There are a lot of challenges that can halt your progress when starting a new project, whether it is a short story, a novel or even a blog that you want to start. So I decided to talk about some of the common issues and how to best deal with them and get something achieved.

1. Plan your project
   

   This is literally the most important aspect of every project you want to start, even if it doesn’t involve writing even. Stories are the same, there is not a single writer who doesn’t do this before starting a project. For some, an outline works while for others they feel its too restrictive and doesn’t give the writer the freedom to do what they want (assuming they want to change things when writing). But the fact of the matter is, even those who don’t outline usually have a separate document that helps them remember all the important details that need to be stated. It can be a list of every character in the story (which is updated as the writing is going) or even just a rough draft. Always remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

   
   
2. Have content at the read
   

   If you’re planning a blog, launch it when you have enough content to cover at least three months ahead. This will give you the option to edit whatever you want (if there is an important event that you need to blog, you can simply push the schedule ahead a bit). This will do wonders, seriously. It’ll give you a breathing point for those times when you are most likely too busy to write. You don’t have to freak out, you’re covered. But have a goal of writing one post a week at the very least.
   
   In terms of stories or novels, write down any idea that you have on paper. I always have at my disposal these half finished stories which are based on a single idea. Just note it down, it’ll make sense later on for when you feel something is terribly missing somewhere but you can’t identify it. I did this with Minds: the Secret Society, and quite recently Secret of the Moonlight where I used a part I had already written and merged the stories together (and they make perfect sense as well).

   
   
3. Know where you’re going
   

   Whether it is noting down goals, or plot lines, if you don’t know to which port you are sailing, you will never arrive. Have a destination, or a meaning behind whatever project you want to start. Ask yourself what do you want the readers to get out of after finishing the story/blog? This will do wonders to improve your writing.
   
   I plan to do more of these posts as well. Also, for next week, I’ll be taking some questions from Twitter and answer them. These will be completely random, and I’ll prepare a hashtag as well in case you want to ask me something (I’ll probably check the questions sent to my email first). This can be anything from self-publishing tips, or hacks to questions regarding book covers and blurbs!