Every writer's 10 biggest problems and how to overcome them.

Author

Payton Minzenmayer
January 03, 2025

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve been working on a few drafts saved somewhere on your computer, but you’ve been hesitant to share them.

I know this is likely true for you because it’s true for most of us.

All beginner writers face the same 10 problems.

The reason these same 10 problems plague so many beginner writers is because we often follow the old rules of writing. That is, we believe we have to be a certified genius, a proven expert, or a stuck-up with a degree before we can publish anything.

When that’s simply not true.

Here are the 10 problems that hold writers back the most, along with some practical ways to break yourself free of them:

  1. Distractions

  2. Over-editing

  3. Perfectionism

  4. Procrastination

  5. Self-confidence

  6. Generating ideas

  7. Imposter syndrome

  8. Writing consistently

  9. Choosing a platform

  10. Finding time to write

Distraction. Writers love distraction. I literally just ate an entire Crumbl cookie because it distracted me from buckling down and writing this email. Anything will get in the way of you doing the hard thing of writing: laundry, Netflix, calling friends. Here’s my advice: see the distraction as potential writing material like I did with the Crumbl cookie. Instead of getting frustrated by having human responsibilities, impulses, or friends, write about them.

Over-editing. Writers love a good theasarus deep dive. Was the room “packed” or “jammed” with people? Was he “tall” or “lanky”? Here’s the truth: it doesn’t matter. In your first year of writing, forget adjectives, grammar, and sentence structure. Just get words down and share them. Once you find your voice and topics worth refining, THEN you can start editing.

Perfectionism. This is the golden ticket that paralyzes every writer in the beginning. “Perfect” is an impossible milestone. Worse, aiming for it slows you down. Allow yourself to create junk. I still write things that don’t get much traction. The goal is to keep writing, not to be perfect.

Procrastination. “I’ll start writing tomorrow.” Spoiler: you won’t. If you want to write every day, you have to start writing today. Missing a day is fine—just don’t miss two days in a row. Too many “tomorrows” will turn into never.

Self-confidence. How do you build self-confidence as a writer? Brace yourself: you write. It’s almost so simple that it feels silly to write it. To overcome this fear and START gaining self-confidence, you need to rip the bandaid off and begin. Nobody starts confident. People just decided to start anyway.

Generating ideas. “I have nothing to write about.” Unless you live under a rock (and even Patrick Star has stories to share), you have plenty to write about. You just haven’t unlocked the ability to spot ideas. Luckily, I’ll show you how to do that tomorrow.

Imposter Syndrome. Imposter syndrome comes from trying to “fit in” or be “better” than everyone else. Blah. Blah. Blah. Forget being better. Focus on being different. You’re not competing with others. You’re only competing with the writer you were yesterday.

Writing consistently. The vast majority of writers don’t have a talent problem. They have a consistency problem. That might feel a little cheesy, but it’s true enough to say. The single most important thing that will set you above all others is consistency. When you feel like failing, that’s the moment you should keep going because it’s there that most others have stopped themselves.

Choosing a platform. Where is the best place to write online? Should I purchase a premium domain for my blog? What is the best way for me to link people to my website? All terrible questions, for now. In a few days, I’ll share the best place to start writing online (hint: it’s not a blog).

Finding time to write. This is the big one. You don’t “find” time to write. You make it. If you have time to watch Netflix, scroll social media, or take a long bathroom break, you have time to write. When you find it, protect that time at all costs.

If you found yourself nodding along, don’t worry.

You’re not alone. These issues hold back most writers.

The good news? Every single one of these problems can be fixed by simply starting to write every day.

And tomorrow, I’ll show you how to generate endless ideas to write about.

Write on 🤙

Payton

P.S. Here is the full lineup from this series.

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