Post 1 of 2: What's slowing you down or stopping you from making your writing dream come true?

Today I'm sharing what I hope are helpful solutions to common writing challenges to help you get writing!

Time: We all get 24 hours in a day and we may sometimes feel like we "don't have time" to squeeze in writing. Here's a tip that significantly increased how much time I spend writing: treat even short snippets of time as writing time. If you write or think about what you're writing for even 10 minutes almost every day, you will find your brain starts giving you ideas, and you get excited, and you will want to keep writing – and that motivation will spur you to write when you have 60, 30, 20, 10, however many minutes. And eventually that will add up to your story.

Writer's block: I think this often happens when we're thinking too much – to the point where it gets in the way of our genuine, natural voice and skills. When you feel stuck, I recommend taking a break from what you're writing to complete a mundane, mindless task, such as doing a chore, or going on a walk. I find this frees up the mind so that the answer can rise from your subconscious to your conscious mind.

Ideas: It's so nice when ideas just come to us, and almost impossible to conjure ideas out of thin air. It can be really helpful to write your ideas down as they come to you, even if they don't seem "that great." Sometimes it can take a while, even years, for an idea to develop into a story, and sometimes that idea is waiting to be combined with a future idea you'll think of (this is how I got the concept for my book Lavender Fields). Talking to a loved one – or even writing an email to yourself – might also help you work through your thoughts.

Tomorrow I'll share some tips for making story decisions, staying motivated and believing in yourself.

Chances are other writers are facing the same challenges as you. I welcome you to share your challenges – and suggestions for overcoming them – in the comments below!