Four Ways Writers Get Stuck and Four Solutions For Getting Unstuck

February 7, 2025 ~ ChanAtkins ~ 2 Comments

How To Get Past Writers Block

Writer’s block is something most writers experience at some time or another and it is something that writers tend to dread. I’m not a fan of the phrase ‘writer’s block’ because there is something about it that sounds so hard and final, like a literal brick wall. I prefer to think of it as simply being ‘stuck’. And writers get stuck all the time and for many different and complex reasons. Here are just a handful of ways writers can get stuck along with tips to get unstuck again!

1.Plot Stuck #1- one of the most common and one of the hardest to get through. There are a number of ways you can get stuck when it comes to your overall plot and we will discuss two of them here. The first is the most frustrating and it happens to me a lot. You know exactly what you want to happen in your plot because you have planned it all out, created your character bios and maybe even written all your chapter outlines. You know what is going to happen, so it should be simple, right? Nope. The most frustrating thing about writing a story or a novel can be knowing what you want to happen but not knowing how to do it. I think one of the reasons we feel like this sometimes is a lack of confidence in our writing. We have a good idea, a solid plot but think maybe someone else could write it better. That’s not usually the case. You just have to accept it’s going to be hard work and a long slog to get it right. Eventually, you will bring in beta readers and editors to help point out where things could be improved and believe me, as further drafts are written and rewritten, you will eventually figure out the best way forward. Writing is largely rewriting after all!

The Solution – sadly there is no easy fix for this problem. It may involve lots of long walks and time spent thinking about your plot and how to move things forward. Sometimes the answers come when you least expect it. It may mean you have to go back to your chapter outlines and remind yourself of the plot, perhaps inspiring a way forward. Sometimes you just have to write it anyway. Put the characters where they need to be, write the dialogue, advance the story and worry about fixing it later. When you know what to do but not how to do it, the important thing is to just push through and get it done. It will probably be ugly and clumsy and you may very well figure out a better way to do it later on but don’t let that stop you.

2. Plot Stuck #2 – This is when you simply don’t know what to do next. This mostly happens to writers who don’t plan or outline their stories before they start. There is nothing wrong with that approach at all. It can be really fun and invigorating to just start writing and see where the story and the characters take you. But it does increase the risk of getting stuck eventually. You run out of steam. The plot trails away or misbehaves. You don’t know what these characters are doing. You’ve run out of ideas. It can be really scary to feel this way and many writers will give up at this point and start something else, but there is a way to solve it!

The Solution – Sometimes the only way to solve this one is to embrace planning and plotting. Go back to the start and remind yourself why you wanted to write this story, what the driving idea or concept was. Remind yourself of any important themes you wanted to explore. Take a look at your characters. Are they developed enough? Maybe they need more work to bring them to life, which again means giving in and embracing some planning. If this fails, there are other things you can try. I am a strong believer that taking long walks in nature dislodges ideas in our brains. Any time I have every been stuck with a book or a story, I have usually found the solution during a walk with my dogs. Some people find taking a long bath or shower can help or maybe another immersive task such as gardening or cleaning. Get away from the screen or the notebook and do something else for a while. Another thing worth trying is asking other people. Ask your friends and family or even people online what they think about your plot so far. This has also worked well for me in the past. I’ve often used a family member for a sounding board of everything that is annoying me with my work in progress. Often they will mention a few things or suggest something that actually really makes sense. Don’t be scared to ask for help or find inspiration around you.

3. The elusive ‘right’ words – another really common one and one I can sympathise with. Sometimes you’ve got everything else in place – the characters are fully formed, the plot is advancing well and you know what to do but then words and phrases start to elude you. When writing a first draft we want to get it right, it’s only human nature to want to try our best and achieve something good first time around. The words hide from us and its like we are looking for those perfect, right words to make our sentence really fly off the page, and they just won’t come. I hate it when this happens as it can really disrupt a good flow of writing. It’s a case of partly knowing what to say but not how to say it and partly being a bit of a perfectionist who wants to get it right first time.

The Solution – You can try some practical things like asking for help, consulting a thesaurus or dictionary or bringing in a beta reader or fellow writer to help you find the ‘right’ words. Or you can do what I do…use the words you have and move on. At some point you will come back to this passage and rewrite it. As we have already established, writing is mostly rewriting! Sometimes we just have to write the best sentence we can at that moment, shrug it off as imperfect but at least done, and move on. Remind yourself that you will come back later to fix it and more than likely the right words will be there as if by magic!

4. Not Enjoying It Stuck – Sometimes we get stuck because something is wrong. It may be a mix of all the things mentioned above or it may be something bigger. As writers, when we have already committed many hours to a story we are sometimes reluctant to admit it is just not working. I recently experienced this. I was writing a book, dedicating myself to a chapter every night, but it felt very forced. I was forcing myself to do it and that didn’t feel right to me, because writing should be fun! It took me a while but I finally figured out what the problem was, and yes it is going to involve a heck of a lot of rewriting but I am not stuck anymore! I had to admit what was wrong and set about fixing it. If you are not enjoying your writing, you will continue to get stuck or blocked so you need to work out what the problem is.

The Solution – Don’t give up. Don’t bin it just yet! You might need a break from it, in which case put it somewhere safe and come back to it another time. Write something else. Write a short story or a blog post or a poem. Give your frazzled mind a break from what has been frustrating it. This can work because if the idea is strong enough it will eventually push back through. But also, you need to figure out and admit what is wrong with it. Very often it lies with the characters. Perhaps they are not strong enough, not believable enough or developed enough. Go back to scratch with them and put more work into developing them into real people with flaws, quirks, wants, needs, mannerisms and back stories. Sometimes it might be the point of view. Try switching from third to first person or vice versa. Sometimes it might be the tense. Try it in present tense if it’s in past, and so on. Sometimes it is the audience – did you set out to write a thriller or a mystery or a romance? If you did, the chances are all the other books in that genre are sitting on your shoulder watching and adding pressure, along with the perceived tropes and expected elements of that genre. It is useful to know your audience before you write, but it can also sully the writing and make it feel like you are writing to order. Write for yourself first and foremost. Write the book you would like to read. This will bring the enjoyment back and you can figure out the rest later!

Over to you! Have you ever experienced writer’s block and if so, what was it like for you? In what ways do you tend to get stuck with your writing and have you figured out a way to get unstuck?

We hope you have enjoyed our post about writer’s block or being ‘stuck’ and have found the tips useful. If you have anything to share or add, please feel free to leave a comment!

How Do You Write A Book?

January 24, 2025 ~ ChanAtkins ~ 3 Comments

by Chantelle Atkins

A question we often get asked at writing clubs or workshops is how do you write a book? Often someone will have a good idea for a story, and possibly some characters developing but are unsure where to go from there. It’s an intriguing question and one I personally love to talk about so we figured it would make an interesting blog post. It’s different for everyone and if you research how to write a novel you will find a mountain of advice, tips and strategies to use online. Not every approach will work for you. Part of the fun of writing is working out what suits you and your idea. So this is mine. This is how I write a book.

Start with an idea – This is the most important ingredient. You need a solid idea OR a character. For some people the plot comes first and then they have to create and develop characters to go with it, and for others, it’s the characters they think up first. Either is fine and you might find it works differently each time. For me personally it is usually the characters that come first. They will start to develop in my mind and as their personality comes alive, they will start to suggest their back story and their main story and the plot will start to grow from that. Sometimes it works the other way around and I will get an idea for a story first and then have to devise the characters to fit it.
Let it grow – To start with, I let the idea percolate in my mind for a bit. I write down anything I don’t want to forget, but most of it stays in my head. It will swirl around in there for a while, popping up when I least expect it, developing and swelling and growing tendrils! I think it’s important to let this process take its course. I don’t want to force anything. Usually I will already be working on another project so there is no hurry to jump to this new idea. I leave it be and let it grow naturally.
Get a notebook – Now, when the real ideas start to flow, and by this I mean characters, personalities, back stories and possible plots and storylines, it becomes too much to contain in my head. I must start writing things down or something will get lost. I might start off tapping a few thoughts into my phone but eventually I get a new notebook and dedicate it solely to this idea. I start off writing down any notes I already have and everything else that has been growing in my head. Character bios, dialogue, action scenes, possible titles, character arcs, possible endings and so on. It won’t be a full plot yet and the characters will not be fully alive either, but I am paying attention to this idea now. It has its very own notebook.
Work on characters – For me, the characters are always the most important aspect of books I read and books I write. It’s different for everyone, but I want to love the characters, feel fully engaged by them, root for them and care for them. I can’t enjoy a book if I don’t care about the characters and equally I can’t write a book if I am not fully in love with these people I am creating. So, I will start to write detailed character bios into the notebook. They might start with the basics: name, age, physical appearance, occupation, home, family etc and then they will get more complex. What do they want? Who do they love? Have they been hurt? What are their regrets? What are their flaws? I want to get under their skin and know them inside out. This will be a long process and I won’t fully know them until maybe draft three, but I want to put the work in now.
Write a basic plot outline – This will start as a kind of mind-map of possible ideas. Ideas tend to spark of other ideas or questions, so I will note this all down. It all goes in the notebook. It’ll be messy and chaotic but it is all safely in one place. I’ll also bullet point what I consider to be the main storyline and jot down any ideas for sub-plots and character development. Most of my books are quite character driven so developing the characters alongside the plot is important to me.
Write basic chapter outlines – I won’t usually know everything that is going to happen but I will outline as many chapters as I can in the notebook so that I have a starting point and something to refer back to. Inevitably, extra, unexpected chapters and scenes will work their way in between what I initially lay out and once I get past a certain point I will probably then know the next few chapters. I then work a few chapters ahead, so I will usually always know what I want to happen in the next few chapters at least.
Start writing! – The fun bit. Also the scary bit! But by now I will be desperate to get going. If I have been working on another book, this idea may have had to wait for a while so by the time I get to it, I am very keen and excited to get started. I won’t know exactly where I am going and I don’t plan or plot every detail. I like to see what happens to a certain extent.
Write a chapter a night – Obviously, life gets in the way sometimes and sometimes the writing just doesn’t flow but my goal is always a chapter a night. That’s roughly 2-3 pages of a Word document. I treat it like work, like a commitment and push through the tough bits and the bits that don’t flow too well and I just keep going. I don’t mind how messy or awkward the first draft is, I just aim to get the gist of it, the basics of it done. This usually takes three months.
Second draft – I read it through, reminding myself of what I have done. I amend glaring typos but I don’t really edit much on a second draft, it’s more of a read through to see what I have got.
Third draft – a more serious read through and edit. I add bits, delete bits, amend typos and errors. I will know the characters better by now so might add bits to them, their speech, their back story and so on.
Fourth draft – I keep a list as I read through and edit and make notes of bigger things to fix like plot holes or inconsistencies in character or storyline. Whenever I go over another draft I check off these things on the list until there is nothing left.
Fifth draft Kindle read – by now I feel like I can’t do much more, so I send it to my Kindle and read it on there. It’s amazing how many typos and errors are picked up when you read your book on an ereader! You feel a bit less connected to it and can tackle it in a different way. I keep the notebook handy as I read and write down notes for each chapter in turn, typos, grammatical errors, plot holes, questions, anything.
Sixth draft – back to the laptop to amend the edits picked up on the kindle read
Beta readers – I am very lucky that I have some fantastic people available to read my work at this stage and tell me what they think. I might want specific feedback ie is it fast paced enough, is this character interesting enough etc, or I might just hand it over and say very little.
Seventh draft – editing based on beta reader feedback
Send to editor/proofreader
Eight draft/final – amend anything they picked up and that’s it. Done!

The amount of drafts will very much depend on the type of story, the length of the book and the feedback from beta readers. Sometimes my first draft attempt will evolve into something very, very different and sometimes it basically stays the same!

Feel free to add your thoughts on how to write a book. Everyone has a different process and there is no correct way to do it.

First Person Present and Other Presents! – By Kate Rigby

December 6, 2024December 6, 2024 ~ ChanAtkins ~ Leave a comment

There’s little in the fiction world that generates more polarised views than this: past tense vs present tense fiction.

Photo of Kim Rigby — Author Kate Rigby – photo is hers

Recently I was in a Facebook Writers and Readers’ Group, when one member asked if she was the only one who didn’t get on with books written in the First Person Present.

I must say I don’t mind what tense a book is written in as long as the writing is good and the book engaging. But present tense does lend a book immediacy. Now I get that it’s not everyone’s cuppa, that’s fine. But it’s an opinion, a taste. That’s all.

However the discussion got quite heated, with one reader becoming quite dictatorial about it. This veteran reader was doling out advice of ‘stick to the past tense…unless you are…’ (named authors I’d not heard of). As I say he was a seasoned reader but he had no time for seasoned authors who might not write in his preferred tense or genre. He then went on to make some comment about ‘alienating readers at your peril’ but from his comments, I doubt that any of my books would have been of interest to him, since they employ the very devices he doesn’t have time for. I write literary fiction, not commercial fiction, and frequently employ present tense if the story demands it. If you read and write in the literary tradition writing in the present tense is second nature.

Another author also joined in the debate with the advice that ‘writers should stick to the past tense’. Really? I tried to debate this by arguing that there was no ‘should’ about it – that it’s a personal preference for a particular narrative style but she wasn’t having it at all. She justified her stance with ‘Did Stephen King or J K Rowling use present tense? I rest my case.’

Personally I’ve not read J K Rowling and although I’m sure her books have adult appeal too, they aren’t really my bag. At the same time I totally admire her success and her ability to tap into an archetype at the right time and turn it into a commercial success. Kudos to her and anybody who has success on a mass scale. But, not everyone is setting out to write books with mass commercial appeal. Many of us write niche.

The two reactions described above are by no means unusual. Some readers and authors demand tradition. However this wasn’t a present tense vs past tense debate at all. It was a commercial vs literally fiction debate. Literary fiction authors often use first person present. The author in the above-mentioned debate went on to say how she does a blog on writing tips. This concerned me, that she is telling new authors how to write.

Of course there are rights and wrongs of writing. Some novice authors will often switch between present and past unknowingly. In another part of the discussion tense-switching among inexperienced writers came up, and yes, this is a fair criticism. Unwittingly slipping into past tense when writing a book in the present tense is a mistake of the inexperienced. The key question is – was it intentional? Many experienced authors switch tense as a device. Many write in past and present tense in the same book and it won’t always be an obvious use of them either. I have seen accomplished authors write about the recent past in past tense and the more distant past in the present tense. It works. I have seen accomplished authors, not only switch tenses purposefully to great effect, but also switch from first person to third and even to second in the same book. This is a common narrative technique with literary fiction.

Once again, in this debate, many critics of both first and third person present, tended to think it was unusual or gimmicky or new, because of books like The Hunger Games (I’ve not read them) or because of WattPad. However, seasoned readers of lit fic will know it’s neither new nor unusual. The following authors have all used present tense in their books – many of them award-winning: Kate Atkinson, Margaret Atwood, Jessie Burton, Eimear McBride, Emma Donoghue, Jon McGregor, Hilary Mantel, Wyl Menmuir and many more.

If people don’t like present tense, it’s their prerogative, just as it’s mine not to like Westerns or Paranormal or things with werewolves, as long as they know that it’s purely subjective. But to dismiss all present tense books out of hand, for this reason and this reason only, is a bit like dismissing all pop songs in third person past tense.

Follow Kate Rigby here:

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/authorrigby

Blog/website: https://kjrbooks.yolasite.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBubbity

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kate_jay_r

Author Lessons Part 2: Indie Publishing, Burnout, Author Extras, Control, and Writing Project Grief

November 29, 2024 ~ ChanAtkins ~ Leave a comment

by K.M. Allan

If you’ve stumbled onto this post without reading part one, Author Lessons: Writing Community, Social Media, Newsletters, and Support, you can find it here. Part two covers the rest of the lessons I’ve learned in the last nine years. They are based on my own experiences and may be different from yours. I’m just sharing what I know in case it’s of help to any other writers traveling the same path.

Author Lessons

Indie Publishing

Like most writers, I took my shot at traditional publication. I queried for several years, got rejections, 2 full requests, and even signed a small press contract.

In the end, all books published under my name so far have been indie published by me. There are many ways to do this, and a quick Google search will no doubt give you step-by-step blogs by more seasoned professionals.

As this post is about my author lessons, this is what my experiences in indie publishing have taught me.

Four years ago, I went with IngramSpark. Nowadays, good practice is using Ingram or Draft2Digital to go wide (all retailers but Amazon), while also publishing directly with Amazon.

I’ve recently heard rumblings you can now also go direct with Apple, and Barnes and Noble, etc, but I suspect that’s a US thing.

When I was researching publishers to go with, I did look at Draft2Digital, but they don’t have a printing facility where I live, and Ingram does. This means it only takes mere days to get physical copies of my books. I also found that the print quality of paperbacks is better with Ingram than Amazon, which is another reason I chose them.

Ingram used to charge to publish books. Now they don’t, but if you need to make changes, such as fixing typos or updating your book content, it will cost you. I have heard Amazon allows you to update your files without incurring a cost, but again, I currently have no personal experience with the inner workings of publishing through Amazon.

Another tick in the going with one publisher box was not wanting to check separate places for sales. Ingram has one dashboard, and it’s easy to run reports from.

Can you now guess where I sell most of my books? Yep, it’s Amazon. A place where I’d get higher royalties if I was going directly with them (and that’s on me). I also have one reader who has so far bought every ebook I’ve released on Kobo, and occasionally I’ll get an Apple Books ebook sale.

As an indie publisher, you’ll set the recommended retail price, but Amazon and others don’t have to stick to it, and they usually won’t.

Sometimes you’ll see your books on sale and be able to tell people who will hopefully take advantage. Other times, you’ll see it so ridiculously priced that even you wouldn’t buy it. No one else does either, and months will go by with no sales.

As for advertising your books and marketing, this is the hardest part of publishing and is a constant uphill battle. I’ve heard mixed things about doing paid ads, particularly Facebook ads, and it’s not something I’ve waded into (yet).

My first book release was at the start of the pandemic when everyone was reading and I reaped the benefits. I’ve also released two books at the end of the pandemic when no one was reading or spending money and suffered the consequences—just like every other author.

I’m in two minds about Amazon. They seem to punish writers who aren’t using them. More than one release day has been marred by people not being able to order my books because Amazon listed them as “Unavailable”—all because they’re coming from Ingram and not them.

I can tell you from firsthand experience that if readers can’t buy your book when they want to, or they see a message that it’s not in stock and there is no date for when it will be in stock, you’ve lost a sale.

I’ve also read recent horror stories on Threads of Amazon suspending writer accounts and canceling pre-orders, which are sales most indie authors won’t get back.

I’m also sure I’ve had some sales they have never been reported to Ingram. That’s not to say Ingram is fantastic either. If you contact either company about lost sales, incorrect listings, missing covers, or outrageous prices well above the RRP, they blame the other companies and say everything is out of their control, leaving you with very little control.

I’d love to sell my books directly from my website, but the cost of postage makes it impossible, even within my own country.

Lesson learned: no publishing place is perfect, and all will frustrate you. Weigh the pros and cons for yourself and go with the company that’ll work best for you. Maybe one day there will be better solutions, but for now, we can only work with what we’ve got access to.

Burnout

Posting on social media consistently, writing manuscript after manuscript, being in the query trenches or on submission, and just being in an endless loop of waiting to hear what others thought of your MS/pitch/query/submission pages, and checking if your last post got enough views/likes/comments or was swallowed in the social media void yet again, takes its toll.

Doing all of that, being in that constant state of waiting, plus the internal drive to get better in an industry where you’re only as good as the last piece of content posted or book published quickly leads to disillusionment, burnout, and self-doubt.

Lesson learned: remember that you got into this because you love to write, that you keep trying because you love to write and you want others to read what you wrote, to connect with it like you do. If you find everything else is robbing you of that love of writing, take a break. Reassess things and always go back to writing.

Author Extras

The trend at the moment for author extras seems to be character artwork (made by fellow artists, not AI) and if that is something you can afford and want to include, go for it.

I haven’t commissioned such work, so I can’t speak on it, but I can say the author extras I’ve spent money on have been bookmarks, enamel pins, a tarot card based on one featured in my series, tote bags, mugs, and chocolate bar wrappers (this post contains some pics if you’re curious). These were done as giveaways to beta readers, book launch comps, and book launch swag.

I’ve also invested in business cards, which I took to my first writing conference in 2017. They were left on a table, along with everyone else’s cards. I still have a box of them sitting in my desk drawer. There haven’t been too many other places to hand such things out as COVID killed off a lot of in-person conferences.

If you go to such events often, it is a good idea to have either a business card, bookmarks, or other swag you can hand out. I suggest using a QR code on them so you can keep the info updated. My business cards have an old domain on them (which still works) but it makes me hesitant to hand them out as I know it’s not the latest and easiest info.

Lesson learned: if you can afford to get some author swag, do it. If you can’t, don’t. As much as social media would like you to believe that a release that doesn’t include sprayed edges, limited edition hardcover copies, or a candle that can be included in a giveaway box means your book will fail is all wrong. Make the best book you can. That’s the priority.

If you want extras and can swing them, go ahead. They may garner attention, but if the book is bad, a sticker of the cover art will not improve its standing amongst readers.

Control

One big lesson I’ve learned is that you have control over what you initially write. And that’s it.

The book those first few drafts will become is something you have less control over as feedback from editors and beta readers will change the book’s shape. Then, when it’s released, you’ll never have control over how it’s received, how and when it’ll be reviewed, how much it’ll sell, if your promo posts work, or if it’ll be picked by readers, let alone a bookstagrammer that will make it go viral.

Lesson learned: all you can control is the words, the next book you’ll work on, and your reaction to everything. Focus on those things, and learn to let go of everything else.

Writing Project Grief

One surprising thing I’ve gone through when finishing a writing project is a grieving process. Wrapping up a book series that was a part of my daily thoughts and life for a good chunk of time (twenty-two years) hit harder than I expected.

Often, a work in progress that spans years becomes part of your life as you write it while trying to figure out who you are. When you finish that project, that part of you is now also gone. So are the hopes you once felt for this idea that bloomed into something so big.

Some books achieve what you want—getting written. Others almost hit that ultimate writing dream. You may have landed goals you never dreamed of, such as signing with an agent, a publisher requesting a full, getting all the way to an acquisitions meeting, and signing a contract. Or you could have watched all those things happen to others as the years and luck passed you by.

Sometimes, even when books achieve more than you dreamed, they still don’t hit the specific expectation you wanted, so you grieve that too.

That writing project isn’t the breakthrough you’d wished for, but now a backlist book you hope will eventually be discovered by others.

Lesson learned: your next book may not live up to your wildest dreams, or it may surpass them. Write the books of your heart, adjust your expectations to reality, but always keep a little sparkle of big-wish hope. It’ll keep you going.

And those are my author lessons. I hope you’ve gotten something from these two posts, and if you have questions about what’s been written, or want to ask more, let me know in the comments.

— K.M. Allan

Find me on Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads, and Threads. You can also sign up for my Newsletter to get my blog posts delivered directly to your inbox!

Author Lessons: Writing Community, Social Media, Newsletters, and Support

November 22, 2024 ~ ChanAtkins ~ 3 Comments

Author Lessons Part One by K.M Allan

While I’ve been writing for over twenty years, as of 2024, it’s been nine years since I launched my author accounts.

Later this month also marks one year since I completed my debut series, Blackbirch. When I started writing an upcoming blog post to mark that occasion, my habit of rambling off-topic led to lessons learned in the authoring game—so here they are!

Author Lessons

Every writer’s journey is different, but we’re all striving for the same goal, and that’s to put our art into the world, hope it finds an audience, and go with the lowest of lows and the highest of highs.

Because of those shared goals, I’m going to share parts of my journey regarding the lessons I’ve learned as an author.

When I started taking writing seriously, there was a lot I didn’t know. There’s still a lot I don’t, but there are some things I do thanks to years of consistently running social media accounts, blogging, and releasing books.

I wish I could say I was a runaway success at any of these, but I’m just like most people—putting myself out there and hoping it works.

The Writing Community

The first lesson I’d advise, and what I did, was join the writing community.

Even though writing is a solitary effort, I would not be where I am today without the friendships made and the support I’ve received.

My intro to the writing community was kick-started by starting social media accounts, this blog, and interacting with fellow writers. I’ve had friendships develop from beta reading and swapping manuscripts with writers in other countries, some of whom I count as good friends today. I would not have made those connections without putting my little introverted self out there, and you can do the same.

What I’ve also found in the writing community are fellow writers who will encourage each other, write with each other regularly for years, meet up in real life, go on writing retreats together, beta read for each other, and support each other’s books. As a part of the community, I’ve also read some of the best books, and found new favorite authors with backlists I’ve devoured.

While a reason to join the writing community is to get your name and work out there, it’s also about making connections. Find friends, not just potential customers/readers. They will help you more than paid assessment services, will lift you up when you get bad reviews, rejections, and disappointments, and encourage you when you feel like giving up.

They’ll support your books and you, and if they’re writing too, they’ll understand. They know what it’s like to put your heart and soul on the page and not have it come out how you want it to.

Lesson learned: the writing community gets the ups and downs because they are in the trenches too. It might take you a while to find others you mesh with, and writers will come and go from groups just as friends do in your life, but it’s all worthwhile.

Social Media

Years ago, I used to worry about taking time off from posting on social media, because if you took time off, you’d come back to no engagement and fewer followers.

Now, there’s so little engagement across all platforms that most people don’t even notice when you’ve taken a break.

You can do absolutely everything in your power on social media and follow every tip posted by those who have been successful, and in the majority of cases, nothing changes.

Don’t burn yourself out over it. Do what you’re happy to do. If you like making and posting graphics, do that. If reels are the only thing you can create at the end of a long day, post reels. If you can swing posting Monday to Friday, but take weekends off, take the weekend off!

I spent years posting 6 days a week, trying to find the exact right time, and the right posts, and you know what happened? My social media numbers grew quickly and then stopped.

On Instagram, I quickly gained over 2,300 followers—and that’s it. For the last 9 years, my follower count has stayed the same. Doesn’t seem to matter what I post, who I follow, or what I do, I can’t grow the numbers. Occasionally I’ll go up by 5, but that number then dwindles back down.

My Facebook author page has limped up to 600-odd followers. Twitter for a brief time was the best and got to around 3,000, but then Twitter went to crap, the majority of the writing community left, and I barely check it anymore.

My blog/website has had the best growth and follower count. Almost 5,000 of you amazing readers follow my posts, but like everything in 2024, the algorithm has strangled reach and engagement is now down here too.

Do you know how I get any new followers now? From real life. The few times a year I go to a book event, everyone just looks each other up on Instagram and then we follow each other to keep in touch. I’ve gained more followers doing that at two recent book launches than I have for the last two years.

Lesson learned: You can’t control social media, you can do everything “right” and still not get anywhere, which you’ll of course blame yourself for even though it’s out of your control. So…

Post what you enjoy and what you’re comfortable with.
Post when it suits your lifestyle, not rumored rules that no one can verify.
Accept that you can’t control it all.
Engage when you can.
Don’t expect others to reciprocate with likes, comments, and shares. Most don’t, and most of the time it’s because they honestly don’t see your posts, even if they’ve been following you for years.
You’ll find people who will interact with you regularly—do the same for them.
If you’ve reached a point where checking social media gives you anxiety, take a break. The world won’t end.

It will feel pointless most days, and as much as I’ve moaned about social media, I wouldn’t have sold the books I have without it. The best way is to run your social media accounts, don’t let them run you.

Newsletters

From July 2019 until October 2020, I ran a newsletter. It was a free version with Mailchimp, so it didn’t cost me anything but time to put it together and send it out, and I enjoyed doing it when I first started.

Like my social media accounts, the newsletter got stuck at 210 subscribers, and then most subscribers stopped opening the emails.

In the end, putting together the newsletter content was taking time away from writing and editing, so I closed it down and now publish the content on my blog as my roundups. My current version of a newsletter is now encouraging readers to subscribe via email to my blogs (which you can do here).

Having a newsletter gives you direct contact with readers who are interested in your work, and isn’t reliant on an algorithm showing your content to others, so there will always be an incentive to start one.

If, like I did, you find the effort is costing you in other areas, no rule says once you start a newsletter you must keep it going for the rest of your life.

Lesson learned: always reevaluate what works for you, and don’t push yourself to do something you hate because social media (or blog posts like this) say you should have a newsletter. If a newsletter works for you, start one. If it doesn’t, don’t.

Support

You’ll never get more support than with the first of things.

First time in the query trenches. First full MS request. First rejection. First published book. You should celebrate all these things, and you’ll find most people will celebrate with you, and support your posts with shares, comments, wishes of luck, cover reveals, and release day announcements.

First books will be bought by friends, family, and followers who’ve been watching your writing journey progress and want to see what your work is like.

The longer you’re around, the more work you release, the different ways that support fluctuates. In a perfect world, every release of anything new will build and become more. In reality (for the majority) support drops off. Not because you’re getting worse, but because that’s life.

Lesson learned: support who you want, and don’t expect the same level of support back, or support to last forever. Always (and I am) be grateful for any support given, especially from those who show up year after year, release after release. They’re worth more than subscriber numbers or sale figures.

As this turned into a bigger-than-expected post, I’ve split it up for easier reading.

Part two can be found here and covers indie publishing with IngramSpark, thoughts on Amazon, burnout and self-doubt, grieving the end of a project, author extras, and what you can and can’t control.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about the topics in this blog post, drop them in the comments.

— K.M. Allan

Find me on Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads, and Threads. You can also sign up for my Newsletter to get my blog posts delivered directly to your inbox!

Writing A Novel: The Transformation Process

November 15, 2024 ~ ChanAtkins ~ 1 Comment

Article by Miriam Hastings

I have always had a vivid imagination and when I was a child I lived in the fantasy worlds I created. I was ill a great deal from babyhood so I spent a lot of time alone in bed and all my friends were characters I met in books or in the stories I invented myself. So I never made a conscious decision to be a writer – I have been making up stories ever since I can remember and writing them down from the moment I learned to write.

I think I write fiction as an adult to meet the same needs I had then. I was a lonely and often an unhappy child so this was partly a need to escape from reality but also I think both then and now it meets a need to address the problems life poses by approaching them from a more creative angle. Writing is a way of taking control of reality because you can shape it and reshape it through words, expressing your own experience and vision of the world and, through doing that, you can transform reality into something greater.

Writing a novel can be very daunting: it seems such a huge, long-term commitment and it is lonely work. You can’t really workshop a novel so it’s difficult to get feedback while you’re writing it, and although you can publish extracts in magazines, this is never satisfactory as it involves taking fragments of the whole work out of context. Thus any feedback you might receive as you go along is often based on misunderstanding.

This means a novelist needs perseverance and patience in the face of isolation as a writer. It helps to take one step at a time – I find novel writing is like doing a large, complicated jigsaw puzzle. I know what I’m aiming for but I don’t tackle the whole picture at once, just a small area at a time as I might concentrate on the sky when doing a jigsaw; I recognize and build up connections gradually. Once I am about halfway through, it becomes much easier, sections begin to fit together and I see the whole work taking shape. I find the important thing is to keep writing; I don’t let myself get stuck over Chapter 2 if I could easily write Chapter 6, I know Chapter 2 will become clearer later. A novel is a long piece of work – if you don’t keep writing, it will never come into existence at all so you do need to be disciplined about it.

In the years when I was studying and working it was often hard to find the time to write regularly. Now I have more time, I would ideally like to write for at least an hour or two every day but I am disabled with a progressive degenerative illness that affects my spine, so these days my major problem is living in severe chronic pain and also suffering from stiffness and weakness in my hands and wrists which make the physical act of writing difficult. I use voice recognition on my computer to overcome these problems, and I have a wonderful dictaphone which I can carry around with me and use for making notes and capturing ideas. I can download my notes to the computer from my dictaphone, although this involves a lot of correction and editing so it isn’t always useful. My voice recognition software (Dragon Naturally Speaking) is very helpful because I’ve been using it for over 20 years so it has become trained to my voice and my vocabulary. In the beginning I found it quite a challenge. Sometimes it would write things totally different to anything I had dictated! This could be quite surreal.

When writing a novel, I find it helps to keep some distance between myself and my central characters so that they are presented vividly but they don’t take over the story: using the third person narrative voice can be helpful in this respect; also, the device of having more than one narrator. In my latest novel, The Dowager’s Dream, there are two central narrators who each see the main events of the story from a different perspective. This novel feels very personal to me – possibly the most personal of all my novels – although it’s set in the north of Scotland during the early years of the 19th century, at the time of the Highland Clearances. The story was partly inspired by the lives of my great, great-grandmothers, Margaret MacKenzie and Christine Patterson, also by an extraordinary account written in 1809 by the Minister’s daughter of Reay, describing a mermaid she saw in Sandside Bay, Caithness – but the mermaid in The Dowager’s Dream is not pretty, being a dark symbol of both sexual and cultural repression. For several years I was researching the Highland clearances and themes of dispossession and ethnic cleansing are central to the novel.

However, although it seems that I’m creating an entirely imaginary world, I find that life has a habit of creeping up on me unawares. I often think that writing fiction is very similar to the process of dreaming: often when we analyse our dreams, they echo aspects of our own lives and we find facets of ourselves shown us from a new perspective. Like my dreams, I find that my fiction, however remote it may seem from my own experiences in terms of historical period or life events, can always show me something about myself from the patterns that have emerged from my unconscious mind. These are rarely obvious and it is unlikely that another person would notice them, but they gradually appear like a developing photograph, or like clouds taking recognizable shapes; faces, mountains, islands surrounded by water, mirroring the terrestrial world in a strangely transformed manner. When I look at the fiction I have written in the past, I find certain patterns being played out over and over again; patterns of relationships, patterns of survival, which frequently have resonances in my own life. An obvious example is a relationship between two girls or women that reoccurs again and again in my novels and often mirrors my complex and sometimes difficult relationships with my sisters. In The Dowager’s Dream, the relationship between the two narrators, Mary and Kirsty, is especially challenging since Kirsty is Mary’s servant as well as her friend.

Here is an extract from The Dowager’s Dream, pp316-318:

‘Kirsty stared at me, “You . . . you knew too?” she turned as white as her own kerchief, “You knew as well as he did? Why did you no tell me? Why did you no do something?”

My cheeks burned. I could understand why she felt we had betrayed her, and all the people besides. If I had said as much and begged her pardon there and then, maybe our lives would not have unravelled as they did.

“There was nothing she could do, lass,” said Father, and rather to my surprise his voice was gentle.

“You could have told me,” Kirsty said, still addressing me, “you could have told me; I would have done something.”

“There was nothing you could do, Kirsty,” I protested, “your Uncle George and Aunt Lucy could do nothing, you know that.”

“I would have done something,” she repeated, “I would have had the will, even if you did nae.”

“That isn’t fair,” I cried, “of course I had the will, but what could I do? What could you have done?”

“I would have warned my friends and neighbours, we might have been heard if we’d all spoken out together, before the notices to flit had been made up. We could have fought for our land. I would fight, indeed I would!”

“You should be keeping quiet and doing your duty to those above you, nae making trouble like those murdering savages did in France!” said Father, sounding angry now.

“My da and mam are to be homeless, they are to be robbed of their land – land my family have tended and worked on for time out of mind – and I am to say nowt! Do you think this is a right, Miss Mary, do you think there is any justice in this? Would you say nowt?”

Patient Griselda, distressed by Kirsty’s excited voice, had come to her side and now she got up on her backlegs to pat Kirsty’s hand as was her wont. Kirsty scooped her up and pushed her into my arms, “I am no Patient Griselda,” she shouted, “nor will I ever be. I am no hypocrite – and I am no Judas that can be bought with bribes and promises to betray my Christian duty!”

Father gasped and floundered for a moment, too shocked by her words to speak, then he found his voice. He was red in the face, though whether from shame or fury I cannot say for sure, but he did not look her in the eye even as he raged at her, “Listen to yourself, you wretched girl! You dare to talk of Christian duty when you openly flout those God has put in authority over you? You dare to accuse me – your master and your Minister of religion – as if you had either the wisdom or the understanding to know what is right and what is just!”

“Well, Minister, you will be glad to know you are no longer my master or my priest. I will no stay here to serve you and I’ll never enter your Kirk again, I scorn you and your fine words I’m going to my mam and da, I will help them if you will nae!”

“Of course we want to help them,” I began, but she had already turned from us and left the room. I could hear her climbing the stairs.

I moved to go after her but Father shouted, “Let her go!”

Poor Griselda trembled in my arms and I soothed her as best I could with tears running down my face. It was not justice – Kirsty was right, there was no justice in it.

“Let her go,” Father repeated dully, “let her go for now, she’ll be back soon enough.”

He retired to his study – to his opium, no doubt, taking a new flask of whisky with him. I dreaded the result but had no time to fret for I knew I must stop Kirsty before it was too late. I ran upstairs to her attic chamber and found her packing her box. She even threw in her Bible and seeing it, I trembled; if she was taking that, I knew she was serious.

“Please don’t leave me,” I said, my heart hammering at the very thought of being without her.

“You should have told me,” her voice was cold and hard, “how could you do this? How could you no tell me?”

“Kirsty,” I protested, “it would only have upset you, you might have done something stupid, you might have got hurt.”

“Hurt!” she shouted, throwing her bundle over her shoulders and lifting her box, she headed passed me down the stairs, with me following, pleading.

I grabbed her box from her, “I will hide this,” I cried, “I won’t let you take it!” Struggling a little with the weight, I carried it to my own chamber and locked it in my closet.

But Kirsty passed by my door with her bundle in her hands, “It is no good, Miss Mary, I will send Peter for my box,” she said, as coldly as if she cared for me not at all.

“Please,” I begged, “it was not I who preached today, it’s not fair to blame me so.”

Kirsty stared at me as if she thought me foolish beyond belief, there was something akin to pity in her eyes, as well as contempt’

Follow Miriam Hastings:

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Every Hero needs one – Writing the Trusty Sidekick

November 1, 2024 ~ ChanAtkins ~ 2 Comments

By Richard Dee

Throughout storytelling, there is a place by the side of the hero for a trusty sidekick or two.

They can serve so many purposes, from the voice of reason and conscience to the sounding board for ideas. They are usually unsung and quite happy to be so, content to be dependable and along for the adventure.

The sidekick can be invaluable in your novel, a source of exposition that is so much better than a descriptive passage. They can explain the boring bits of your tale (if there are any) in a convincing way and make it a part of the story.

In fact, there is just so much to recommend them, right from how they met and teamed up with your protagonist, to their past and their foibles. All of these things can drive your narrative and provide moments of humour, sadness and every other emotion that you might require. And they can save you from having to make your protagonist seem overblown and capable of everything by sharing the load when the action gets going.

Of course, they don’t have to be there from the start of the tale. Your protagonist can start off by themselves and acquire a sidekick as the story progresses. Or they might have one from some past adventure. This also gives you a subject for them to talk about, giving insight into motives, weaknesses and baggage. They can reminisce in any moments of quiet between the action.

Or your hero might have one; lose them in any number of circumstances and just when they think they are doomed to a life of loneliness or a battle against overwhelming odds, they acquire another.

Finally, there is the inanimate sidekick, like the bat cave or the fortress of solitude, the place where our protagonist goes for rest and reflection, to restore themselves or to clear their heads. This is potentially the hardest sidekick to write because it’s not directly emotional, it’s a place, therefore it has no dialogue. Instead, it must generate a reaction in the protagonist, through its location, atmosphere and facilities.

Whew! When I started jotting down thoughts about sidekicks I never realised quite how much there was to go on. There’s enough scope there for a whole master class. And I’ve barely scratched the surface yet!

So let’s start to look at that in a bit more detail. If you’re the hero in an adventure novel; what can a sidekick do for you?

The sidekick keeps you sane and on the path, by pointing out your mistakes and providing useful and timely advice.

Or, the sidekick leads you astray, by having their own agenda, or a goal that doesn’t align with yours, although the initial idea may have been the same.

Gaining or losing a good sidekick can be a source of tension or plot development, there can be thoughts of revenge at the demise of a faithful sidekick or surprise when one of the enemies becomes a friend…, or do they? Can they ever be trusted? There’s a great way to introduce tension, just how much can you tell someone whose motives are unclear?

There’s the value of conversation with one, it can move the plot along, expose backstory in a more approachable way or provide a means for the hero to argue his case.

Then there’s the ‘who will rid me of this turbulent priest?’ kind of sidekick. The manifestation of our hero’s conscience that is fated to be disposed of. Usually when the advice becomes too much or gets a little too close to home. This will inevitably lead to remorse in the hero and can motivate them to perform some action that they might not have otherwise done.

Sometimes the sidekick can become a nuisance in other ways and needs getting rid of.

It’s possible that a flash of anger might disrupt the hero/sidekick relationship, leaving room for bitterness, betrayal and a possible reconciliation later. Or it might be enough for the once loyal friend to turn and work against his former ally. Then again, bribery could turn a person’s allegiance if they feel unwanted or undervalued.

Then there are the accidental sidekicks, people thrown together in a common cause, they might hate each other at the start but there is always the potential to develop their relationship as they battle adversity together.

Never forgetting the inept but likeable assistant, sort of boy blunder instead of boy wonder! Or reverse it completely and have the inept hero and the smart ar*e sidekick.

So, as you can see, there is potential for so much in a sidekick, and I’m sure that you can think of plenty of other ways in which they can enrich a narrative.

I’ve had all sorts of sidekicks in my work. I’ve had friends, lovers and people who my character has bumped into in their travels. There have been the distractions, the ones who have dragged me on side projects, the ones who were blessed with skills that I never knew I needed (until I found that I did!)

You can have more than one as well; why not get a group like the Famous Five? But be careful, they can always gang up and force your story into situations that you don’t want, or didn’t plan for.

Especially if one of the group turns out to be a bit of a diva. They might be after promotion from sidekick to hero.

As you can see the possibilities are endless. I’ve only just scratched the surface in this article.

I hope I’ve given you some ideas.

There’s a lot more about sidekicks, and world-building in general, in my book, Creating a Scifi World.