What to Do When You Really Want to Write, but Life Won’t Let You

I’m blogging every day in the run-up to the US publication of Daughter of Genoa. Today: how to get through the Slough of Despond with your story intact.

We all know about writer’s block: that horrible state when you’re under pressure to write, but the words won’t come. But what if you have a different problem? What if the ideas are bubbling up and the sentences are flowing, but life keeps getting in the way?

Maybe you’re dealing with a health problem or a family crisis, or it’s a busy time at work. Maybe you find yourself trying to write in the middle of a divorce or a house move, or even an international relocation (been there). Whatever the case, it’s extremely frustrating. But these few simple steps will help you and your characters get safely to the other side.

Not all obstacles are as cute as Bob here.

Step 1: Confront your deadlines

No deadline? Lucky you. Go to the next step.

If you have a deadline for delivery, whether that’s to an editor, agent or mentor/coach/external reader, contact them immediately. Publishing operates on tightly calibrated deadlines, as does freelance work. But everyone understands that life happens, and you’ll make things infinitely easier if you flag a potential problem the moment it arises.

I’ve had to do this myself, and I’ve also had it done to me in my capacity as a freelance translator and editor. I don’t judge the clients who write and tell me that things have changed, and they can’t deliver a manuscript on time or even at all. In fact, I feel warmly about them – I appreciate their professionalism and their consideration of my time. The people who do real damage are the ones who simply let the deadline blow past with no communication, or who write to me airily the day before to inform me that they won’t get around to delivering quite yet but once they do, it would be just spiffy if I could turn it all around in 48 hours. Everyone else is a delight, I promise you.

On that note, if you’re asked when you will be able to deliver, don’t overpromise. It’s a huge temptation, especially if you’re a people-pleaser. But being honest about what you can do, and how long it will take you, is the best and most effective route. Rescheduling a deadline once is difficult but doable. Doing so repeatedly makes life hard for everyone. It impacts other authors whose work is scheduled around yours, and it’s likely to impact your relationship with the professionals around you.

Step 2: Breathe

Stories can feel fragile sometimes. Especially at that intense first-draft stage when you’re so in love with your new world, and you ping-pong between feeling that this is the best thing you’ve ever done and being sure that it’s complete and utter trash. It’s like the worst kind of crush, and it’s very easy to confuse anxiety for reality.

But your manuscript is more resilient than you think. It’s hard to step away, but your fictional world will still be there when you come back. And you might even return with a clearer perspective, or a few more knots untangled, because your subconscious keeps working even when you don’t think you are. Learning to trust your process is part of being a working writer, because there will always be something that crops up to disturb your creative routine.

So do what you need to do for yourself and your situation, and know that your story will keep. Even if you come back to it later than planned, or in a different form to the one you originally envisioned. That’s all part of the process, too.

At a stressful time, don’t let anxiety take the wheel.

Step 3: Check in when you can

When things are going well, it can be motivating to set yourself a target: 2,000 words a day, or 10,000 a week, or whatever works for you. When they aren’t going so well, that same target can become a millstone around your neck.

Something is always better than nothing. When you read over a paragraph and give it a quick tweak, or note down a couple of bullet points, or watch one of your inspiration movies, or listen to a song that reminds you of your protagonist – that’s all work. It all contributes to your story’s development, and hopefully it brings you a moment of joy.

Goals are all very well when you have time and energy. In survival mode, all bets are off. Don’t listen to the anxious, perfectionist voice that tells you there’s no point in trying unless you can hit your target today. Do what you can, and be bloody proud of yourself for doing it. When the crisis passes, you’ll be ready to write again.

It can feel terrible when your writing is derailed by factors outside your control. But you’re not alone, and this isn’t unusual. Put self-care first and do whatever you need to do. Your characters and story will always be there.

Daughter of Genoa, which was written around an international move, is out in the US on December 9, 2025.