t the hardest part of writing.

Speaking for myself, the hardest part of the writing process is overcoming discouragement. Usually, I can maintain focus and see the big picture of crafting a 12-volume series spotlighting recovery from spiritual abuse, but then there are times, like this week when I’m discouraged by non-existent book sales or even page reads. It can break a writer’s heart, not because of the money, but because I can’t persuade people that they’d like my books if they just gave them a chance.

I tried talking with someone about my feelings only to have them call my chosen genre into question. It was suggested that instead of writing novels detailing the difficulty of breaking free from abusive leaders, I should write something “light and fluffy” instead.

I’d heard that before when I excitedly described a project I was working on between edits of a series book. This new novel had a great premise, but I wasn’t sure exactly how it would develop. I felt like a little magical realism might be making itself known, and I was excited to see how it panned out. My news was not met with excitement. “Maybe try writing something fun. People read to escape their problems.” I stopped writing my between-edits book and went back to my original project. I finished another edit and realized that while it’s simmering, I need something to bring the story to a boil. This is the usual point where I set a WIP aside to let the ideas take shape while my brain is engaged with something else.

I threw myself into reading. I made ads. I checked my sales reports. I wrote reviews and shared them. I checked my reports page again and realized days had passed without sales or even pages read. I joined teams to promote new books by some of my favorite writers and accepted more ARCs to read during my edit break. I maintained my writer platform and engaged in multiple discussions. But in “real life,” I shared my frustration about having no pages read, and again, the solution suggested was to stop writing what I love and turn to a genre that is not my own.

I left that conversation still feeling sad but also a little angry. I spent the first two days of the week crying off and on, doubting my abilities as a writer. I spent the third day royally ticked off. Still, I wrote every day. As I said before, writing isn’t the hardest part.

I even started writing a stupid, light, fluffy book with the worst attitude imaginable. I completed one chapter and stored it in my computer files for the next time I have a block problem. Then I returned to my non-series book and realized I really like how it’s taking shape. It energized me.

In the midst of my frustration, I vented on Threads. (Give grace for all the social media sic’s.)

Today, I was told (by someone who has never read any of my novels) that the reason I probably don’t sell many books is because people don’t want to read about characters surviving and healing from spiritual abuse. They suggested I write something “fluffy.”

I don’t know how to do that. I’m not sure I want to.

At least they didn’t say my writing sucks. But then, they’d have to read it, so …

I think they have a misconception that my books are wall-to-wall spiritual battles. They don’t realize there’s deep friendships being forged as well as humor, sarcasm, pop-culture references, and the uplifting of the downtrodden. The stories are crafted to be faceted. And I love my very real characters. When they grow, I grow.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KG9WQFW?binding=kindle_edition&ref_=dbs_s_ks_series_rwt_tkin&qid=1714838373&sr=1-2

And then, through the beauty of social media, I got a response from Lisa Howeler that encouraged me:

I write fluffy and people don’t read that either so don’t worry. Your books will find those who need it.

She followed it up with:

I like how you said when they grow you grow. If felt very similar while writing the first series. I grew with those people — especially the male main character in my last book.

I went to Amazon and downloaded her first book, The Farmer’s Daughter, and read the first chapter that day. It’s sweet and well-written. You should check it out.

Discouragement is real in the writer community, but it’s also an easy fix. When you read a book you enjoyed, share it online. Write a review. Leave a rating. Like a writer’s page and share their posts. Follow them on Amazon, Goodreads, and BookBub. Suggest their titles to a friend. Above all, be kind.

Encouraged writers are prolific writers.