Week 5: Writing, Roadblocks, and Where to Go from Here . . .

This is week 5 of the self-publishing process, and at this point, your only duty is to write. Write, write, and write some more. Of course, as COVID-19 has shown us, sometimes unfortunate things can happen while you’re working on a project, and those things are often out of your control. So if you’re running into some writing roadblocks, read on!

In the six months that I spent working to publish my first novel, my husband’s grandfather died, his grandmother ended up in the hospital on Christmas, and my grandmother died.

Then, in the last two weeks before publication, I updated my ancient Mac to Catalina (just to download Photoshop and finish my cover) and my computer was completely braindead for 24 hours. Eventually, I got it up and running again, only for my dad to break his ribs. So, I ended up covering shifts at his pizza shop (with my laptop stowed under the counter) and as soon as that was over, I caught the flu (or some kind of virus . . . the ladies at urgent care basically just took my blood pressure, asked if I’d been to China, and sent me on my way). So, I spent the last week before my release date so bleary-eyed that I was starting to wonder if I would ever be able to see straight again.

And then, I released my novel, Pieces of Pink, on March 8th, and all of the bookstores closed for social distancing before I could bring in copies, leaving Amazon as my only retailer. And since Amazon is prioritizing medical supplies and essentials — as they should — paperbacks are taking nearly a month to ship. It may seem like a string of terrible luck, but honestly? I think everything’s going pretty smoothly, all things considered.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

I know I’m not the only writer out there who has run into problems, and I recognize that many of you are probably feeling overwhelmed and anxious right now. But even if you feel like you’re being clubbed to death with bad luck, you can do this! Even if your computer catches on fire, and you have to finish your project on a dusty desktop from the early ’00s, you can do this! Even if things are happening around you that are breaking your heart, you can do this.

You can finish your project, and you can reach your dream, because you have more guts than you give yourself credit for. You will face adversity. You will hit road blocks and unfortunate things will happen. At some point, you might even feel like you can’t go on with your project, but you can. I know you can. So, make yourself a cup of tea, take a deep breath, and keep going.

You’ve got this.

Do you have a book out? Are you in the middle of writing one now? If so, what roadblocks have come up in your path? Feel free to share in the comments section below!