writer's block

Writer’s Block: Exploring the Cause and the Cure

Sean Glatch  |  May 24, 2022  |  6 Comments

Writer’s block—wanting to write and not writing—is a persistent problem that every writer (yes, every writer, even Stephen King ) deals with. At its simplest, it manifests as a lack of ideas. What do I write about? At its most pernicious, writer’s block can convince you that you lack what it takes to be a writer. We’re here to tell you: that’s simply not true.

Writer’s block is certainly a tough problem to solve. If we all knew how to get rid of writer’s block, the world would be overflowing with books, completed effortlessly and ahead of schedule.

Nonetheless, writer’s block doesn’t have to be chronic, or debilitating. In this article, we’ll look deeply into what causes writer’s block, and describe how to overcome writer’s block—in whatever way it might be manifesting in your writing. But first, what is writer’s block?

What is Writer’s Block?

What is writer’s block? It manifests in different ways in different writers. It might feel like you’re turning on a faucet, but the water has run out; it might feel like you’re hitting your head against a brick wall, jostling language, waiting for the words to arrive.

No matter how it manifests, all strains and variants of writer’s block share the same issue: a desire to write, and an inability to do so.

More specifically, it’s an inability to get into the flow of writing . The moment you set your pen tip to paper (or fingers to keyboard), your brain is plagued with questions, concerns, distractions. What do I write about? I don’t know how to write that. Where do I start? That wouldn’t make sense. Is this something I would write? I should really do the laundry first.

What causes writer’s block, and how do you staunch the flow of intrusive thoughts? Let’s dive deeper.

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What Causes Writer’s Block

Every writer experiences different roadblocks on their writing journey. Some of those roadblocks are external: rejections from literary journals, disagreements with book publishers, a lack of time and resources, and the like.

However, far more of those roadblocks are internal: self-doubt, perfectionism, low motivation, etc. The internal roadblocks we face around our writing practice are what cause writer’s block.

Our internal roadblocks in our writing practice—self-doubt, perfectionism, low motivation—are what cause writer’s block.

In writer’s block, something internal dams the flow of creativity. Our internal worlds shape how we access our creativity , so getting rid of writer’s block means working through whatever psychological barriers are inhibiting us.

The secret to a successful writing habit is writing every day, without inhibition or prescriptive judgments. So, to overcome writer’s block, we need to work towards a productive writing mentality.

6 Manifestations of Writer’s Block

Below are six common types of writer’s block, broken down one by one. For each type, I give advice I’ve collected and experimented with over the years on how to cure writer’s block.

Here’s what to do when…

1. Writer’s block: You feel motivated but uncreative

Often, feeling boxed in mentally is the result of feeling boxed in physically. When we’re confined to the same familiar spaces, our brains fall into repetition, and we create habits of stasis rather than habits of imagination. You need something to kickstart that creative flow.

Sometimes, the solution is to simply daydream.

Sometimes, the solution is to simply daydream. What happens if you spend an hour staring at the ceiling or out the window—what worlds can you come up with when undisturbed from technology or other people?

Try putting yourself in new, unfamiliar spaces.

Other times, you might need to kick your brain in action by putting yourself in new, unfamiliar spaces. Maybe find a new space to write: a hidden park bench, the back of a library, your best friend’s balcony, anywhere.

2. Writer’s block: You feel creative but have no motivation

Sometimes the opposite is true: you can dream up new stories, worlds, and metaphors, but you can’t seem to put them on the page. Why won’t the words come out?

Create an environment and schedule conducive to writing.

This is where creating a writing habit becomes useful. We need to train our brains to write by creating an environment and schedule conducive to writing. If you can make yourself sit in the same space at the same time every day, you will encourage your creative motivation through sheer force of repetition.

Where do you feel most creative? It may be at your desk or in the kitchen; it may also be in the bathtub, on your roof, or squirreled away in the closet. Find where you’re most creative, and write there frequently.

3. Writer’s block: Self-doubt is getting in the way

For some people, overcoming writer’s block means overcoming the voice of self-doubt. Self-doubt is only natural: when we write, we’re creating new worlds and human beings. That’s a tall order, and it can be easy to doubt that you’re writing “the right way.”

Self-doubt is a natural response to writing, but it doesn’t have to inhibit your creative flow.

Self-doubt is a natural response to the writing process, but it doesn’t have to inhibit your creative flow. Otherwise, you end up justifying your own self-doubt, which prevents you from writing the next Pulitzer Prize-winning book.

This is one of the hardest writer’s blocks to work through, but you’re not alone in feeling it. Many successful authors have their fair share of self-doubt. John Steinbeck, for example, wrote that he was “assailed by [his] own ignorance and inability” while writing The Grapes of Wrath —that great American novel which did win a Pulitzer.

Often, self-doubters will assume their work will be meaningless before it even reaches the page. If you’re experiencing a bout of writer’s block and doubt your ability to create, try to hold back that judgment. Allow yourself to write, even if that writing doesn’t meet your standards: you can always edit later, and the act of creation is the most important thing a writer can commit to. Think of it this way: every word you write brings you a word closer to the Nobel prize.

4. Writer’s block: You’re out of ideas

You want to write, you’re feeling creative, and you have time to sit at your desk and produce something. There’s only one problem: what do you write about?

First, ask yourself this: are you struggling to come up with ideas at all, or are you dismissing every idea you come up with? If it’s the first one, then prompt generators are your best friend. Hit refresh as many times as you want, add or subtract certain requirements, and have fun in the sandbox of language. You won’t be out of ideas for long!

You might also find writing exercises, like the ones in this article on literary devices , useful for juicing your creativity.

If it’s the second problem, then you might need to take a step back and actually slow your thoughts down . You might be rushing through ideas too quickly, and rather than finding your groove and setting words on the page, your thoughts are spinning like tires in a ditch.

This is your reminder, then: slow down, chew through your thoughts slowly, and imagine yourself inside of your ideas. You might find something unique or surprising, and realize that everything you need as a writer is already inside of you.

5. Writer’s block: You’re too exhausted to write

Let’s face it: this world was not built for writers. Very few of us have the luxury of dedicating our entire lives to literature: we have jobs to work, bills to pay, kids to raise, and thousands of decisions to make. When we find time to sit at the writing desk, we don’t always have the energy to write.

Try to block out some time, even just 5 minutes, to journal or dream on the page before going to sleep.

Our personal and professional lives are often what causes writer’s block. If this is the case, but you really want to write, then take a step back and focus on your needs first. Try to block out some time, even just 5 minutes, to journal or dream on the page before going to sleep. Over time, this habit will start to produce the writing you want to create.

Overcoming writer’s block usually begins with habits, and habits can overcome even the fatigue of day-to-day life. Be gentle with yourself, but be diligent!

6. Writer’s block: You aren’t sure what causes writer’s block for you

If all writers knew the reason they couldn’t write, then they’d know how to cure writer’s block. Sadly, this isn’t the case. It might take a couple of weeks to diagnose yourself with writer’s block, and it might take a couple more weeks after that to figure out the block. This is something that, sooner or later, most writers grapple with.

If you’ve made it this far into the article and you’re not sure what’s causing your block, try the following. Grab an empty sheet of paper and write the words “I can’t write because…” and then finish the sentence. Jot down as many reasons as you want, including false reasons, made up scenarios, and creative fantasies. If you can’t write because you’ve been abducted by aliens, write it down—and, consider what that could be a metaphor for.

Then, write another sentence: “I want to write because…” and do the same thing. Write because you want to win an Edgar Award, or because you want to heal from something emotional, or because you want your book read in high school English classes.

Finally, write this: “I will write because…” and go from there. I will write because I can. I will write because I’m good at writing. I will write because I’m bad at writing. I will write because I want to, and that’s all the reasoning I need.

This is an exercise in self-dialogue, which helps us navigate our emotions through the sheer act of creation. Instead of overcoming a block in the flow of language, try diverting the river, see where it leads you.

How to Get Rid of Writer’s Block: Make Writing a Habit

Ultimately, working through writer’s block is about developing practices that make writing a habit—on good days, bad days, and everything in between. What this looks like is completely up to you and what will really work in your case. Start experimenting!

Overcoming Writer’s Block Starts with Experimentation

Experiment with where, when, and how you write.

Especially for newer writers, the best thing you can do is understand what writing habits are best for you. Experiment with where, when, and how you write to find a place and style of writing that consistently lets you get words onto the page.

Your next story or poem might be best written on a typewriter. It might also be best written while staring at your phone, tucked in bed at 1 in the morning. That’s not to promote unhealthy sleeping habits, only to suggest that “real writing” can happen in any space.

Maybe you’re too tired to write when you finish work at night. Try writing in the morning! Maybe your laptop keeps dragging you onto Twitter. Buy a notebook! Maybe writing feels boring and isolating. Try it in a coffee shop!

Another great way to get the words flowing is to join a writers group. Depending on where you live, you might find writing groups on sites like Meetup or Eventbrite. If all else fails, check your local library.

Clear away any preconceived notions of what “writing” looks like, and find what will make your writing process work for you. If you try to force yourself to write in one specific way, you might be stifling your creativity and preventing ideas from coming naturally.

Consistent Creative Motivation Comes from Creative Habits

Overcoming writer’s block means setting the words down, no matter how great, terrible, logical, or nonsensical they are. The most successful writers have learned how to get rid of writer’s block by experimenting with when, where, and how they write, found the processes that best suit their writing needs, and developed a rock-solid writing habit .

The most successful writers have found the writing processes that work best for them, and developed a rock-solid writing habit .

Stephen King writes 10 pages each day, even on weekends and holidays. Haruki Murakami runs a 5K to clear his mind. Allegedly, Agatha Christie liked to sit in the bathtub, eating apples and looking at crime scene photographs, especially when she was out of ideas. The lengths writers go to to write!

How to Stop Writer’s Block Before it Starts

Two practices are critical for both preventing and overcoming writer’s block: productive self-talk, and forming a writing habit.

Can writer’s block be prevented? Not entirely, but there are many things you can do to stave off a wave of blank pages. Each of the writer’s block exercises we’ll be recommending below involve at least one of the following two things:

• Productive self-talk, and
• Forming a writing habit.

These practices are critical. Even if you don’t have writer’s block, you should incorporate them both into your writing life.

Positive self-talk allows us to transcribe our emotional worlds onto the paper: if we believe in ourselves and trust in our feelings, then we can shut out the world and trust our fingers to create something beautiful.

And if we put ourselves in a certain place—both physically and mentally—we can “ Pavlov ” ourselves into being creative during certain parts of the day.

We have to coax our creativity out, in the same way you might coax a cat out from under the bed. Be patient, kind, and habitual; eventually, creativity will curl up in our laps.

Overcoming Writer’s Block: Join a Writing Community

Although writers are often solitary creatures, writing thrives best with community support . Involve some trusted writers into your creative habits: join our Facebook group or sign up for a creative writing class with our award-winning instructors. (We even have a course that’s all about juicing your creativity with daily writing prompts.) Let’s beat writer’s block together!

Sean Glatch

[…] and we must have all faced what is commonly known as Writer’s Block, namely times when we feel totally uninspired and utterly bereft of ideas. This is indeed a terrible feeling, the desperate state of intellectual thirst and hunger in which […]

[…] Here’s a pretty good article to check out. […]

“Imagine yourself inside of your ideas” I love this advice. Thanks for the links in #4– “prompt generator” and “literary devices.” I appreciate your motivation and techniques to CREATE A WRITING HABIT! —that’s my personal bugaboo. Great article to bookmark!

Keeping up with a writing habit is definitely my biggest challenge as well. Thanks, Julia!

The tortured writer depicted at the start of this article could be a doppelgänger for someone I know…

I feel so seen to know there’s a writer’s block from being too exhausted to write. That’s the story of my life. Thanks so much for the tips!

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• Brainstorming
• Scriptwriting

How to Cure Writer’s Block: 23 Proven Ideas that Actually Work

T he fact is that almost every writer faces writer’s block at some point in their career. Deadlines, storylines or even airlines can be the cause of this intellectual affliction. Writer’s block is real and can greatly affect your output.

But, every writer of note has willed themselves out of this mental stupor. Writer’s block doesn’t have to stop a budding Homer in their tracks.

There are many ways to overcome this form of procrastination that works wonders.

Today, let’s look at 23 ways that prove effective to help you get rid of writer’s block.

But first…

writer's block DEFINITION

What is writer's block.

Writer’s block is when a writer experiences creative slowdown or can't create new work; essentially an artistic full-stop. It’s the inability of an author to compose new, original material that moves a narrative forward. The term writer’s block is used in reference to any writing or composition process where creativity is stunted. The production of new work grinds to a halt. It’s often referred to as creative constipation. Frustration, fear, anger, dread, and other strong emotions sometimes accompany it.

What causes writer's block?

• Distractions
• Physical illness
• Bills piling up
• Procrastination
• Intimidation

1. How to cure writer's block

Read for inspiration .

One of the best ways to overcome writer’s block is to read. Whether your favorite author or someone new, reading is a reliable cure.

When you take in another writer’s words on the page — a writer who has in all likelihood overcome the block as well, at some point — it challenges and motivates you to get the words out.

The inspiration for many writers is their own writing heroes. Shakespeare to Faulkner, Byron to Plath, all have their own styles and voices that have nourished generations of creatives. Writer’s block gloms onto the idle, not the well-read.

You could open the best screenwriting books for writer’s block help. So pick up a Kindle or an actual bound book, and kickstart the motivation.

​ ​ “The journey of a thousand words begins with the first.”

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2. how to get rid of writer's block

Write away your writer's block.

Even if you copy words from another source, getting something down on your screen or pad is a useful tool to get rid of blockage.

What is writer’s block, after all, but a stoppage of writing?

So do the opposite: just write.

Try transcribing a poem or song lyrics and see what happens.

Whip up a to-do list, an outline for another project or story, a free-association paragraph or two. You’ll discover it goes a long way.

Just as the adage “fake it 'til you make it” fits the bill in business, it also works with writing. Get the writing muscles moving and your brain will catch up before you know it.

There is nothing bad about writing something that, on the surface, appears unusable. It’s practice. You’re training your mind and fingertips for what matters.

If Chris Brown gets stuck in writer's block, he'll just "write it out."

Chris Brown's cure for writer's block is to "just write it out!"

3. how to get rid of writer's block, use a writing prompt.

Writing prompts are an effective way to overcome writer’s block. Having another brain issue a challenge can get a lot of writers going, even you.  

Writer’s D ​ ​ igest and Reddit both offer a roundup of prompts to get you started. You may even consider single words, colors, or phrases as prompts and take it from there.  

Prompts from writer-specific sites can be more in-tune with the level at which professional writers work. But the whimsy of other random sites and ideas can also do much to alleviate writer’s block.

This is basically looking without, instead of looking within, for what to do when you have writer’s block. Taking the pressure off yourself can free your mind and get the ball (- point pen) rolling.

“The wonderful thing about writing is that there is always a blank page waiting. The terrifying thing about writing is that there is always a blank page waiting.”

― J.K. Rowling

4. How to get over writer's block

Develop a character.

Since you want to know how to get over your block, create a character who already has the answers.

The character you describe in writing doesn’t even need to have meaning, only features. A woman with red hair, green eyes, and a pout. A pimple-faced man in a trucker hat. Throw in a verb and a location and you have the beginning of a story.

“A woman with red hair, green eyes, and a pout stands in front of her bedroom mirror …”

“A pimple-faced man in a trucker hat sprints down the sidewalk …”

The character doesn’t necessarily have to know all the right answers.

You can even create a version of yourself. Some of the best characters came about this way. If the character turns into a cure, then you’ve created the right character.

You can even use a character development worksheet to get this process going even faster.

Free downloadable bonus

Download free character development sheet.

If you're going to develop a new character, it's critical to lay out the ins and outs for a fully-formed character.  Download our FREE, worksheet to get you started.

• TV Development: Creating Characters →
• How To Write The Best Character Arc with Examples →
• Free Character Development Worksheet →

5. how to cure writer's block

Try a different genre.

If you want to figure out how to get past writer’s block, we recommend switching up your writing genre. If you are a screenwriter, write a short story or essay. If you’re a novelist, write a poem.

It’s almost as like taking a vacation from your usual writing style and vocation to explore a new voice.  It is a new way to interpret the world. Also, you might consider writing your same format, but with a different style or approach.        

Expository writing can be tiresome. Try a few lines of descriptive text. Next, maybe a persuasive argument within your story.  

Writer’s block shuts the door. These style exercises open windows.

6. how to overcome writer's block

Put together a puzzle.

Working with other parts of the brain can be a big help.

Whether it’s a jigsaw puzzle, tangram, sudoku, or crossword, puzzling your brain stimulates dopamine and gives you a creativity boost.

Furthermore, the analytical nature of a puzzle bleeds into the writer’s craft. Putting yourself in a headspace to analyze or assess can lead to overcoming writer’s block.

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• Read More: How To Become a Writer →
• Read More: 30 Ways to brainstorm short film ideas →
• Download: A FREE Story Outline Template →

7. how to get rid of writer's block

Change your music.

Playing music can be a good method for how to get over writer’s block. If it’s not working, change the music.

Now, change it again. Deejay your way out of a corner.

Music has been a cure to spur creativity ever since authors put quill to paper. Music not only calms the savage beast, but it also inspires the blocked writer.

We’re partial to Bach for curing writer’s block but AC/DC may do for you

Youtube and Spotify playlists exist that focus on writer’s block help. Ultimately, only you can determine what music works best.

A lot of writers swear by Elgar or Handel when crafting period-specific tales, for example.

8. HOW TO GET over OF WRITER'S BLOCK

Practice another art form.

This trick is one of the most fun ways to get the creative juices flowing. Singing, painting, sculpting, or dancing will get your creative juices flowing. Bust out the watercolors. Take out crayons and doodle away.

Download the Pulp Fiction script and act out the scene between Vincent and Jules as they clean up the car.

Practicing another art also gives you a built-in writing prompt: “A writer dances in the living room, loud music shaking the floor …”

You get the idea.

“Writing about a writer’s block is better than not writing at all.”

— Charles Bukowski

9. HOW TO GET RID OF WRITER'S BLOCK

Find a new hobby.

A craft or hobby can be the best answer for beating the creative blues.

Whittling, cobbling, and cooking all count as hobbies! So do gardening, knitting, and collecting snow globes.

A hobby or craft gives the mind a sense of workflow and completion. They require attention. They force your brain to focus.

Focus is an enemy of writer’s block and a friend to the writer.

So if you don’t have a hobby, maybe it’s time to find one. Your world and your writing will broaden. Try your local community college, which undoubtedly has an array of classes.

Some people knit, others whittle to get rid of writer’s block

10. getting over writer's block, watch a short film.

Watching a short film, a concise and contained story, is a surefire solution to moving forward with whatever you’re writing.

Just like features, short films provide different perspectives, new ways of thinking, emotion, and closure ― but in less time.

Voila! You’ve just written your way out of the doldrums.

Take a look at a genre-specific short film. Make a quick outline of it. Then expand on the story in a few sentences. What happens next?

What is writer’s block? Bryan Cranston knows all too well.

• The Best Short Films of All Time →
• How to Brainstorm Short Film Ideas →
• Rules for Writing Award-Worthy Short Films →

11. GETTING OVER WRITER'S BLOCK

Try cleaning your house.

Artists tend to work in spaces consumed by things. If this sounds like you, try a quick tidy-up. You might find that un-cluttering your workspace also de-clutters your mind. Cleaning gives you a “fresh start” and might lead to overcoming writer’s block.  

This is a question of taste. If you discover that clutter works for you, by all means, keep it messy.

But shift your clutter around. Seeing your area, even your mountains of clutter, in a new light is what you’re after.

When afternoon sun reflects off the south face of your newly rearranged laundry pile, you might get inspired.

Since you need to know how to get over unproductively, we’ll emphasize right here that cleaning or rearranging your stuff is a go-to cure.

“Breaking through writer’s block is like thinking out of the box: Both require an ability to imagine a world outside your four walls or rearranging them to get a better view.”

— Susan J. McIntire

12. HOW TO CURE WRITER'S BLOCK

Create a story circle.

The story circle is a storytelling tool and it helps you improve the structure of a story and was originally based on Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey. 

As a writing exercise, this can be effective to write out your story and think of all the elements holistically as a way to kick your writer's block. 

Dan Harmon's story circle

• Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey in 17 Steps →
• Internal and External Conflict Can Energize Your Story →
• FREE Download: Script Breakdown Sheet Template →

13. GETTING OVER WRITER'S BLOCK

Complete a simple task.

Completing a simple task is another way to move forward and get past writer’s block.

Taking out the trash, scrambling eggs, and watering plants all have the potential to impact creativity. You’ll also be able to scratch a chore off your list.

Making coffee is a simple and quick task. It also leads beautifully to the next item on our list of how to get over writer’s block.

Whatever your simple task is, make sure it isn’t stress-inducing in any way. Stressful tasks can be counterproductive. Multitasking, too, is not the best answer to cure your block. Stick to one thing.

14. GETTING OVER WRITER'S BLOCK

Make a writing schedule.

Does a routine sound boring?

As a writer, a routine can be your best friend.

Sitting down to write at the same time every day, and for the same length of time, forces the creative mind to produce the goods. If you go into it treating writing as your job, then you are simply more likely to get your job done.

That doesn’t mean it has to be a chore or a hassle. The fun and inspiration will come. Routine is the process you use to get to that place of fun and inspiration.

Your schedule can be your best cure when the muse won’t visit.

Your schedule doesn’t have to be ironclad, but routine and consistency are what you’re going for here.

Every film needs a  shooting schedule .

Every writer needs a writing schedule. Routine is not a dirty word.

“Writer’s block? I’ve heard of this. This is when a writer cannot write, yes? Then that person isn’t a writer anymore. I’m sorry, but the job is getting up in the f***ing morning and writing for a living.”  

—  Warren Ellis

15. Writer's block cure

Practice a new language.

This is one of our favorites hacks for keeping pen to paper. The beauty of French, the structure of Japanese, the melody of Italian, the vowels of Arabic — learning another language, or involving a language you already have mastered, can give you a big creative push.  

Maybe one of the characters you’ve created speaks another language. This backstory alone can get a writer over a hurdle. Mashable has tips on where to look to learn a new language.

Another hack is to take a poem or phrase in another language and use it as the focus of your story.

For instance,  je ne sais quois …  What does the French term mean? How can it be applied to your work?

Research the history of the phrase, and your writing will take on a whole new life.

How do you say writer’s block in Swedish?

16. writer's block cure, drink some coffee.

We aren’t the first to suggest coffee to boost output. Caffeine does wonders stimulating the mind. It spurs writers in every medium to get moving. Literally, it’s a diuretic.

If caffeine isn’t for you, other natural stimulants exist. Ginseng, ginkgo biloba, and ― oh yes, wait for it ― dark chocolate all act as natural stimulants

“I don’t sit around waiting for passion to strike me. I keep working steadily because I believe it is our privilege as humans to keep making things. Most of all, I keep working because I trust that creativity is always trying to find me, even when I have lost sight of it.”

― Elizabeth Gilbert

17. GETTING OVER WRITER'S BLOCK

Change your scenery.

This seems like a no-brainer in our quest for a writer’s block cure. Still, most people get stuck in a rut that has less to do with what they’re doing than where they’re doing it.

Even something as simple as changing the direction you usually face when you’re writing can do wonders for your creative energy.

It can also do wonders for your characters. Travel is an eye-opening experience.

This is true with the people you come across. Meeting and observing new people in new places will get you past writer’s block.

What is writer’s block? It’s quicksand.

What is travel? It’s movement and a lifeline.

“There's a lot of optimism in changing scenery, in seeing what's down the road."

― Conor Oberst

18. WRITER'S BLOCK cure

Get some exercise.

Exercise does wonders for the body and mind. Endorphins give you a runner’s high, which can translate to productivity and energy in all other areas of life and work.

You don’t have to run a marathon or do hot yoga to get the blood pumping. Try alternating between 10 push-ups and 10 sit-ups every 10 minutes over the course of an hour.

It’ll do wonders.

Pick something easy. Even stretching helps. Remember, objects in motion tend to stay in motion. Remaining sedentary will make sure your writer’s block doesn’t go anywhere, either.

How to overcome writer’s block? Get fit!

19. writer's block cure, go outside and play.

Let’s face it, if you’re stuck at a computer with a bad case of the blank page, it might mean that you aren’t living enough to write about living. What can you do?

Get outside and live a little. Or, go outside and live a lot!

Laughter and joy in the real world can be the perfect antidote to the crime series you’re creating. Even a writer’s group counts as play. You’re engaging, communicating ― living.

Join a group of writers to get rid of writer's block.

20. WRITER'S BLOCK CURE

Dictate and record.

Maybe the most fun way to overcome your impediment is to tell yourself a story out loud and record it, giving you a solid place to start.

Even kicking off with “once upon a time” requires creative expansion. Pretend you have an audience. Children, old folks, tourists, a judge: your imagined audience can guide your tone.

You might find that, for now, it’s easier to tell a story than to write it. Use what you’ve got!

If you want to get over your block? Tell yourself a story.

21. WRITER'S BLOCK CURE

Have a cocktail to cure writer’s block.

I don’t advocate resorting to alcohol all the time, but sipping a cocktail has certainly helped many a writer.

There is a fine line between having a drink to loosen up and being unable to type from blurry-eyed tequila-vision . You don’t want to spend every waking hour seeing the world at a dutch angle .

So you’ve taken a sip. Now use your drink as a writing prompt. What does it look like, taste like, and feel like as you swallow?

Hey doc, I’ve got the writer’s block.

Take two sips and call me in the morning.

“When you work hard all day with your head and know you must work again the next day what else can change your ideas and make them run on a different plane like whiskey? When you are cold and wet what else can warm you?”

—  Ernest Hemingway

22. WRITER'S BLOCK CURE

Go through a guided visualization.

If you feel a creative block approaching, it could also be due to overthinking. Another way to clear your mind is through guided visualization — which is easier than mediating and a great way to activate the imagination.

This could take about 10-minutes, but it can be a surefire way of shaking you out of things.

Follow along right here:

Guided visualization to cure writer's block

23. writer's block cure, clear your mind to cure writer's block.

The truth is, prayer, meditation, yoga, or whatever you want to do to center your creative mind, can be clutch as a cure for writer’s block. Meditative activities such as prayer help to center the creative mind.

The clean slate in your head can inspire you when you face the clean slate of the page.

How to overcome writer’s block? Meditate

Tips for writing short films.

We’ve given you ideas for overcoming writer’s block. Try one, try a few, or try them all.  But most importantly keep writing. Make note of what works for you — we promise something will.

But make sure you realize that when you can’t create, it’s usually a mental block more than creative one. Now that you’ve kicked the muse to the curb, it’s time to focus your writing even more. Learn the best tips for writing a short film that gets noticed.

Up Next: Write a Short Film that Gets Noticed →

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Symptoms and Cures for Writer's Block

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A description of common causes of writer’s block and advice for overcoming these blocks.

Written by Kylie Regan.

Most writers experience writer’s block at some point in their life, at various stages of the writing process. Often a solution can be found by speaking with your instructor (if you are a student) or a writing tutor. But there are ways to combat writer’s block on your own, too! When you’re having trouble figuring out what to write next, consider these common types of writer’s block and try the strategies that sound most promising.

If you're having trouble finding a starting place for the assignment...

• Brainstorm topics that are interesting to you. Use the invention strategies suggested by a tutor or teacher to generate questions or thoughts that serve as useful starting places.
• Write down all the primary ideas you'd like to express and then fill in each with the smaller ideas that make up each primary idea. This can easily be converted into an outline .
• If your paper involves conducting research, you can look for places where you disagree with another thinker’s claim or feel more work needs to be done. Identifying gaps or conflicts in the existing conversation around a topic is often a great starting place.

Example: You’ve been asked to analyze a television commercial. You remember three commercials that you found interesting and re-watch them, taking notes on details that stand out to you. You freewrite for five minutes on each of the three commercials, and discover that you have much more to say about one than the others. You focus on that one, expanding your freewrite into the an outline for the entire essay.

If you have a topic and an outline, but can’t think of an interesting beginning…

• After the paper is completely drafted, you can get all the sections in the correct order and read it start-to-finish to ensure that transitions are smooth.

Example: You have to complete a lab report and hate writing the “Introduction” section. In order to complete the project on time, you overcome your anxiety about writing that section by first writing the “Materials,” “Method,” and “Results” sections. You write the “Introduction” last, reorder, and revise holistically.

If you’ve chosen or been assigned a topic that bores you…

• If you’ve chosen a common topic just because you thought it would be easy to write on, reconsider: it’s easiest to write about something in which you have a personal interest.
• If you can’t change the major scope or goal of the assignment, try to understand why you’re being asked to write it. What knowledge will you gain from completing the assignment? What skills will you be able to practice? Who would benefit from reading my finished product, and how would that positively change that community?

Example: You work for your campus newspaper and have been assigned to write an article on an upcoming career fair. Although at first your editor asks you to simply inform students of what companies will be represented at the event, you find that you’re much more interested in profiling a certain company that’s new to the fair. You talk to your editor and get permission to write the article that engages you more.

Example: The same scenario as above, but your editor tells you that you have to write the original, more general article. Although it’s boring to you, you reflect that you’ll gain practice presenting a mass of information in concise language, certainly a useful skill for a journalist. Additionally, there are thousands of students on campus who would benefit from the information your article will cover. This motivates you to write the article.

If you don’t understand the assignment…

• The better you can articulate the source of confusion, the more help others can give you.

Example: Your composition instructor has asked you to write a Digital Literacy Narrative. The assignment sheet provides a definition of “digital literacy,” and you have some class notes that further clarify the concept. But after reviewing these materials, you’re still not certain if your instructor would allow you to write about how you learned to use different coffee-making technologies, as they aren’t traditionally considered digital devices. You go to your instructor’s office hours to ask if this topic would be acceptable, taking your annotated assignment sheet and class notes with you.

If you’re worried that you’ll write the wrong thing…

• Remember that the first draft is not the final draft. If you’re not sure that an argument will pan out, just start writing it and see where it takes you. You can always delete paragraphs that don’t work out later, but the best insights often come from pushing yourself into uncertain territory—if you never feel unsure about your claims, you’re probably just reproducing existing findings!
• If you’re worried that a small detail is incorrect, that’s okay in the draft phase. Rather than spending a lot of time checking every small detail as you go, just leave a note to yourself to check your sources later. Or, leave the troublesome paragraph for later and work on a section that you’re more confident writing about.

Example: You’re writing a paper on King Henry VIII and can’t remember off the top of your head whether he beheaded two or three of his wives. The answer to this question wouldn’t change your major argument either way, so you decide it’s not important to look up right now. You write “two,” highlight it, and leave a note to yourself to check this minor supporting fact against your research notes later.

If you’re worried that your sentences aren’t polished enough…

• Remember, again, that the first draft is not the final draft. The sooner you get some words on the page, the more time you’ll have to edit your prose for clarity and style later. Complete an entire draft before you start editing on the sentence level.
• If you find yourself consistently obsessing over individual sentences as you go, try dimming or covering your laptop or computer monitor’s screen so that you can’t see what you’re typing. You can also try writing in a notebook and typing up your work later.
• Consciously stop any non-productive comments running through your head by replacing them with productive ones. Rather than labeling yourself a “bad writer,” think about what parts of the writing process you excel at (idea generation, conclusions, sentence style, etc.) and plan to allot more time for the steps that take you longer.

Example: You’re writing a paper on the effects of all-nighters on college student’s health. You can’t think of the word “deleterious.” After a few seconds of futilely scanning your brain for it, you write “super harmful,” knowing that you can find the more professional word later.

If you’re so stressed out that you can’t seem to put a word on the page…

• Take a short break! If you’re close to a deadline and worried about losing track of time, then set a timer for ten or fifteen minutes and use that short window to relax before getting back to work. Stretch, move away from your desk, and don’t neglect your sleeping and eating schedule. It’s much harder to write if you’re sleep-deprived or dehydrated.
• If you have several days left before your deadline, break the assignment into manageable parts. Set measurable writing goals for yourself, like writing without interruption for thirty minutes every day, or writing a certain number of words by a given deadline.
• Finally, ask for help! Writing is most stressful when you’re doing it by yourself for a long period of time. Asking a tutor or a friend to talk through your ideas can help you get some perspective on the assignment, and remind you that it’s nothing to be anxious about.

Example: You have a week before an important job application is due and you’re anxious that the search committee will dislike your cover letter before you’ve even written it. Since you still have plenty of time before the deadline, you plan to work on it for just thirty minutes every day. You talk to a friend who helps you make a list of reasons why you’re qualified for this job, and you stick to your writing schedule.

If you’re easily distracted when you open your computer to write…

• Try temporarily disabling your internet access. Take your laptop to a space that doesn’t have internet access. Draft by hand in a notebook and type up your work later. Or, simply turn your computer’s wifi detector off, or put your document into full-screen or “Focus” mode: these obstacles are easy to overcome, but the time it takes to make the few extra clicks to open an internet browser is sometimes enough to stop yourself.
• You can also try setting a timer forcing yourself to do nothing but write for a short period of time. Even a ten-minute focused writing session can help you break through initial writer’s block and build momentum on your project.

Example: You start to work on your paper, and after writing one sentence feel the impulse to watch just one YouTube video. However, as you have wisely decided to take your computer to the house of a friend who doesn’t have internet, your browser gives you a frowny face and an error message. You return to your paper and keep writing.

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What Is Writer’s Block? with 15+ Ways to Beat It for Good

by Fija Callaghan

Writer’s block is the fierce dragon of the literary world. It’s the monster under the bed. It’s the malignant force that turns a blank page from sympathetic co-conspirator to vicious, subversive enemy. Writer’s block is every writer’s worst nightmare.

If you’re faced with a bout of writer’s block, we’ve got good news for you:

1.) You’re not alone. All writers experience writer’s block at various stages in their writerly practice.

2.) You can annihilate the beast one and for all, and we’re going to show you how.

What is writer’s block?

Writer’s block is when a writer finds themselves unable to move forward in their writing process. They might not be able to come up with any new ideas, or they might have ideas but can’t get them out onto the page. Writer’s block can vary in severity, lasting from hours to years.

What’s worse is that writer’s block is something that tends to feed on itself. Overcoming writer’s block that’s only been present a couple of days is fairly easy, but if left unaddressed, it becomes harder and harder to manage over time.

That may sound scary, but don’t worry! We’ll show you some foolproof tricks to beat writer’s block before it spirals out of hand.

What causes writer’s block?

Many famous writers struggle with this obstacle. Here are the primary causes of writer’s block that many writers will face at some point during their careers.

Creative stagnation

Writer’s block seeps into the empty space left behind when creativity stops. The longer you go without engaging in writing or other creative tasks, the more you build a hospitable environment for writer’s block to thrive and grow. And the more you allow writer’s block to overtake your internal creative space, the harder it is to get rid of.

(The creepy tar thing in FernGully may have been a metaphor for environmental pollution, but it definitely could have been a metaphor for writer’s block.)

Too many distractions

We get it—you’ve got lives. Jobs, education, tiny humans that need constant maintenance, the new season of your favourite Netflix binge, Instagram… the problem is that there’s always a reason not to write, and, as we saw above, allowing your writing to slip is what invites writer’s block into your life.

Internalized fear

Creativity is the foundation of our world, but can also be… kind of terrifying? Many writers have a fear of beginning to write because they lack confidence and feel what they put down won’t live up to the idea they have in their head. Or they might think they’ll never compare with the authors they love. There’s this sense that by putting words down on the page that somehow fall short of your expectations, you’ll be forced to look your failings right in the face.

Perfectionism

Some writers are so demanding of themselves that they don’t want any sub-par scribbles marring the perfect canvas of their work. This means they never trust themselves enough to even begin their first draft. They may also be afraid of writing something imperfect and revealing their own limitations.

The writer’s block fallacy

Dumbledore was on to something when he said, “Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.”

Finding yourself in a writing funk is the literal worst. However, be very mindful of assigning writer’s block too much of its own agency. By giving writer’s block a name, we allow it to become an external enemy over which we have no control, like a seasonal flu: I’m going through a rough case of Writer’s Block right now. Oh man, I had that last spring, it’s the worst. Yeah, the doc says I should just wait it out, get lots of rest. Ah well, we’ve all had it, give it time —

By treating writer’s block as something other , we disassociate and give ourselves permission to reject responsibility for our art. The first step to really conquering writer’s block is to take ownership of it as a piece of you—which means that you’re in charge.

Remember: writer’s block is an unconscious choice . Overcoming writer’s block is a conscious choice .

Ways to overcome writer’s block

Easier said than done, we know. Don’t despair! When you’re feeling stuck in a creative slowdown, try one (or several!) of these ways to overcome writer’s block and get your creative juices flowing.

1. Determine what’s really happening

If you’re suffering from writer’s block, chances are something is holding you back. See if you can identify what it is and address it. Are you petrified by existential self-doubt? Do you feel pressured to compare with other writers? Have you lost interest in the project you’re working on? Or maybe you’ve gone so long without writing that you find the act of starting up again intimidating? If you can pin down the root cause of your writer’s block, you’ll be able to determine the best way to overcome it.

2. Get words down on paper

Creativity is a bit like a faucet—you need to run it often for it to function at its best. If you go a long time without turning the faucet on, you might get some water with rust and debris and bits of bird poo coming out before you get to the fresh, clear stuff. But if your creativity faucet is backed up, the only way to clear it out is by flushing out the murky water.

In writing terms, this means getting something down on paper to “flush out” the blocked passages. At this stage, you don’t have to worry about it being any good.

Once again, because I cannot stress this enough: it doesn’t have to be any good . It just needs to exist so you can access the quality juice behind it. If you can manage to start writing, you’ll find your creativity begins to flow a lot more smoothly.

3. Use writing prompts

If you’re stuck for ideas, try out a writing prompt! The internet is full of prompts designed to trigger inspiration, from the silly to the thought-provoking. Writing prompts might include something like the first line to kick off a story, a situation to drop two characters in, or a “what if” question around which to build a plot. Writing prompts are a surefire way to get your words moving and overcome writer’s block.

4. Put it in a letter

In the interest of getting words on paper and uncovering the root cause of your slump, try writing about your writers block! You can pen a letter to your best friend, a family member, your crush, or your pet. You don’t have to send this letter (though you can if you want to), but having an imaginary someone on the other side can give you a focal point and help you unpack your thoughts. Try telling them what your story’s about, what you feel when you look at the page, and what you’d like to accomplish.

5. Set manageable goals

Try setting small, obtainable writing goals for yourself. Some writers aim for a thousand words before they finish for the day, but if that seems monumental, you can start with a few lines, or even one sentence. If looking at a blank page fills you with terror, try telling yourself, “I’ll just write one sentence of my novel, and then I’ll take a little break.” If you get that sentence down, great! See if you can write a second one. If not, come back to it later. Start with tiny victories and work your way up to larger ones.

6. Try a reward system

Some writers respond well to positive reinforcement, so try rewarding yourself every time you reach your daily goal. Maybe you think, “If I manage to write five hundred words today, I’ll buy myself an ice cream cone.” This gives you a tangible objective to work towards.

Just make sure your reward is something you only get when you meet your writing goals, and not something you have all the time. It should be a small luxury that makes your writing sessions feel productive and enriching.

7. Create a writing routine

Professional writers often build a regular routine around their creative process. For instance, you might promise yourself to work from 7:30am to 8:30am each morning before you go to your job, or from 8pm to 9pm each evening. Or, you might devote one of your days off to writing practice and work in one-hour busts with half-hour breaks in between. Everyone is different, so find the rhythm and writing schedule that works best for you.

Another way to create a sense of routine and overcome writer’s block is to always write in the same place with the same accoutrements. This will send your brain a signal that it’s time to write. This might be a certain coffee cup that you use while you’re writing, a particular album that you listen to, or a special “writer sweater” to keep you cosy.

8. Try out the Pomodoro technique

The Pomodoro technique is one type of scheduling that works well for a lot of people, and it might work for you. This involves setting a timer, such as a kitchen timer or the one on your phone (the name comes from the tomato-shaped kitchen timer used by the guy who invented it), for twenty-five minutes at a time. This is proven to be the time span in which we’re most productive.

After twenty-five minutes, take a five minute break to grab a snack or stretch your legs. After four twenty-five minute sessions (sometimes called “pomodoros”), take a longer break of about half an hour. This process is a proven method to maximise your productivity without burning yourself out.

9. Approach your story from a different angle

If you’re in the middle of a story and aren’t sure where to go next, try looking at it in another way. Try writing a scene from a different character’s perspective, or setting a conversation in a different location. Or, you could write a story from the past of one of your supporting characters and learn who they were before they became a part of your plot.

These scenes may not end up in your finished project (although they might, if you discover something about them you want to include), but exploring new facets of your story world may reveal surprising nuances and help you overcome writer’s block.

10. Start in the middle—or the end

You may feel stuck because, while you have some great ideas for your story’s conflict and astonishing twist ending, you aren’t quite sure how to begin. But here’s a deep, universal truth: anyone who says you must begin your story on page one is lying to you.

If you can see your hero’s final battle in your mind, go ahead and write that scene. Or the moment where they meet-cute their love interest for the first time. Or the scene where they finally overcome their flaws and become a better person. During your first draft, you don’t need to worry about getting everything in the right order (that’s what revision is for!)—just worry about getting it all down on the page. You may find you develop a better idea of where to begin as you go.

11. Use placeholders

You might find that a particular scene is giving you a lot of trouble because it’s too challenging, sensitive, or unclear. In this case, you can simply make a note and move on to the rest of your story. For example, you could pause in your narrative to say [THE BEST FRIENDS HAVE A BIG FIGHT], and then continue writing the next scene. You can always come back to it later with fresh eyes. The important thing is to keep moving.

12. Change your medium

Sometimes, simply changing the writing tool of your work can feel like a fresh start. If you usually write on paper, try switching to a computer screen for a while—or vice versa. If you’re writing on a computer, you can also try changing up the size and font of your text. Some writers swear by composing in Comic Sans to maximize their productivity. A small change can signal a psychological shift that kickstarts that initial spark.

13.Change tracks

If you’re stuck on your current project, try channeling your creative energy into something else. For example, you might take a break from your novel to try writing a piece of low-stress flash fiction or a poem. Or, you may wind down with another creative activity, like drawing or painting. This way you’re still keeping your creativity engaged while taking a step back from experiencing writer’s block.

14. Build a welcoming workspace

It’s tough to write well in a space that’s overflowing with dirty clothes and last week’s takeout. Even if you’re not normally a clean freak, try to prioritise the space you do your writing in and make it as welcoming and creatively conducive as possible. Keep it hygienic, and think about little personal touches that might make it feel like an artistic safe place. Some writers love having fresh flowers around while they work, while others like having warm candlelight nearby (don’t strain your eyes though! And keep that open flame away from your notes). Creating a place where creativity can flourish might be what you need to combat writer’s block.

15. Move to a new environment

Sometimes, though, moving around can be the trick to unstoppering your creative block. If it’s a nice day, try going outside and writing out in the natural world. Or, you might go to a cosy library or café to get the right words flowing. Even if you’re stuck indoors, just moving from one room to another can feel like a fresh start.

If all else fails, curl up with a good book for a while. Most writers are also readers, and dissecting how a well-crafted story is put together is one of the best skills a writer can have. Look at the way other authors have written their sentences and scenes, and see if you find some inspiration after a chapter or two.

17. Take a step back

You can also take a break from your writing session by getting some fresh air or taking time to talk with a non-writer friend. You might find that your best ideas come when you’ve taken the pressure off and are remembering what the outside world looks like.

Overcoming writer’s block is the next step in bringing your story to life

Almost every writer suffers from writer’s block at some point, but it doesn’t have to be a death sentence for your beautiful work. With these foolproof tricks, you can obliterate writer’s block once and for all!

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How to Beat Writer’s Block

By Maria Konnikova

In 1920, a sixteen-year-old Graham Greene decided that, after “104 weeks of monotony, humiliation, and mental pain,” he could no longer remain at Berkhamsted, the prep school where he was enrolled. He fled, leaving behind a note of resignation for his parents—his father was the school’s headmaster—, and was discovered on the heath soon after. The escape proved so troubling to his family that it led to a six-month stint in psychotherapy. It was a fortuitous turn in Greene’s life. He got a break from the school he dreaded and acquired a habit that would prove crucial to his life as a writer: Greene began keeping a dream journal, to help him channel his mental distress in a more productive direction.

For anyone familiar with Greene’s prolific output, it’s hard to believe that he could ever suffer from writer’s block. But, in his fifties, that’s precisely what happened—he faced a creative “blockage,” as he called it, that prevented him from seeing the development of a story or even, at times, its start. The dream journal proved to be his savior. Dream journaling was a very special type of writing, Greene believed. No one but you sees your dreams. No one can sue you for libel for writing them down. No one can fact-check you or object to a fanciful turn of events. In the foreword to “A World of My Own,” a selection of dream-journal entries that Greene selected, Yvonne Cloetta, Greene’s mistress of many years, quotes Greene telling a friend, “If one can remember an entire dream, the result is a sense of entertainment sufficiently marked to give one the illusion of being catapulted into a different world . . . . One finds oneself remote from one’s conscious preoccupations.” In that freedom from conscious anxiety, Greene found the freedom to do what he otherwise couldn’t: write.

Writer’s block has probably existed since the invention of writing, but the term itself was first introduced into the academic literature in the nineteen-forties, by a psychiatrist named Edmund Bergler. For two decades, Bergler studied writers who suffered from “neurotic inhibitions of productivity,” in an attempt to determine why they were unable to create—and what, if anything, could be done about it. After conducting multiple interviews and spending years with writers suffering from creative problems, he discarded some of the theories that were popular at the time. Blocked writers didn’t “drain themselves dry” by exhausting their supply of inspiration. Nor did they suffer from a lack of external motivation (the “landlord” theory, according to which writing stops the moment the rent is paid). They didn’t lack talent, they weren’t “plain lazy,” and they weren’t simply bored. So what were they?

Bergler was trained in the Freudian school of psychoanalysis, and that background informed his approach to the problem. In a 1950 paper called “Does Writer’s Block Exist?,” published in American Imago , a journal founded by Freud in 1939, Bergler argued that a writer is like a psychoanalyst. He “unconsciously tries to solve his inner problems via the sublimatory medium of writing.” A blocked writer is actually blocked psychologically—and the way to “unblock” that writer is through therapy. Solve the personal psychological problem and you remove the blockage. This line of thinking is fine, as far as it goes, but it’s frustratingly vague and full of assumptions. How do you know that writers are using their writing as a means of sublimation? How do you know that all problems stem from a blocked psyche? And what is a blocked psyche, anyway?

As it turns out, though, Bergler’s thinking wasn’t far off the mark. In the nineteen-seventies and eighties, the Yale University psychologists Jerome Singer and Michael Barrios tried to gain a more empirically grounded understanding of what it meant to be creatively blocked. They recruited a diverse group of writers—fiction and non-fiction, poetry and prose, print, stage, and screen—some of whom were blocked and some of whom were fine. The blocked writers had to fit a set of pre-determined criteria: they had to present objective proof of their lack of writing progress (affirming, for example, that they had made no progress on their main project) and attest to a subjective feeling of being unable to write. The symptoms had to have lasted for at least three months.

Barrios and Singer followed the writers’ progress for a month, interviewing them and asking them to complete close to sixty different psychological tests. They found, unsurprisingly, that blocked writers were unhappy. Symptoms of depression and anxiety, including increased self-criticism and reduced excitement and pride at work, were elevated in the blocked group; symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, such as repetition, self-doubt, procrastination, and perfectionism, also appeared, as did feelings of helplessness and “aversion to solitude”—a major problem, since writing usually requires time alone.

Not all unhappy writers were created equal, however. They fell, Barrios and Singer discovered, into four general types. In one group, anxiety and stress dominated; to them, the main impediment to writing was a deep emotional distress that sapped the joy out of writing. In another group, unhappiness expressed itself interpersonally, through anger and irritation at others. A third group was apathetic and disengaged, while a fourth tended to be angry, hostile, and disappointed—their emotions were strongly negative, as opposed to merely sad. These differences would turn out to be consequential. Different kinds of unhappy writers, Barrios and Singer discovered, are blocked differently.

There are some experiences that almost all blocked writers have in common. Almost all of them experience flagging motivation; they feel less ambitious and find less joy in writing. They’re also less creative. Barrios and Singer found that blocked individuals showed “low levels of positive and constructive mental imagery”: they were less able to form pictures in their minds, and the pictures they did form were less vivid. They were less likely to daydream in constructive fashion—or to dream, period.

The surprise was that these motivational and creative shortfalls expressed themselves differently for the different kinds of unhappy writers. The first, more anxious group felt unmotivated because of excessive self-criticism—nothing they produced was good enough—even though their imaginative capacity remained relatively unimpaired. (That’s not to say that their imaginations were unaffected: although they could still generate images, they tended to ruminate, replaying scenes over and over, unable to move on to something new.) The second, more socially hostile group was unmotivated because they didn’t want their work compared to the work of others. (Not everyone was afraid of criticism; some writers said that they didn’t want to be “object[s] of envy.”) Although their daydreaming capacity was largely intact, they tended to use it to imagine future interactions with others. The third, apathetic group seemed the most creatively blocked. They couldn’t daydream; they lacked originality; and they felt that the “rules” they were subjected to were too constrictive. Their motivation was also all but nonexistent. Finally, the fourth, angry and disappointed group tended to look for external motivation; they were driven by the need for attention and extrinsic reward. They were, Barrios and Singer found, more narcissistic—and that narcissism shaped their work as writers. They didn’t want to share their mental imagery, preferring that it stay private.

In one sense, Barrios and Singer’s findings echoed Bergler’s theories. They discovered that many symptoms of writer’s block are the kinds of problems psychiatrists think about. Unhappy writers, it seemed, were unhappy in their own ways, and would require therapies tailored to address their specific emotional issues. Barrios and Singer weren’t psychiatrists, however—they were psychologists. They decided to continue their work by studying the aspect of writer’s block that could be measured experimentally: the vividness and directionality of mental imagery.

The duo proposed a simple intervention: exercises in directed mental imagery. While some of the blocked writers met in groups to discuss their difficulties, Barrios and Singer asked others to participate in a systematic protocol designed to walk them through the production of colorful mental images. These writers would sit in a dim, quiet room and contemplate a series of ten prompts asking them to produce and then describe dream-like creations. They might, for example, “visualize” a piece of music, or a specific setting in nature. Afterward, they would visualize something from their current projects, and then generate a “dreamlike experience” based on that project. The intervention lasted two weeks.

It proved relatively successful. Writers who’d participated in the intervention improved their ability to get writing done and found themselves more motivated and self-confident. The exercise didn’t cure writer’s block across the board, but it did seem to demonstrate to the creatively stymied that they were still capable of creativity. (Greene’s dream diaries did much the same for him.) In multiple cases, the exercises led, over time, to the alleviation of writer’s block—even in the absence of therapy. Bergler, it seems, was partly right: emotional blockages did exist. But he was wrong to assume that, in order to move past them creatively, writers needed to address their emotional lives. In fact, the process could go the other way. Addressing the creative elements alone appeared to translate into an alleviation of the emotional symptoms that were thought to have caused the block in the first place, decreasing anxiety and increasing self-confidence and motivation. Therapy didn’t unblock creativity; creative training worked as a form of therapy.

It may be that learning to do creative work of any kind—not just direct imagery exercises—may help combat writer’s block. Scott Barry Kaufman, a psychologist who is the scientific director of the Imagination Institute at the University of Pennsylvania and a co-author of “Wired to Create,” says, “When one feels writer’s block, it’s good to just keep putting things down on paper—ideas, knowledge, etc.” In 2009, Kaufman co-edited a volume called “The Psychology of Creative Writing”; during that process, he became convinced that allowing for error—and realizing how nonlinear a process creativity can be—was an essential step for overcoming blocks in writing. “I think one must trust the writing process. Understand that creativity requires nonlinearity and unique associative combinations,” he says. “Creative people do a lot of trial and error and rarely know where they are going exactly until they get there.”

That, in the end, seems to be the main message of research into writer’s block: It’s useful to escape from external and internal judgment—by writing, for instance, in a dream diary, which you know will never be read—even if it’s only for a brief period. Such escapes allow writers to find comfort in the face of uncertainty; they give writers’ minds the freedom to imagine, even if the things they imagine seem ludicrous, unimportant, and unrelated to any writing project. Greene once had the following dream:

I was working one day for a poetry competition and had written one line—‘Beauty makes crime noble’—when I was interrupted by a criticism flung at me from behind by T.S. Eliot. ‘What does that mean? How can crime be noble?’ He had, I noticed, grown a moustache.

In real life, having your poetry criticized by T.S. Eliot could cause you to doubt your poetic gifts. But imagining it in a dream has the opposite effect. That dream could become the source for a story. And, at a minimum, it serves as a reminder that, no matter how blocked you may be, you still have the capacity to imagine something new—no matter how small and silly it may seem.

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Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Last updated on Apr 05, 2024

Writer's Block: How to Overcome Writing Constipation

Writer's block can hit at any point in a writer's career. Though he might deny it, the fact that George R.R. Martin has been writing the next installment of his Song of Ice and Fire saga for over 13 years might suggest that even the most successful and prolific writers are not immune to authorial constipation.

In this guide, we'll examine the possible causes of writer's block and share some of our favorite remedies for this most dreaded of creative curses.

What is Writer's Block?

Writer's block is a common challenge in the creative process that causes writers to stagnate while writing their works. It occurs when authors struggle to think of ideas or generate new material. Many writers will try to push through it and hope it goes away on its own. While this often works, the specific cause of chronic writer’s block often needs to be diagnosed before it can be dealt with. 

According to Doctor Reedsy (not a medical doctor), the most common causes of writer's block include:

Lack of motivation. Without a reason to write — consequences should you not complete your writing on time — your creative drive can run dry.

Loss of confidence in your ideas. You may have plenty of ideas, but nothing seems quite right or worthy of being written about.

Anxiety over the quality of your work. Imposter syndrome is a real thing and can leave you paralyzed

Toxic perfectionism. Do you find yourself re-writing sentences endlessly? Then this might be your issue.

Real-life problems getting in the way.  Bills? Children? Social obligations? These can all stop you from writing.

So, what's next?

10 Ways to Overcome Writer's Block

Now that we've established the cause of your particular strain of creative constipation, there are plenty of concrete ways to combat writer’s block! 

How to overcome writer's block:

• Determine the root of the problem 
• List your favorite books and writers 
• Build a solid routine 
• Write it badly at first 
• Find a different way into the story
• Start in the middle 
• Optimize your toolkit 
• Write something else
• Do something other than writing 
• Stop believing in the myth of writer’s block

1. Determine the root of the problem 

Contrary to what you might think, writer’s block isn’t a sign that you’re a “bad writer” — it’s something that almost every writer will face at some point. But while most writers have this experience in common, the underlying causes can be quite different.

So let's dig deep: why are you really blocked? Ask yourself:

• Do I feel pressure to succeed and/or compete with other writers?
• Have I lost sight of what my story is about, or interest in where it's going?
• Do I lack confidence in my own abilities, even if I've written plenty before?
• Have I not written for so long that I feel intimidated by the mere act?
• Am I simply feeling tired and run down?

Each of these problems has a different solution. For example, if perfectionism is strangling your writing, you might try leaning into the fact that no one’s first draft is perfect — in which case, tactic #4 on this list could really help you. Or if you’re feeling uninspired, you could turn to some of the resources in #7!

Of course, there’s no quick fix for any one of these causes. But understanding where your problem lies will help you know which tips are best for you as you go through our list.

2. List your favorite books and writers 

What inspired you to start writing in the first place? Perhaps you’ve got a favorite book you could turn to — or an author you admire. When you find yourself feeling stuck, it can really help to return to these sources to reignite that initial spark. 

Take The Great Gatsby , for example — are you drawn to the parties and glamor of 1920s New York? Perhaps you’re captivated by the extravagant, larger-than-life characters or the drama and intrigue throughout the story. Or maybe you love the literary embellishments of Nabokov — it might be tough at first, but you could try writing in a similarly elaborate style.

Work out what you look for in the books you read, whatever it might be, and incorporate that into your own work. (And the next time you find yourself wanting inspiration, well, that’s a perfect excuse to read even more!)

3. Build a solid routine 

Author and dancer Twyla Tharp once wrote, “Creativity is a habit.” This might seem counterintuitive to some — isn’t creativity something that naturally ebbs and flows, not something you can schedule? But the truth is, if you only write when you “feel creative”, you’re bound to get stuck in a rut. One of the best ways to push through is by writing on a regular schedule. 

You may already have a routine of sorts, but if you’re experiencing writer’s block, it’s time to switch things up. Figure out the days and times that really work best for you — if you feel most productive in the mornings, it could be worth waking up half an hour earlier to squeeze in some writing. Or, if you prefer low-pressure writing sessions, you could try Sunday afternoons when you have no other commitments.

Whichever days and times you choose, be consistent. The only way to build a reliable routine is to actually stick to your chosen sessions! Give it at least 3-4 weeks, and you’ll start seeing real progress.

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4. Write it badly at first 

Many writers suffer from perfectionism, which is especially debilitating during a first draft. Reedsy editor Lauren Hughes says:

“Blocks often occur because writers put a lot of pressure on themselves to sound ‘right’ the first time. A good way to loosen up and have fun again in a draft is to give yourself permission to write imperfectly.”

Writers often spend hours looking for the perfect phrasing to illustrate a concept. You can avoid this fruitless (and block-engendering) endeavor by putting, “In other words…” and simply writing what you’re thinking, whether it’s eloquent or not. You can then come back and refine it later by doing a CTRL+F search for “in other words.”

And if you’re truly paralyzed, you might consider the extreme solution of The Most Dangerous Writing App . Just set up a timed writing session, and if you stop typing for more than a few seconds, all your text will disappear. Needless to say, this app lives up to its name — but if you’re desperate to stop overthinking everything you write, it’s sure to get the job done!

5. Find a different way into the story

To move beyond a block, Hughes also suggests trying to see your story from another perspective. “How might a minor character narrate the scene if they were witnessing it? A ‘fly on the wall’ or another inanimate object?” Altering your story’s point of view (even temporarily) is a great way to break out of mental constraints and gain new insight.

To see point of view in action, here's an in-depth look at what POV is, complete with various examples .

Alternatively, going deeper into the backstory of one of your main characters could give you a better understanding of their motivations — which will, in turn, drive your story forward. Ask yourself what would make your character satisfied with their life. What are their goals? What are they willing to risk to achieve them? Once you have the answers to these broader questions, you can look at them in any scenario and ask, “What is their goal in this particular situation? What action(s) will they take to pursue it?”

For example, if your protagonist’s main goal were to save up and move away, how would they react if their best friend asked for a loan? Or if they entered a new relationship right before they were due to leave?

Different personalities and goals lead to conflicts that drive your story — indeed, if a POV change or more backstory doesn’t fix your writer’s block, go ahead and dive straight into conflict! Which leads into our next tip... 

Understanding Point of View

Learn to master different POVs and choose the best for your story.

6. Start in the middle 

There’s no hard-and-fast rule about starting at the beginning when writing a story — if you feel more excited about the middle, then start there! Or maybe you know exactly how you want your story to end and would prefer to work backward. Either way, you’ll feel less pressure to make a good impression with your first scene — and by the time you return to the beginning, you’ll be all warmed up!

If you haven’t already, you could also try mapping out your story in full to get a better idea of the bigger picture. Though improvising is fun, an outline will provide a much clearer picture of where your story’s heading and might give you a boost to keep writing! Not to mention that figuring out your story's trajectory can not only solve your current block but also prevent more blocks in the future.

FREE RESOURCE

Get our Book Development Template

Use this template to go from a vague idea to a solid plan for a first draft.

As author Tom Evans says, when you start outlining, you’ll find that “the information you need to write that following chapter has an uncanny way of just showing up. Your brain tunes in to what you need to write... and the chapter just flows.” With this blueprint in hand, you’ll have a much easier time constructing your story.

7. Optimize your toolkit 

• The Reedsy Book Editor is a free tool that will format your book for you as you write — it even comes with a built-in goal reminder system!
• The Plot Generator with one million plot combinations is a great place to start if you’re stuck for inspiration. 
• Or try the Character Name Generator if you’re working on fleshing out some of your side characters.

FREE WRITING APP

The Reedsy Book Editor

Set goals, track progress, and establish your writing routine in our free app.

8. Write something else

Sometimes it can help to take your mind off your current project and work on something else. Don’t worry — we’re not suggesting you ditch your novel and start a new one, but taking some time away to write something else could leave you feeling refreshed and even spark ideas for your other work!

Using the tools from our last tip, you could try writing the outline for a plot completely different from your main project, or fleshing out the backstory of a random character from the generator (use the questions from #5 to help you out!). If none of these take your fancy, check out Reedsy Prompts for over 1,000 short story prompts to help get your creative juices flowing!

9. Do something other than writing 

Showering, going for a walk, and preparing a nutritious meal are tasks that most people would agree are easier than writing a novel — but they can all help give you space to daydream and make creative connections that you might otherwise miss. Just lather, rinse, and repeat until you’ve kicked that block to the curb!

Creativity breeds creativity

Feel like you need more time away? That’s no problem! Try and find other creative projects to inspire you. Children’s book editor Maria Tunney finds that one of the best ways to climb out of a writing funk is to take yourself out of your own work and into someone else’s:

“Go to an exhibition, to the cinema, to a play, a gig, eat a delicious meal — immerse yourself in great stuff and get your synapses crackling in a different way. Snippets of conversations, sounds, colors, sensations will creep into the space that once felt empty. Perhaps, then, you can return to your own desk with a new spark of intention.”

Remember, everyone needs to take a break from their work from time to time. Trying to force words onto a page when you’re burnt out will do more harm than good — and taking some time away could be just what you need to get the wheels turning again.

10. Stop believing in the myth of writer’s block

Writing is hard — there’s no doubt about it. After spending anywhere from weeks to years working on a project, you’re bound to feel frustrated if you reach a seemingly insurmountable roadblock. That said, there is always a root cause of the problem — and though it may take some time and dedication, there’ll be a way to solve it.

On top of all the tactics listed above, here are a few mantras to keep in mind as you attempt to tackle your writer’s block:

• “There is no permanent block, only temporary setbacks.”
• “It does not matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop.”
• “Every great writer has been here too.”

There’s no magic trick or formula when it comes to overcoming writer’s block. But if you add these 10 tips to your creative arsenal, you’ll be well on your way to kicking it to the curb!

Continue reading

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Writer’s Block: 7 Tips to Help You Overcome Writing Blocks

Writer’s block is a hump, and you can get over this hump!

Stephan King wasn’t controlled by writer’s block. At the height of his career, the bestselling author would sit at his desk every day, and wouldn’t leave until he’d written 2,000 words. King is one of the most successful and prolific living writers, having written 62 novels, five non-fiction books, and over 200 short stories. The dedication to his writing schedule and his endless creativity are awe-inspiring.

As the saying goes, writers write. But as all professional writers know, it’s not always that straightforward. Whether you’re a pro or more of an amateur looking to take on a writing project in your spare time, encountering writer’s block is hugely frustrating. What separates those who struggle to get their ideas on the page from those like King, who knows how to write a book and produce volumes of content?

In this article, we’ll explore where writer’s block stems from, and also provide 7 tips to overcome writer’s block and free your creative flow. Consistent writing makes a difference. So if you’re looking to write a novel, start a blog, or enhance your personal journal practice, look no further.

What is writer’s block?

Synapses are firing. You’re inspired. You’ve got an idea for a novel and you can’t wait to get going. All you need to do is translate the vision you have into words on a page. The time comes, you sit down, open a new document, and a blank page stares back at you. Then… Nothing. The words won’t come, your mind clams up, and that blank page suddenly seems to ridicule you. I’ll never become a writer , you think. Writers struggle with this all the time.

Writer’s block is incredibly common, for amateurs and famous writers alike. The Royal Literary fund defines writer’s block as “ a temporary or lasting failure to put words on paper. It can hit every writer, if only for a few minutes or a day or two, but it becomes a real problem when the writer is not reaching targets and when they feel incapable of completing a piece of work. ”

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to combat writer’s block. Blocked writers might struggle to begin a passion project, such as a novel they’ve always wanted to write. It might be more about self doubt than you might think at first glace. Other writers might see it as the struggle to conclude a paper due the next day at college. Or, it might simply be getting stuck on one paragraph, or one sentence, or struggling to find just the right word that’ll make all the difference.

Writer’s block is a vicious cycle. The more you struggle, the easier it can be to beat yourself up for not being capable of writing. That then adds pressure on the process, making it harder to start writing. Without breaking the loop of self-criticism, writer’s block can become a serious problem. 

However, as author Neil Gaiman explains: 

“I don’t really believe in writer’s block, but I absolutely believe in getting stuck. The difference is one is imposed on you by the gods, and one is your own damn fault. If you turn around and go, ‘I am blocked,’ this is just something writers say because we’re really clever. It sounds like it has nothing to do with you: ‘I would love to write today, but I am blocked. The gods have done it to me.’ And it’s not true. Cellists don’t have cellist block. Gardeners don’t have gardener’s block. TV hosts do not have TV host block. But writers have claimed all the blocks, and we think it’s a real thing.”

In other words, it’s important not to give your power away to writer’s block as some mythical enemy, a curse that affected writers only. I’ve found this to be the case in my own experience, and it can lead to giving up, or accepting the block as fate. Instead, it pays to explore precisely what it is that caused you to stop writing and producing creative work in the first place. Only then can you begin to dig deep and find workable solutions.

What causes writer’s block?

The causes of writer’s block are fairly well understood. The good news is, the clearer you can define the problem, the easier it is to find a solution. Frank Smith, an acclaimed Canadian psycholinguist, identified three main causes of writer’s block in his 1982 book, Writing and the Writer — physical, procedural, and psychological:

I was never really one to pull an all-nighter in my student days, instead preferring to go to bed early, rest, and wake up early the next day to get going. But many writers do push themselves to write, even when exhausted, hungry, or feeling unwell.

If your body isn’t functioning as well as it could be, it’ll be harder to focus on writing or produce the best ideas, which requires a lot of focus and brainpower.

This comes down to the writing process. Perhaps you’re stuck knowing what direction to take your lead character in, maybe you’re struggling to think of ideas on how to start an article, or you have too many ideas, and you’re overwhelmed. All writers require structure to counterbalance the often chaotic outpouring of ideas.

Psychological

These causes are unique to each individual, but tend to come down to certain beliefs, fears, or self-critical thoughts. Smith notes that the biggest challenge for writers is separating the creative part of the mind from the judgemental part of the mind, a task made harder for writers because writing does have to be judged (or edited) at some point.

Our main focus in this article will be psychological blocks. 

How to overcome writer’s block: Common hurdles

Some of the most common mental hurdles that contribute to writer’s block include:

Fear of failure

Writing is a pursuit of the soul. It’s mildly terrifying to share your writing with the world, especially if the story or the message is meaningful to you. The best writing comes from a place of freedom, as if the words write themselves. Yet, with pressure on your shoulders, it hinders this process. The fear of failure can be at the forefront, stopping the creative flow and preventing you from staying focused and creating new ideas.

Writers tend to be introverted types, at least to some degree. It’s an incredibly solitary act, with many hours spent alone, just you and the keyboard or pen and paper. At the same time, social comparison can surface. You might read a bestselling author, and feel a million miles from their standard. Or you might compare yourself to people who produce a high volume of content. 

Unprocessed emotions

Elizabeth Gilbert is another high-profile writer who doesn’t believe in writer’s block. She acknowledges that usually, the “blockage” is caused by an emotional issue. Gilbert has found that her number one cause of blockages is boredom. “ Now, boredom is not nearly as glamorous and tragic a condition as ‘writer’s block’ but boredom is usually what it is. Here’s how I get out of it: I remind myself that a great deal of the creative process is about sitting through your boredom .”

The self-critic

Imagine having someone standing over your shoulder, watching you type, criticizing your ability, or telling you you’re not good enough. You’d probably tell them to go away (likely in a less polite way). If your self-critic is active when trying to write, it’s essentially the same, and won’t be a surprise that the words are hard to find.

Perfectionism

This is an extension of the self-critic, a way of viewing your ability, or originality, or ideas through the lens of perfectionism. As Anne Lamont, the famous writing teacher and author of Bird by Bird , warns: “ Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft. ”

7 tips for overcoming writer’s block

Hopefully, you’re feeling more optimistic about overcoming writer’s block by having a greater understanding of its causes. The next step is to explore solutions. Below are seven tips that’ll get your creative juices flowing, and provide reassurance for the times when you get stuck.

1. Schedule writing time

If you want to take writing seriously, you have to view writing as both an art and a discipline. You can’t write a novel on wishful thinking or trying to find time here and there. You need a regular schedule, one that you can stick to most of the time. The time you set aside for writing has to be defended; it’s sacred.

I’d recommend setting aside at least an hour each day to write. When you write depends on your natural creative rhythm — for example, I write best in the early hours of the day, with a second wind after lunchtime. But towards the evenings, my creativity sinks. Others get creative bursts late at night.

Put the time in your calendar for writing, and make sure to show up. Don’t worry about how much or how little you write. The point is being consistent with your practice, through the highs and the lows of the process.

2. Make writing a ritual

Once you’ve scheduled time, the next step is to add a ritual or routine to get you into the zone. As Stephen King says, “ I have a routine because I think that writing is self-hypnosis. And you fall into a kind of a trance if you do the same passes over and over. ” My writing routine consists of waking up, showering, meditating, making a fresh coffee, and then sitting down to write in my paper journal. I then write on my computer after dusting off the cobwebs.

Do whatever works for you. You might put on a specific music playlist, light incense, spin around on the spot five times before sitting at your desk. Specifics don’t matter, just make sure you set the environment to prime you to write. The build-up to sitting down to the page makes all the difference. 

3. Get rid of distractions

Of course, it’ll be almost impossible to get into flow if you’re distracted by people talking to you, receiving notifications on your phone, or scrolling social media. When you write, you want to create as intimate a space as you can between you and the page. So switch off your phone if you can, and create an environment with minimal distractions. 

Rumour has it that when Victor Hugo was procrastinating on a writing deadline, he instructed his valet to hide his clothes and return them at the end of his writing session. Naked with nothing but his pen and paper, Hugo removed all temptations to get the job done. This is admittedly a bit extreme, but it’s a fun anecdote to show the value of hiding distractions.

4. Be patient with the incubation process

I write roughly 2,000 words per day. It’s taken me a while to be consistent with my output. When I wasn’t working as a professional writer, I’d occasionally consult my journal, staring at the page, unable to express what was alive in my mind. It took practice to become consistent, and that meant sitting down to write when I didn’t feel like it.

When I started working as a full-time Staff Writer I had to write two or three articles per day, no questions. It was a teaching experience, reminding me of the need for discipline. But I was taught something else that remains true to this day: patience.

If I tell myself I have to write freely and try to force words on the page, nothing happens. At least, it’s a struggle. But when I relax and trust the words will flow, I get struck by the “muse” and then the words pour out of me. It’s only through experience that I’ve learned to be patient with the incubation process, knowing that the words will come, eventually.

5. Be self-compassionate

Sometimes, the words don’t arrive, even after the incubation period. That’s when I get frustrated or angry towards myself for not writing, which interrupts the natural ebb and flow of creativity, and I end up not writing at all. You’re human, not a robot. At any given moment you might have worries on your mind, you might feel tired, you might be struggling to remain focused — it’s all okay.

Love yourself through blockages! Understand the paradox that forcing yourself to write by reprimanding yourself is more likely to stifle your creativity. The more you extend compassion to your writing process, the more likely you are to move through it. 

If you require some form of external motivation, think about setting yourself up for a reward after hitting your daily writing goals. It could be something as simple as a cup of tea or a muffin from a nearby shop. Incorporate whatever motivates you and becomes a positive part of your routine. 

6. Ease the inner perfectionist

Part of that process is working with the self-critic, and the inner perfectionist. One of my favorite writing mottos is “write drunk, edit sober.” While some writers take this a little too literally, it’s a useful metaphor that shows the importance of separating the creative part and the judgemental part, as Frank Smith noted.

Easing the perfectionist comes in many forms. It means doing your best to ignore any snap judgments that arise as you’re attempting to put words to the page. It means finding a healthy balance when editing your work, and not getting stuck in trying to make the final product perfect.

7. Adopt a growth mindset

One way of looking at perfectionism is through the lens of the growth mindset. The pioneering work by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck shows the importance of the growth mindset in many areas of life, including learning new skills, self-development, and relationships. Whilst the fixed mindset may focus on the end result, and accomplishments, the growth mindset always looks to learn and improve.

Applied to the process of writing, this has a transformative effect. Rather than judging writing harshly, be inspired to always refine and improve your craft. The “art” of writing takes a lifetime to master, and then there’s still more to learn. By focusing on the process, rather than the outcome, you’re much more likely to produce work that feels true to you.

Thoughts on improving your writing process

Writing can be the source of joy, meaning, and fulfillment. You can write without the intention to share with the world. But if you want to take the next step, thanks to the internet, there are growing opportunities to share your message, from blog posts to self-published eBooks. Content creation is a growing trend, and people will always be hungry for stories that describe fantastical adventures, deep thoughts, the internal conflict of characters, among many other creative choices. 

Writer’s block can be viewed as the enemy of the process. But in reality, it’s a chance to learn more about yourself. What gets in the way of your writing is likely a microcosm of patterns that affect your day-to-day life, from perfectionism to impatience. Anything you can manage to put down on the page (or your own personal blogging site) constitutes acceptance of the fact that you have both limitations and a great deal of potential. 

Life is an opportunity to learn, and the process of overcoming writer’s block is no exception. And, you never know — once you go through the process and the words start to flow, maybe you’ll end up writing about writer’s block, and pass on your own tips to help others.

Author exploring the soul of self-development, the mystery of existence, and the heartful path to maximising the human potential. Get your free copy of my book, Mindsets for Mindfulness , for practical guidance to overcome the ego on the journey of growth. More at MindThatEgo .com and on YouTube .

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Writer's Block

Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

Writer's block is a condition in which a skilled writer with the desire to write finds herself unable to write.

The expression writer's block was coined and popularized by American psychoanalyst Edmund Bergler in the 1940s. "In other ages and cultures," says Alice Flaherty in The Midnight Disease , "writers were not thought to be blocked but straightforwardly dried up. One literary critic points out that the concept of writer's block is peculiarly American in its optimism that we all have creativity just waiting to be unlocked." See Examples and Observations below. Also see:

• 12 Quick Tips for Beating Writer's Block
• Writers on Writing: Overcoming Writer's Block
• Composing My First College Essay, by Sandy Klem
• How to Avoid Writing, by Robert Benchley
• How to Write 2,500 Words Before Breakfast Every Day
• John McPhee's Remedy for Writer's Block
• Robert Pirsig on Overcoming Writer's Block
• A Trick for Overcoming Writer's Block and Getting Into a Writing Frame of Mind
• Writers on Writing: The Myth of Inspiration

Examples and Observations

• "You don't know what it is to stay a whole day with your head in your hands trying to squeeze your unfortunate brain so as to find a word." (Gustave Flaubert, 1866)
• "Why is suffering a major criterion for writer's block ? Because someone who is not writing but not suffering does not have writer's block; he or she is merely not writing. Such times may instead be fallow periods for the development of new ideas, periods Keats famously described as 'delicious diligent indolence.'" (Alice W. Flaherty, The Midnight Disease: The Drive to Write, Writer's Block, and the Creative Brain . Houghton Mifflin, 2004)
• "Although it can be triggered by any number of internal or external stimuli, the vital function that writer's block performs during the creative process remains constant: inability to write means that the unconscious self is vetoing the program demanded by the conscious ego." (Victoria Nelson, On Writer's Block . Houghton Mifflin, 1993)
• "I think writer's block is simply the dread that you are going to write something horrible." (Roy Blount, Jr.)
• William Stafford's Remedy for Writer's Block "I believe that the so-called ' writing block ' is a product of some kind of disproportion between your standards and your performance. . . . "Well, I have a formula for this that may just be a gimmicky way of explaining it. Anyway, it goes like this: one should lower his standards until there is no felt threshold to go over in writing. It’s easy to write. You just shouldn’t have standards that inhibit you from writing." (William Stafford, Writing the Australian Crawl . University of Michigan Press, 1978)
• Eminem on Writer's Block "Fallin' asleep with writer's block in the parking lot of McDonalds, But instead of feeling sorry for yourself do something about it. Admit you got a problem, your brain is clouded, you pouted long enough." (Eminem, "Talkin' 2 Myself." Recovery , 2010)
• Stephen King on Writer's Block - "There may be a stretch of weeks or months when it doesn't come at all; this is called writer's block . Some writers in the throes of writer's block think their muses have died, but I don't think that happens often; I think what happens is that the writers themselves sow the edges of their clearing with poison bait to keep their muses away, often without knowing they are doing it. This may explain the extraordinarily long pause between Joseph Heller's classic novel Catch-22 and the follow-up, years later. That was called Something Happened . I always thought that what happened was Mr. Heller finally cleared away the muse repellent around his particular clearing in the woods." (Stephen King, "The Writing Life." The Washington Post , October 1, 2006) - "[M]y son, fed up with hearing me complain and whine about my 'illness,' gave me a present for Christmas, Stephen King’s On Writing . . . . The simple theme of this remarkable book is if you really want to write, then shut yourself in a room, close the door, and WRITE. If you don’t want to write, do something else." (Mary Garden, "Writer's Block." Absolute Write, 2007)
• The Trick "[Y]ou don't want to face the blank page. You'll do anything to avoid writing. You'll go clean your toilet before you write. So I finally figured it out. I've done the most writing this year because of a trick I've figured out. . . . The trick is you gotta find something worse than writing. [ Laughing ] That's it. That's the trick." (Robert Rodriguez, quoted by Charles Ramirez Berg in "The Mariachi Aesthetic Goes to Hollywood." Robert Rodriguez: Interviews , ed. by Zachary Ingle. University Press of Mississippi, 2012)
• The Lighter Side of Writer's Block "[Writing is] brutal, slogging work, comparable to coal mining, but harder. You never hear coal miners complaining about Coal Miner's Block, wherein, try as they might, they simply can't bring themselves to mine another piece of coal. Whereas this kind of tragedy befalls novelists all the time, which is why so many of them are forced to quit working altogether and become university professors." (Dave Barry, I'll Mature When I'm Dead . Berkley, 2010)
• What Is Freewriting?
• The Basic Characteristics of Effective Writing
• Writers on Reading
• Postscript (P.S.) Definition and Examples in Writing
• Definition, Examples, and Observations on Writing
• The Use of Listing in Composition
• Understanding Organization in Composition and Speech
• What Is Writing Like?
• How to Write the Graduate Admissions Essay
• Definition and Examples of Parody in English
• What Are the Different Types and Characteristics of Essays?
• The Writer's Voice in Literature and Rhetoric
• 50 Quick Writing Prompts for Journals, Blogs, Fiction, and Essays
• 12 Writers Discuss Writing
• Definition and Examples of Pro-Verbs in English

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A Guide to Writer’s Block

February 16, 2024 by Richard Leave a Comment

What is Writer’s block? 

Welcome to a guide to writer’s block. We hope it helps. Writer’s block is a temporary psychological inability to begin or continue work on a piece of writing. Most writers will confront this frustrating obstacle at some point in their careers. Staring at the blank page or screen, struggling in vain to get those first words out – it’s a commonly exasperating predicament across all levels, from students working on essays to seasoned novelists and journalists on tight deadlines.

Essentially, Writer’s block stems from some disruption in the creative process, rendering the Writer unable to access their thoughts or translate ideas into written text. While it may superficially appear to lack inspiration, the reality is much more complicated. The causes and solutions for Writer’s block vary widely between individual writers and writing projects. Perfectionism, performance anxiety, poor time management, boredom with the topic, exhaustion, lack of motivation, depression, ADD, stressful deadlines, noisy environments – these and many other psychological and physiological factors can temporarily block the flow of writing.

When Writer’s block strikes, it might manifest as difficulty simply coming up with topics or ideas to write about in the first place. Ideas are swirling around, but the Writer feels overwhelmed and needs more confidence to execute them coherently. Struggling with the inner critic is common too – judging one’s writing too harshly or fretting excessively about audience reaction to risk getting started. Procrastination also frequently goes hand-in-hand with Writer’s block. The stresses of deadlines or fear of failure often trigger mental blocks precisely when writers must sit down to produce work. External pressures exacerbate internal anxieties, bringing writing temporarily to a standstill.

While immensely frustrating at the moment, Writer’s block generally passes in time, primarily when the root causes are addressed compassionately. Rather than reflecting any lack of skill or talent, it is a nearly universal occupational hazard – merely evidence of the challenges inherent to the profoundly human act of writing.

Who Gets Writer’s block

Writer’s block is a nearly universal occupational hazard across the board – no writer is immune from struggling with it at some point. That said, the frequency and severity varies between individuals. Ultimately, a wide range of psychological factors influence susceptibility.

Those on the perfectionist end of the spectrum are especially prone. Writers who judge their work excessively harshly or tie self-worth to success struggle when fears of failure arise. Similarly, writers paralyzed by imagined audience critique fixate on attempting to please rather than expressing freely. And having rigid protocols around required conditions or resources to write makes getting started precariously.

Creative types who thrive on bursts of enthusiasm and inspiration rather than a steady routine also run into blocks when motivation dips or mental energy depletes. Those still gaining confidence in their craft may second guess more frequently, too. Academically-trained writers relying predominantly on outlined structure can hit walls when initial organization plans falter.

Then, there are detailed triggers many experience during heavy workload periods – time pressure, distractions, stress, indifference, and exhaustion. Particularly high-effort projects like dissertations, manuscripts, grant proposals, etc, inherently strain mental bandwidth more too. Those balancing writing obligations amidst other professional or personal responsibilities are especially vulnerable to overload-induced blocks.

Blocks arise through complicated interactions of the individual psyche, specific project challenges, and real-life demands. Any writer who earnestly puts words on paper will inevitably encounter impediments along the winding creative way at times – fittingly humbling for such an arrogant pursuit! With self-compassion and adaptive strategies, Writer’s block transforms into mere bumps rather than barriers.

What Causes Writer’s Block 

The causes of Writer’s block are varied but often stem from psychological pressures familiar to anyone who writes. Perfectionism can be a significant trigger – writers who judge their work too harshly or fear it not being good enough may struggle to begin. Relatedly, performance anxiety plays a role, too. Fretting excessively about pleasing an audience or editor can make starting feel impossible.

Stress, exhaustion, and lack of motivation frequently trigger Writer’s block. Writing requires sustained focus and creativity – challenging to summon when overworked, tired, or apathetic. Being bored by the topic can also cause trouble getting going, as can more clinical issues like depression or ADD, making it hard to concentrate.

Then, outside pressures induce Writer’s block – onerous deadlines, competing obligations, and a noisy, chaotic environment allow little mental space for writing. Too many ideas swirling around at once can also be overwhelming, making it hard to transfer thoughts into coherent writing. For some perfectionist writers, simply having high expectations and placing immense pressure on an individual project triggers debilitating anxiety and hesitation. Ultimately, Writer’s block thrives on internal and external pressures that undercut concentration and motivation.

How to avoid Writer’s block

Make writing a regular habit instead of waiting for perfect chunks of inspiration and time. The routine of regular writing sessions helps grease the creative gears and maintains momentum through rough spots. Similarly, setting aside time to just brainstorm and play around with ideas without any pressure keeps the mind flexible. Freewriting to work through initial doubts and self-judgment instead of fixating on an “opening sentence” helps sidestep perfectionist tendencies when facing a blank page.

It also helps to break projects into manageable chunks instead of fixating on the whole. Setting clearly defined daily word or time count goals allows tangible progress. Focusing that day’s session on a specific subsection or scene makes the beginning manageable. Similarly, while clear structuring is vital, leaving some flexibility in the exact sequence sections is drafted and allows working on another part when stuck on one.

On a physical level, proper self-care bolsters mental focus – enough sleep, a healthy diet, regular movement, and social connection all make writing feel engaging. Switching environments to stimulate creativity is also helpful–writing in a new location like a café or park. Letting ideas percolate with breaks doing housework or other rote tasks gives mental space away from the writing itself. Having accountability touchpoints by sharing work regularly within a colleague group also incentivizes pushing past blocks when they arise.

With the diligent application of such strategies, Writer’s block transitions from an imposing barrier to a mere nuisance easily circumnavigated on the journey of consistent writing progress.

Mistakes writers make that exacerbate Writer’s block.

Writer’s block can be profoundly frustrating, sending writers into loops of unproductive rumination. This anxiety to make the words appear leads writers of all levels into counterproductive patterns. Attempting to power through sheer force will often backfire. Before such desperate measures, it helps to take a step back and reflect on the common missteps writers make when that blank page starts inducing panic. Often, Writer’s block results from the Writer’s unrealistic expectations and paradigms about the writing process. Check any of these mistakes off the list when that sense of futility arises:

• Letting perfectionism paralyze them – Writers facing a block often judge their work too harshly and want their writing to be perfect from the very first words. This Pressure they put on themselves makes it impossible to get started.
• Only writing when inspired – Relying solely on inspiration and motivation results in writing in fits and starts. Failing to treat writing like the real work it is means writers don’t develop a resilient practice.
• Not giving themselves permission to write badly – All writers, especially in early drafts, write plenty of bad and mediocre sentences. New writers often falsely believe others just sit down and write masterpieces straight away. Not giving themselves permission to write imperfectly causes blocks.
• Not taking breaks – Writers often respond to the frustration of blocks by endlessly staring at blank pages trying to force themselves to continue. Letting the mind rest and refresh with breaks and other activities is essential, however.
• Trying to start writing from the beginning – Facing that blank first page, writers attempt to craft some perfect opening line or scene. Jumping straight into drafting earlier or easier sections can let the writing flow more organically.
• Not getting enough sleep, food, or exercise – Writing requires mental energy which wanes quickly without proper self-care through sufficient sleep, healthy food, and regular movement. Ignoring these factors impairs essential cognitive skills like focus and working memory.

Essentially when writer’s block strikes, writers often undermine themselves with unrealistic expectations and attempts to brute force solutions. Addressing negative thought patterns allows more flexibility in how, when, and where you write.

100 strategies to overcome writer’s block

That dreaded sensation strikes all writers eventually – staring blankly at the intimidating empty page, fingers frozen over keys, mind stubbornly void of ideas. Writer’s block can make even starting a small paragraph feel insurmountable. Yet such frustrating creative impediments can nearly always be overcome. Through decades of studying master authors’ methods and counseling struggling writers, patterns emerge showing practical pathways around such common hindrances.

The following 100 tips and tricks for defeating Writer’s block are drawn from my own hard-won experience and diverse sources. They are designed to provide an inspirational toolbox creatives can consult whenever confronting that sense of futility. The sheer range covers various personality types and scenarios. Not every solution works perfectly for each unique writing psyche, but exploring the list provides diverse angles of attack to try. Whether longstanding habits or quick fixes, radical lifestyle changes, or momentary thought shifts – there are proven means to get the words flowing freely again. Each serves as a stepping stone across the m

• Taking a break and walking away for a while can work wonders. Stepping back from the frustrating block to let your subconscious mull things over allows fresh ideas to percolate. Go for a short walk, grab a snack, call a friend – any activity giving your creative brain some breathing room can help.
• Changing writing locations shakes things up productively. If you usually write at a desk, try moving to an armchair, café, library, back porch or different room. The novel stimuli can stimulate creative connections to get you unstuck.
• Setting a timer forcing yourself to write for a set period overrides procrastination tendencies. Challenge yourself to draft without self-editing for 10, 20 or 50 minutes straight, no matter how imperfect it feels. Forcing through the block this way builds momentum.
• Doing a free write without editing yourself removes barriers to getting words down. Just keep your hands moving nonstop for 5-10 minutes expressing whatever comes to mind on your topic. Editing later for coherence, the goal now is tricking perfectionism by embracing the ugly & random.
• Making a list of all ideas related to the topic captures fleeting notions for later review. Even what seems silly, obvious or unusable right now may germinate into something brilliant. So capture all brainstorm sparks before they flee, no matter how ridiculous.
• Talking it out loud to yourself or others lets thoughts flow freely without worrying about structure. Verbalizing ideas as if describing to a listener reveals associations, details, examples and entry points writing often misses. Discussing out loud is hugely generative.
• Writing by hand instead of typing shifts mental process in productive ways. The slower pace, tangible feel of pen on paper, ability to sketch visuals – analogue modalities stimulate ideas differently than keyboards. It primes creativity pumps when digitally drained.
• Changing font or layout when typing is another trick for triggering fresh avenues. Limit visual monotony by exploring different typefaces, text sizes, margins, line spacing etc. Tweaks providing aesthetic novelty spur creative links even if temporary.
• Listening to music while writing offers pleasurable atmosphere that lifts mood while possibly syncing rhythm to writing flow (upbeat songs for action scenes, moody ones for emotional moments). Either way, enjoyable audio boosts dopamine, focus, perseverance through blocks.
• Moving around while writing – walking or pacing – occupies the body so ideas can wander freely. Rhythmic movement seems to enable deeper contemplation for some as opposed to sitting rigidly still. Experiment to see if kinesthetic writing modes better unleash expression.
• Looking over research materials again reimmerses you in key information when needing reminder sparks. Refresh background facts, key images, primary sources etc. to reground the writing in original inspirations. Deepening grasp of material organically stimulates conveyance.
• Reviewing and editing previous passages gives concrete progress acknowledgement. Notice what is working smoothly and areas still needing development. It stimulates next phase forward movement by highlighting footholds already solidly in place through writing.
• Writing background notes and additional details crafts richer foundations for further building. Even if not used directly, fleshing out backstories and ancillary elements engages creativity gears for moving writing overall. And bonus material often proves perfect for later.
• Outlining only the next paragraph or section chunk makes tasks feel surmountable. Staring at whole unfinished projects is daunting, so shift focus to single component at hand. Treat each block of writing like individual puzzle piece snapped into place one by one.
• Describing the topic to an imaginary person lets thoughts flow conversationally rather than formally. Pretend explaining ideas to an interested friend or colleague. The visualization technique feels more natural than stiff writing voice, unlocking expression.
• Going for a run or other exercise boosts creativity by elevating heart rate and literally getting blood pumping through the brain. Physical movement and resulting biochemical cascades refresh mental clarity. Writing feels more fluid after sweating it out.
• Taking a nap or getting some rest restores focus that blocks drain away. Writing taps cognitive capacities which deplete without recharging sleep, nutrition, relaxation. Lying down for even 20-30 minutes can reboot whole outlook.
• Switching temporarily to another writing project redirects momentum rather than stalling it entirely. Work on whatever parts flow more naturally today across ongoing pieces. Ideas for stalled project may strike while writing something different.
• Setting very small or easy writing goals builds incremental progress. Tiny benchmarks feel achievable like: “Today I will outline section headers” or “I will write the dialog for one scene.” Small successes motivate tackling larger chunks.
• Rewarding yourself after reaching milestones acknowledges effort made. Enjoy favorite snack, show episode, outing, nap, etc. as treat for passing project landmarks. Having something positive beyond writing to look forward to ups incentives pushing through.
• Doing light housework occupying hands frees the mind for simmering on writing topics. Dishes, folding laundry, sweeping floors, pulling weeds – modest tasks barely needing conscious focus, thus freeing creative background processing.
• Brainstorming outlandish ideas pushes imagination boundaries beyond norm. Even if too odd for piece itself, getting deliberately weird and whimsical stretches creative boundaries in ways that lead to fruitful concepts eventually, counteracting mental ruts.
• Visualizing the completed piece and audience reactions grounds process in inspiring end goals. Imagining the feeling of sharing polished work with impressed readers fuels perseverance paying off eventually. Envision that future actualization when present seems uncertain.
• Writing the most exciting or interesting section first captures momentum not easily squandered. Identify the “peak scene” drawing you most as writer and audience. Perfect opener paragraphs can intimidate, so pivot to parts naturally flowing.
• Stepping away letting ideas percolate unconsciously cements innovations that consciously evade. Trip Hazards cease feeling like impenetrable barriers once no longer staring them down. Distraction allows solutions to arise stealthily over time if patient.
• Doing some freewriting prompts on random topics sidesteps blocks by ignoring them entirely for brief stints! Quick timed writing on unrelated subjects gets the fingers moving and creativity pumping freed from project constraints.
• Looking for inspiration analyzing other works across mediums sparks new connections. Study mentor authors, films, art, music etc. related to project themes and genres. Their clever solutions seed innovation applying elsewhere. Great creators are the greatest thieves!
• Imagining how your role models would write this adapts their skills to your undertaking. Picture literary heroes, beloved authors, renowned screenwriters etc. tackling your topic. What advice and techniques might they suggest? Adopting their mentality sees with fresh eyes.
• Listing personal stories, anecdotes or oral family histories provides meaningful details. Incorporate nostalgic moments, impactful life events, neighborhood tales etc. where relevant for resonant touches. Such genuineness emotionally grounds writing, propelling meaning.
• Changing narrative voice or point of view provides new vehicles for conveyance when old ones falter. Stuck in 1st person? Try 3rd. Can’t nail down past tense? Present tense may click better. Rotating vantage shifts whole outlook.
• Adding descriptive flourishes through sensory and emotive details deepens readers’ imaginary immersion. Sprinkle impressions engaging smell, taste, texture, colors, sounds etc. Freshening prose vividness makes envisioning easier for both creator and audience.
• Consulting writing reference manuals or style guides realigns chops when lost. Reviewing established conventions and guidelines provides comforting moorings when drafting adrift. Reconnecting with norms equips appropriate tools.
• Reviewing examples of similar pieces examines structures succeeding for others. Studying genres and formats related to undertaking maps possible routes by peering at other travelers’ trails. There are infinite ways to skin writing cats!
• Free associating lists of words sparked by key topics unlocks unexpected connections via tangents. Jot whatever terminology comes up around core themes, characters, messages, places etc. Brain liquifies paths forward releasing stuckness.
• Revisiting childhood keepsakes, diaries, or mementos offers windows back to originating visions once glimpsed but forgotten. Recall youthful imagination through old notes, drawings, report cards, photos etc. This assists regenerating initial passion diminished by adulthood‘s cynicism.
• Switching up playlists selects musical accompaniment to psychologically transport writing mood. Seek soundtracks evoking time periods, locations culture, characters or emotional tones related to current scenes. External audio kindles internal states.
• Closing eyes to actively imagine settings and characters renders them clearer for conveying accurately. Envision fictional people moving through spaces smelling, tasting, touching. Virtual reality in mind better manifests through descriptive specificity.
• Sketching illustrations around details, characters or settings aids cementing concepts spatially. Even amateurish stick figures, diagrams, doodles, maps help locate narrative elements concretely enabling better rendering through language.
• Brewing fresh cups of tea or coffee fuels writing marathons! Few things feel more inspirational than clutching steaming mugs, inhaling aromatic steam wafting promising possibilities! Stay hydrated.
• Looking at photos relevant to topics, time periods, locations, cultures etc. brings additional sensorial inspiration missing from words alone. Pictures offer perspectives language struggling to capture alone. A thousand words each!
• Jotting down dream notes upon waking preserves quirky epiphanies fleetingly transcending rational thought. Dreams often churn up wild, even nonsensical imaginings containing seeds usable with care. Record for later potential plucking!
• Revisiting early career works or juvenilia accessing original excitement once held for writing before external pressures doused the flame. Recall what drew you initial through unfiltered early pieces. Cultivate again!
• Composing written encouragement notes to yourself supply needed morale boosts during spirit sags. Highlight strengths, past successes and reasons undertaking meaningful. Internal memos grow determination facing difficulty.
• Exploring publications’ aesthetic styles through websites clues you into conventions readership expects. Notice what cover images, page layouts and repeating visual themes communicate niche demographics, values and trends. Write accordingly!
• Cleaning workspace removes mental clutter challenging focusing. Straighten physical materials into optimal configurations conducive for writing flow state. External order establishes internal calm allowing creativity rise ascendant.
• Organizing research documents whether print outs or computer files structures referenced information accessibly. Establish quick retrieval systems so details remain available precisely when writing requires their injection to progress meaningfully.
• Visiting naturally inspiring environments like parks, gardens, lakesides or lookout peaks surrounds with peaceful beauty, unlocking creativity too often lost amidst sterile boxes. Divine exquisite sensory details paying tribute to nature’s boundless artistry!
• Emailing ideas back and forth with a writing partner provides friendly accountability to continue persevering. Share encouragements, brainstorm suggestions, obstacle commiserations etc. fostering dynamism alone lacks without community spirit bolstering.
• Stretching hands, fingers, shoulders, back and neck loosens up writing muscles clenched from hunching over work too long. Simple yoga poses unlock energetic circulation carrying oxygen and inspiration once again zestfully round entire system!
• Meeting a friend casually over lunch lets conversation wander freely through topics loosely related to writing undertaking. Fresh insights arise bonding with comrades, enjoying nourishment receiving support by voice not eyes alone.
• Freewriting character dialogues sans plot structures refines understanding of distinctive speech patterns better rendered more authentically later. Let them chat naturally about anything strengthening peculiar personalities through sheer practice.
• Picking one sense like sight, sound, taste etc. then describing something solely related to it sharpens perceptive specificity too often dulled by habitual linguistic generality. Noticing precise qualities compels sharper writing overall.
• Incorporating personal stories, family anecdotes and oral histories taps easily accessible memories and meanings for resonance. Recall impactful life events, relatives’ tall tales, old neighborhood legends etc. mingling the intimately meaningful.
• Tackling small tasks like washing dishes, folding laundry or sweeping while ideas churn empties hands for thinking rather than typing. Repetitive activities occupy bodily habits while freeing contemplative currents largely uninterrupted!
• Perusing old journals, diaries and calendars reviewing years past sparks recollections once deeply meaningful now faded into background noise. Perhaps tales, turns of phrase or entire insights can be excavated, revised and incorporated anew!
• Analyzing literary mentor texts’ pacing, plot structures and linguistic choices reverse engineers successful techniques for fresh reemployment. Deconstruct precisely why and how touchstone works sweep your soul for lessons regarding own efforts.
• Creating an inspiration gallery wall filled with imagery quotes, photos, sketches, postcards etc. related to undertaking floods senses with aesthetic energies complementing writing spaces too often starkly devoid of sensual stimulation we thrive within.
• Luxuriating in lengthy hot showers or baths literally washing off sedimentary layers of stress thwarting freer movement whether muscular or mental. Aquatic immersion cleanses negative thinking patterns manifesting Writer’s Block while rebooting creativity currents!
• Streaming ambient background noise websites like Rainy Mood serving pleasant white noise hampers distracting disruptions while establishing atmosphere soothing jangled nerves. Cocooned away overwhelm enables processes flow unimpeded delighting focused minds.
• Burning aromatic candles – vanilla, lavender, pine etc. – sets soothing moods while marking sacred spaces for writing occurring here in pool of flicker warmth. Air freshens just enough for minds to do the same.
• Reading magazines, websites and blogs discussing topics addressed in writing pieces provides well rounded perspectives beyond personal takes alone. Discover how widely conversated ideas actually spread testing content against seriously varied outlooks.
• Doodling caricatures visualizing challenging characters’ essences makes comprehending and conveying traits easier via playful sketches encapsulating mysterious personas from varied angles. Graphical thinking stirs literary remedies.
• Utilizing text-to-speech programs reading back draft passages aloud casts new lights on flowed words once depended solely upon silent eyes for tweaking. Ears catch unnoticed gaps, clunky phrasings, redundancies inaccessible otherwise.
• Constructing checklists noting key writing portions completed, remaining in progress and yet to fully begin establishes navigable footholds steadying insecure steps forward bit by bit. Tick off victories then march onward!
• Having someone else read passages aloud while closing eyes to carefully, meditatively listen relegates judging instincts backwards allowing words’ intended meanings to organically shine or reshape untethered from habitual thought pathways that bind flows.
• Temporarily changing all characters’ or places’ names oddly liberates writer to develop them unstuck from original conceits allowing fresher dimensions less encumbered by prior assumptions regarding the roles they fill within established environments. Roles remain, names change, nuances flourish!
• Envisioning varied famous author archetypes approach identical writing scenarios in their own signature styles spurs contemplating the multitude methods creatively tackling projects far beyond singular mindsets blocking flexibility so essential for passages progressing.
• Mentally assigning frustrated thoughts to an imaginary “negative notions jar” symbolically containing vexations plaguing writing motivation creates welcomed distance from their persistent brooding allowing more positive instincts space emerging.
• Freewriting encouraging letters addressed “Dear Future Published Self” reinforces tangible envisioning completing works not solely for intrinsic rewards bringing personal meaning but for finally sharing printed books’ transformative potentials blessing others’ lives too through perseverant efforts paid forward over times.
• Muting digital distractions like email alerts to focus without perpetual fragmentation retains mental coherence concentric upon vital writing tasks sans scattered energies. Peacefully reading and writing again foster partnerships too often interrupted by technological intrusions disrupting creative intimacy flows.
• Researching relevant issues, historical controversies etc. provides springboards clarifying personalized positions passionately conveyed via writing. Understanding ongoing debates regarding activism informs credible commentary fans flames prime for fanning favored courses forward full steam ahead!
• Handwriting encouraging fan letters to cherished authors articulating inspirational impacts their ink cast upon your path pays tribute for particular ways guiding lights kept dreams aflicker during difficult phases. Grateful correspondence builds community!
• Closely studying publication venues’ online sites reveals insider angles regarding framing content matched with audiences sought. Adopt stylistic techniques attractive towards envisioned readerships waiting to discover kindred ideas delivered directly their predisposed preferences through tones well aimed.
• Printing drafts for tangible handling noticing serial patterns that escaped screen confinement allows fluidly shuffling sections smoother continuity cutting apart wholes then reconfigured continuation. Spatial freedom galvanizes structures anew.
• Tacking inspiring imagery above desks becomes perpetual muses invoking themed concepts instantly visualized furthering writing tracks in associated veins fluently streaming similar symbology. Surround creative spaces enriching immersive influences!
• Detailing auxiliary characters’ backstories reveals multidimensional understandings coloring their roles within main story arcs once flatly formulated without fully applying three dimensional renderings regarding realistic motivations and imagined backgrounds. Even extras gain dignity by dimensional understandings elevating their humanities.
• Streaming YouTube playlists specifically designed for writing inspiration synchronizes harmonic audio energizing keyboard tapped words timed to uplifting beats and empowering lyrics specifically selected supporting creative flows tuned by musical notes carried seamlessly without disturbances breaking seeded sequencing.
• Hand addressing project drafts as makeshift letters to yourself then waiting days for their “arrival” creates fresh excitement rediscovering temporarily forgotten pages now re-encountered as surprises reigniting momentum regained by intrigue felt rereading earlier ideas fermenting newfound facets unveiled.
• Decoratively hand writing signifying scene titles in calligraphy conveys special significances through gracefully illuminated language that cannot escape awareness even scanning pages later. Such ornamented emphasis elegantly ascents!
• Imagining friends’ commentaries on writings reveals praises and critiques alike evaluating what resonates and where loses traction. Such mental crowdsourcing forewarns passages provoking intended reactions or requiring revisions redirecting readers where originally veering ways incompatible with purposes held centrally shaping overall vision’s victory.
• Researching period appropriate attire down to textures and accessories cultivates engrossing visualizations fully dressing described eras in accurate manifestations mentally envisioned rather than vague generalities lacking sensuous specificities fused from studying beguiling photographs of bygone fabrics adorning bygone figures.
• Home baked sweet treats’ scent and flavors conjure childhood comforts kindling youthful amusement expressed through playful writing spirits echoing simpler eras’ easy delight found in little things sweeter sensations return through steadfast
• Using Google Earth to virtually tour geographical locations central to writing settings immerses within intricately detailed environments exploring miles not personally traveled. Marvel at satellite scoped scenes inspiring descriptive intricacies before eyes from atmospherically aloft.
• People watching public spaces studying strangers’ eccentricities nurtures noticing’s applicably animating fictional characterizations colored by highlighting observed oddities otherwise escaping attention if not focused finding fodder. Record visually verbal snippets for later laughs spawning dimensional portraits.
• Poring over antique dictionaries and thesauri reveals linguistic relics resurrecting dialogue authenticating eras analyzed. Dusty leather-bound tomes teach terms modern modes discarded direct dialing bygone vernacular vocabularies teaching tongues nearly lost.
• Consulting tarot and oracle card decks selects symbolic stimuli stirring scene concepts and plot directions corresponding with interpreted images and explained divinatory meanings connecting writing elements under unified guidance. Fanciful fortune uncovering!
• Researching personages or locales central to developing manuscripts through Wikipedia entry rabbit holes links loosely related articles expanding scopes of understandings with interconnected precision of crowdsourced knowledge always aiming accuracy. Reliably informative despite notorious unpredictability navigating endless links luring wandering curiosity!
• Constructing artistic vision boards dedicated individually highlighting major characters collaging inspiring imagery, poignant quotes, evocative texture swatches and meaningful nicknacks develops visualization vocabularies translating traits into tangibly rendered representations clearer comprehending multidimensional roles awaiting written incarnations eventually portrayed plausibly believable beings.
• Freewriting extensive lists noting objects associated with integral storytelling symbols draws concentric interpretative circles further illuminating initially obfuscated significations hidden within subconscious realms by poking pictographic impressions somewhat startled awake by scrutinizing storm thus summoned.
• Prominently posting inspiring quotes rousing resonances with writing undertakings continually reorients wandering processes back onto intended highways clearly marked meaningful milestones further approached each day’s end nearer reaching motivational arrivals. Reminders reinforce roads seldom originally straight.
• Churning out zany paragraphs purely for playfulness sake liberates imagination momentarily freed from claws of practicality often such restrictive confines strangling spontaneity so essential breathing freely through fanciful drafts run absolutely wild without lingering latter concern regarding reining ludicrousness for integration within sane structures. Go wild with it!
• Entering writing contests intentionally instigating compressed deadlines devastates procrastinatory tendencies instantaneously hitting hyperdrive determination buckling down taking matters seriously heeding ticking clocks signaling commencing frantic ideas dumping brainstorms directly typed transmitting only bestphrases persistently Pulitzer hunting!
• Sketching rough character models initially establishes superficial anchoring adequate beginning translating wordy impressions onto physicality representations however haphazardly clumsy. Further refining revisions sculpt fully realized beings.
• Seeking sonic muses matching musical atmospheres inspire unlocking written wonders tuned to emotional octaves orchestrating optimal creativity currents concentrated deeply flowing inner ear canals conductively stimulating synapses scintillating beautifully brilliant brainstorming arpeggios amplified ascending crescendos towards highest horizons imaginable! Wow, that felt nice!
• Donning noise cancelling headphones pumping intensely epic instrumental film soundtracks establishes beneficial “creative trance” mental states wholly absorbed experiencing scenic visions narratively narrated free forming thereafter translated typed words gradually grouped semi-coherently. Oh look, writing already!
• Printing vulnerable works in progress carried folded within back pockets allows sly subtle handwritten line edits inserted inconspicuously while awaiting appointments, commuting trains, browsing shops etc. Multitasking via miniature pen marks incrementally improves large undertakings bit by bit.
• Window shopping home furniture stores’ off-beat cultured décors sparks scene-setting inspiration aesthetically pleasing foreign eyes imagining equally splendidly elegant worlds deserving descriptively lavish literary representations conveying clearly cut visions articulated amazingly abundant adjectival phrasings. Fanciful writings feel fabulous!
• Programming timed uplifting quote emails delivered throughout workday continually reconnects productivity inspiration too often drowned under numbing mundanity plaguing procedures devoid of delighted diversions delivering welcomed quick respites that buoyantly boost passions, purposes and creative productivity all beneficially bolstered bywords alone!
• Seeking authentic cultural cookbooks and recipes guides mental journeys through indigenous ingredients eventually envisioning ancestral tables tells tales traditions spanning generations grounded nourishing native nourishment literally flavoring regional folkways informatively spicing fictive feasts.
• Ultimately surrendering worries releasing expectations while embracing patience and persistence continues cracking lifelong writing goals realization slowly manifesting daily through sincere affections felt regarding creative personal processes magnetizing manuscripts meant for manifestation in due time with gentle nudges not harsh shoving unobstructed unfurling patient petals eventually meet sunlight.

The key remains balancing exerted efforts against exhausted energies by rotating regenerative restoratives keeping cups filled ready pouring when muses momentarily pause serving surreptitious whispers where wealthy words hide awaiting mining curious creativity pickaxes chipping away finally unearthing gemstone phrases glittering eager eyes focused true seeing. Metaphors aside, consistency with compassion cultivates inspiration’s blossoming even through semi-dormant seasons awaiting urgings emerged. There are other resources on the web that may help you with writer’s block, and we have many prompts on our site that may help. Keep calmly writing on!

Related posts:

• 10 Reasons to Keep a Writing Journal
• How long is a short story? A question for the ages
• Writing Horror
• 5 Tips For Choosing An Editor
• 50 Common Simple Writing Mistakes to Avoid

About Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) has worked for literary magazines and literary websites for the last 25 years. He holds degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology and Education. Richard has headed many writing workshops and courses, and he has taught writing and literature for the last 20 years.  

In writing and publishing he has worked with independent, small, medium and large publishers for years connecting publishers to authors. He has also worked as a journalist and editor in both magazine, newspaper and trade publications as well as in the medical publishing industry.   Follow him on Twitter, and check out our Submissions page .

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Five Reasons You're Experiencing Writer’s Block

How you can fire up your writing brain and get back on task..

Posted October 28, 2015

We’re going to go there, right now, even though it might lead to automatic resistance: Writer’s block is a myth.

It is not something that always existed; in fact, the concept originated in the early 19th Century when the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge first described his “indefinite indescribable terror” at not being able to produce work he thought worthy of his talent. Romantic English poets of the time believed their poems magically arrived from an external source, so when their pens dried up and the words did not flow, they assumed the spirits, the gods, and/or their individual muses were not visiting them with favor.

French writers soon latched onto the idea of a suffering connected to writing and expanded it to create the myth that all writers possessed a tortured soul, and were unable to write without anguish. Later, the anxiety (the artistic inhibition) that often accompanies writing was blamed on, or turned into, neurosis , depression , alcoholism , and drug addiction . On good days, writers suffered for their art, and never so much as when they allowed psychological issues to thwart their ability to write.

What you need to accept

Here’s the simple truth: The very nature of the art of writing incorporates uncertainty, experimentation, and a willingness to create art from the depths of who we are. Writing is a mentally challenging occupation, which requires more hard-core, cognitive expenditure than many other lines of work.

Here’s another truism: Many adults don’t like to think; once they have an occupation that provides a living and keeps them relatively happy, they prefer to live in a mentally remote world where they have a job they can do, sans hard-core thinking.

But writers have to think and think hard—and we have to think beyond mastering craft into creating works full of meaning, purpose, and nobility—and then editing and selling them. So, to even assume that this should go smoothly—particularly in the slogging middle—is to be misguided.

Writers have to think, hard

Writing is not for sissies, and if you intend to write nonfiction books, novels, screenplays, plays, and so on, it will not be easy, and you will often come up against a wall of resistance. Just don’t call it “writer’s block,” call it what it is: not being prepared to move on to the next level.

That being said, a discouraging loss of steam strikes even the best and most prolific writers. Even though it’s natural, and fairly predictable, one must never linger, which is why this chapter will offer a spate of ideas to break the spell and get your writing brain back on track. But we begin, of course, with reasons why all writers get stalled.

1. You’ve Lost Your Way

All writers reach a point when they lose their way, their work veering off into unforeseen directions or experiencing a surprise (like when a character you didn’t anticipate shows up). Rather than permitting this to sabotage your momentum, take a day or two to rethink your story (or project). Identify the hold up, and loosely dance around it a few days. If it’s a character issue, go to the library, pull some of your favorite books off the shelves, and see how writers you admire dealt with similar problems. If it’s a setting issue, visit the place in question, or a similar site, and spend some time absorbing elements that you can weave into the story.

If you’re stalled because you lost your way, try the opposite of what you usually do—if you’re a plotter, give your imagination free rein for a day; if you’re a freewriter or a pantser, spend a day creating a list of the next 10 scenes that need to happen. This gives your brain a challenge, and for this reason you can take heart, because your billions of neurons love a challenge and are in search of synapses they can form. You can practically feel the dendrites flinging out their spiny little arms.

If you’re having trouble identifying the problem, your perspective may be too constricted. Try pulling back. Think about how the story is working on a larger scale, give yourself credit for getting this far, and then hone in on what you think may be the hitch. Maybe you think your character has turned into a caricature or the plotline is too weak. If that’s the case, look through the previous 50 pages for ways you can tweak it to achieve what you want. Often the brilliance is right there, just waiting for you to claim it.

2. Your Passion Has Waned

It happens. Because writing a novel requires full immersion—thinking about it, crafting it, dreaming about it, obsessing about it—your brain may be on overload or just bored. It doesn’t mean that your writing is boring; it means that you’ve worked and reworked the material so much that it now feels, sounds, or reads boring—to your mind.

A pair of fresh eyes would likely have a more objective opinion, though it’s not time to ask for outside eyes. Asking now may invite uninformed opinions (no one will have invested as much as you have to date) that make you question everything, and editing while writing can stifle creativity . Wait until the first draft is complete and it’s time to edit, before allowing yourself, or others, to question your creative decisions or, worse yet, to nitpick.

Lots of writers discard projects at this stage, often lamenting that they just lost the juice they needed to keep going. They chalk it up to choosing the wrong project, the wrong genre, the wrong topic, the wrong characters, or whatever. That may be the case, but if feeling bored about a third of the way in becomes a pattern, it’s likely more about you than about the story, characters, or subject matter.

Remember, your writing brain looks for and responds to patterns, so be careful that you don’t make succumbing to boredom or surrendering projects without a fight into a habit. Do your best to work through the reasons you got stalled and to finish what you started. This will lay down a neuronal pathway that your writing brain will merrily travel along in future work.

If you’ve lost steam and fear it’s because you’ve chosen the wrong subject, take a day or two to do, read, or think about something else. Before you go back to the manuscript, ask yourself these three probing questions to reveal the real reason you chose this topic, these characters, this storyline, this theme, and so on:

• What drove me to write about this in the first place?
• Why did I feel that this was worth a year of my time?
• What is it that I wanted the world to know?

If your reasons remain solid, true, and important enough to you, you’ll likely spark a few “grass fires” into your neuronal forest, which will send you rushing to your desk to put pen to paper.

3. Your Expectations Are Too High

A mistake many novice writers make is setting their sights too high, and expecting perfection when they have yet to write a complete novel or screenplay. The best advice anyone can give inexperienced writers is to write a first draft as quickly as possible, as good books are not written, but rewritten and rewritten and rewritten. Once you have a first draft, you have a solid base on which to build, and all the “problems” you anticipated will work themselves out as you massage and craft your raw material.

What stops many writers midway is attempting to make the first draft the best they can write. Some believe it’s the way real writers write, which is generally not true; and some believe that perfecting each chapter will relieve them of the need to rewrite, which is also not true. Imposing this unreasonable need for perfection is bound to cause anxiety—and a great deal of frustration.

The more pressure you put on yourself, the higher your anxiety level rises and the more writing becomes a signal of danger, which transmits a message straight to your limbic system, triggering fight-or-flight reactions. When that happens, the limbic system stops forwarding messages to the cortex, which is where conscious thought, imagination, and creativity are generated. Instead, your amygdala releases stress hormones , like cortisol and adrenaline, and soon, your heart rate is skyrocketing, your ability to feel emotionally safe enough to write is eroded, and your ability to concentrate vanishes. Who wants that? Who wants to re-create that? Small wonder that you are feeling a resistance to writing.

Instead of setting your sights too high, give yourself permission to write anything, on topic or off topic, meaningful or trite, useful or folly. The point is that by attaching so much importance to the work you’re about to do, you make it harder to get into the flow. Also, if your inner critic sticks her nose in (which often happens), tell her that her role is very important to you (and it is!) and that you will summon her when you have something worthy of her attention. That should free you to dive back into the writing pool.

4. You Are Burned Out

It is quite possible that you’ve simply tapped yourself out. We all have our limits, be they physical, mental, or emotional. Eventually your body, brain, or emotions are going to rebel and insist on downtime, which may come in the guise of what you may call writer’s block.

But keep this in mind: You aren’t blocked; you’re exhausted. Give yourself a few days to really rest. Lie on a sofa and watch movies, take long walks in the hour just before dusk, go out to dinner with friends, or take a mini-vacation somewhere restful. Do so with the intention to give yourself—and your brain—a rest. No thinking about your novel for a week! In fact, no heavy thinking for a week. Lie back, have a margarita, and chill. Once you’re rested, you’ll likely find the desire to write has come roaring back.

Have you ever wondered why ideas seem to come easier when you’ve stopped concentrating and gone off to rest, shower, or mow the lawn? When you’re working on a task that requires a higher level of cognitive functioning, like writing, which requires intense concentration , your brain focuses like a laser on the task at hand, blocking out distractions and relying on existing neuronal connections. But when you break concentration and do something that doesn’t require focused cognitive functioning, your brain is more susceptible to distractions and thus “lets in” a broader range of information, which can lead to imagining more alternatives and making more diverse interpretations—fostering a “think outside the box” mentality and creating the milieu for an aha moment. Scientists have even found that when your brain is a little fuzzy from exertion, it’s a lot less efficient at remembering connections and thereby may be more open to new connections, new ideas, and new ways of thinking.

5. You’re Too Distracted

Few of us have the luxury of being free from distractions. Most of us have jobs, spouses, kids, and responsibilities that occupy a huge amount of our brain space. If your productivity has stalled, or your frustration level has peaked, it may be that too many other things are on your mind. For many, paying the bills and other prior commitments begin to weigh us down. There’s just too much on your desk—and in your brain. When those distractions mount, it’s often easier and more productive to just stop writing and go take care of your life, to do whatever it is that is causing you to feel pressured.

Take note that, unless you’re just one of those rare birds who always write no matter what, you will experience times in your life when it’s impossible to keep to a writing schedule. People get sick, people have to take a second job, children need extra attention, parents need extra attention, and so on. If you’re in one of those emergency situations (raising small children counts), by all means, don’t berate yourself. Sometimes it’s simply necessary to put the actual writing on hold. It is good, however, to keep your hands in the water. For instance, in lieu of writing your novel:

• Read works similar to what you hope to write.
• Read books related to the subject you're writing about.
• Keep a designated journal where you jot down ideas for the book (and other works).
• Write small vignettes or sketches related to the book
• Whenever you find time to meditate, envision yourself writing the book, bringing it to full completion.
• Make writing the book a priority.

Instead of feeling like a failed writer, be patient and kind toward your writing self until the situation changes. The less you fret and put a negative spin on it, the more small pockets of time might open up. And, since you have been wise in keeping your writing brain primed, you may find it easier to write than you imagined.

Susan Reynolds is the author of Fire Up Your Writing Brain: How to Use Proven Neuroscience to Become a More Creative, Productive, and Successful Writer and coauthor of Train Your Brain to Get Happy .

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Writer's Block

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According to writing expert Mike Rose (2006), writer’s block can be defined as: “the inability to begin or continue writing for reasons other than a lack of basic skill or commitment” (p. 3).  He continues by stating that writer’s block can be measured by intervals in which writers unsuccessfully attempt to put something on paper while experiencing little or no meaningful engagement whatsoever. Just about every writer has suffered from writer’s block at one time or another, but especially as deadlines draw closer, it is helpful to have some strategies to overcome writer’s block. Writer’s block can be broken up into two main categories: motivation/distraction or writing anxiety. Within these two main categories are subcategories and strategies for overcoming these challenges.

Motivation/Distraction

• Finding a lack of inspiration or motivation to begin
• Trouble articulating your own ideas
• Indecision between different directions the paper can take
• Uncertainty about the argument of the paper
• Internal and external distractions

Strategies for Motivation and Distraction

Getting something on the page.

• Do not wait for “inspiration” to arrive. Most great writers and composers agree that purposeful thinking and planning is a must.
• Since planning and purposeful thinking is needed, check out our prewriting strategies to think of more ideas through  freewriting , or organize the existing ones through  listing ,  thought mapping/webbing , or  outlining .
• Reread articles used in your research to engross yourself in the conversation. You might even find a new angle worthy of exploration with a second reading.
• Open up a Word document and do the formatting for your paper in the proper style (MLA, APA, etc.). Just the act of opening it up and doing something with the blank page may spur you to begin writing.
• When you think you have hit the wall violently, take a breather. Go out for fresh air, switch gears and come back to it later, or the following day. Sometimes you might just be under the weather, tired, or wired from a past activity. Just as computers need to reset in order to function properly again, your brain might need a rest as well.
• Talk to your teacher or a writing tutor for more insight; they might be able to help you find the right direction.

Distracted?

• Identify areas of distraction. Are you distracted by noises? Your roommate? Social media? Find a workspace that allows you to get away from these distractions. Study somewhere else and power off social media to help you focus.
• Listening to music that’s instrumental rather than lyrical helps limit distractions and can promote motivation.

Writing Anxiety

• Fear of sounding too “simple”
• Feeling like everything written isn’t good enough to submit for a grade
• Fear of failure
• Feeling like your ideas are “unoriginal” or “uninspired”.

Strategies for Writing Anxiety

Before you write....

• At the end of the day, writing anxiety is just that—anxiety brought on by the idea of writing. Before you start writing, do something that calms you. Whether it’s listening to calming music, meditating, deep breathing, or drinking some tea, take a couple minutes (not a couple hours) to mentally relax.
• Tidy up your workspace! A clean, tidy work place can also have a calming effect. If cleaning is too much of a project for your deadline, try a new quiet place to work.
• Establish a ritual to get yourself used to writing. For example, some people listen to a particular song or drink a specific drink to get them in the mind set to work. Making those mental cues will help train your brain to focus when it’s time to write.

While you Write, Remember...

• Take small steps when it comes to writing. You can start by writing out the main ideas first and then gradually filling in paragraphs with more information.
• A first draft doesn’t have to be perfect. The first draft is a chance for you to explore and flesh out your ideas.
• Writing skills take time and practice to establish. Nobody began as a perfect writer, and this is a time meant for you to grow and learn new skills. As hard as it is, try and be patient as these skills build over time.
• A failed idea in writing isn’t a failure—it’s an opportunity for you to explore and discover something new.

Treat Yourself!

Reward yourself with something small when you’ve finished a particular task. For example, you can reward yourself with a piece of chocolate for each paragraph you complete. Keep in mind, the reward has to be something small so that you’re not away from your writing too long. Watching an episode of TV could end up turning your reward into a harmful distraction. A reward is meant to help you feel good about working—it should not be a crutch to avoid work.

You are Not Alone

You are not the first to experience this, and you’re certainly not the last. Consider talking to other writers who have experienced similar feelings—they might have some ideas we don’t have on this handout!

With these strategies, you will be prepared to fend off writer’s block the next time around.

Remember: Be proactive to help yourself conquer your writer’s block.

Rose, M. (2006).  Writer’s block: The cognitive dimension . Carbondale: Southern Illinois Press.

• The Inventory

The 10 Types of Writers' Block (and How to Overcome Them)

Writer's Block. It sounds like a fearsome condition, a creative blockage. The end of invention. But what is it, really?

Part of why Writer's Block sounds so dreadful and insurmountable is the fact that nobody ever takes it apart. People lump several different types of creative problems into one broad category. In fact, there's no such thing as "Writer's Block," and treating a broad range of creative slowdowns as a single ailment just creates something monolithic and huge. Each type of creative slowdown has a different cause — and thus, a different solution.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the terrifying mystique of Writer's Block, it's better to take it apart and understand it — and then conquer it. Here are 10 types of Writer's Block and how to overcome each type.

1. You can't come up with an idea. This is the kind where you literally have a blank page and you keep typing and erasing, or just staring at the screen until Angry Birds calls to you. You literally can't even get started because you have no clue what to write about, or what story you want to tell. You're stopped before you even start.

There are two pieces of good news for anyone in this situation: 1) Ideas are dime a dozen, and it's not that hard to get the idea pump primed. Execution is harder — of which more in a minute. 2) This is the kind of creative stoppage where all of the typical "do a writing exercise"-type stuff actually works. Do a ton of exercises, in fact. Try imagining what it would be like if a major incident in your life had turned out way differently. Try writing some fanfic, just to use existing characters as "training wheels." Try writing a scene where someone dies and someone else falls in love, even if it doesn't turn into a story. Think of something or someone that pisses you off, and write a totally mean satire or character assassination. (You'll revise it later, so don't worry about writing something libelous at this stage.) Etc. etc. This is the easiest problem to solve.

2. You have a ton of ideas but can't commit to any of them, and they all peter out. Now this is slightly harder. Even this problem can take a few different forms — there's the ideas that you lose interest in after a few paragraphs, and then there's the idea that you thought was a novel, but it's actually a short story. (More about that here .) The thing is, ideas are dime a dozen — but ideas that get your creative juices flowing are a lot rarer. Oftentimes, the coolest or most interesting ideas are the ones that peter out fastest, and the dumbest ideas are the ones that just get your motor revving like crazy. It's annoying, but can you do?

My own experience is that usually, you end up having to throw all those ideas out. If they're not getting any traction, they're not getting any traction. Save them in a file, come back to them a year or ten later, and maybe you'll suddenly know how to tackle them. You'll have more experience and a different mindset then. It's possible someone with more stubbornness could make one of those idea work right away, but probably not — the reason you can't get anywhere with any of them is because they're just not letting you tell the story you really want to tell, down in the murky subconscious.

The good news? Usually when I'm faced with the "too many ideas, none of them works" problem, I'm a few days away from coming up with the idea that does work, like gangbusters. Your mind is working in overdrive, and it's close to hitting the jackpot.

3. You have an outline but you can't get through this one part of it. Some writers work really well with an outline, some don't. For some writers, the point of having an outline is to have a road to drive off, a straight line to deviate from as far as possible. Plus, every project is different — even if you're an outline fan usually, there's always the possibility that you need to grope in the dark for this one particular story.

Actually, there are two different reasons you could be getting stuck: 1) Your outline has a major flaw and you just won't admit it. You can't get from A to C, because B makes no sense. The characters won't do the things that B requires them to do, without breaking character. Or the logic of the story just won't work with B. If this is the case, you already know it, and it's just a matter of attacking your outline with a hacksaw. 2) Your outline is basically fine, but there's a part that you can't get past. Because it's boring, or because you just can't quite see how to get from one narrative peak to the next. You have two cool moments, and you can't figure out how to get from one cool bit to the other. (More on that here .)

In either case, there's nothing wrong with taking a slight detour, or going off on a tangent, and seeing what happens. Maybe you'll find a cooler transition between those two moments, maybe you'll figure out where your story really needs to go next. And most likely, there's something that needs to happen with your characters at this point in the story, and you haven't hit on it yet.

4. You're stuck in the middle and have no idea what happens next. Sort of the opposite of problem #3 . Either you don't have an outline, or you ditched it a while back. Actually, here's what seems to happen a lot - you were on a roll the day before, and you wrote a whole lot of promising developments and clever bits of business. And then you open your Word document today, and... you have no idea where this is going. You thought you left things in a great place to pick up the ball and keep running, and now you can't even see the next step.

If it's true that you were on a roll, and now you're stuck, then chances are you just need to pause and rethink, and maybe go back over what you already wrote. You may just need a couple days to recharge. Or you may need to rethink what you already wrote.

If you've been stuck in the middle for a while, though, then you probably need to do something to get the story moving again. Introduce a new complication, throw the dice, or twist the knife. Mark Twain spent months stuck in the middle of Huckleberry Finn before he came up with the notion of having Huck and Jim take the wrong turn on the river and get lost. If you're stuck for a while, it may be time to drop a safe on someone.

5. You have a terrible feeling your story took a wrong turn a hundred pages back, and you only just hit a dead end. This is the worst. You made a decision that felt bold and clever - you threw the dice and dropped a safe on someone - and now you're realizing that you made a horrible mistake and you've gone off course. Worse, you can see where your story should be right about now, if you hadn't made that dreadful error.

If you're absolutely sure that you've gone the wrong way, then there's no point in going forward any further. Is there any alternative to rewinding all the way to the original mistake and starting from there? Yes, but it might suck. Sometimes, if you can see clearly what your story ought to be like at this juncture, you can just keep going from here, as if you had gone the right way in the first place. Thus leaving yourself a giant hole that you'll have to go back and plug later. You can also rewind partially, going back 50 pages instead of 100 and then pretending you made the right choice originally.

In either case, though, beware - you're going to end up with two alternate timelines in your story, and it's up to you to keep straight what happened in the timeline you're sticking with, as opposed to the one you're discarding.

6. You're bored with all these characters, they won't do anything. You created these bold, vibrant characters, and now you've written dozens of pages... about them brushing their teeth and feeding their cats.

Let's start with the obvious: characters who don't do anything aren't interesting characters. Either what you've got here are just your supporting cast, and you haven't created your main character yet, or you haven't found the thing that your characters really want, or the conflict that will spur them into action. You have some characters, but not a story, not yet.

Sometimes you have to find the knife before you can twist the knife.

The good news is, sometimes writing a few dozen pages of nothing much happening can be super valuable - you're getting into the world, and you're working out for yourself what these characters are about. It's entirely possible that once you've done that, a conflict will present itself, or one minor character will suddenly start looking like your protagonist. Just be prepared to toss out all these pages after that happens. (As you probably will with almost everything in a first draft, anyway.)

7. You keep imagining all the reasons people are going to say your story sucks, and it paralyzes you. Otherwise known as the Inner Critic - you can't make any choices, because you keep imagining how someone at GoodReads will tear you apart for it later. Actually, the person at GoodReads doesn't exist, and it's just your own internal critic talking here. You'll need that inner voice of scorn for later, when you're revising - but while you're working on a first draft, you have to drown it out, possibly with loud Finnish death metal.

Chances are the ideas you're putting down aren't nearly as bad as your darkest fears tell you they might be. But in any case, you can always fix it in rewrites. (Although this does mean that you'll have to be twice as harsh when it comes to revising the thing - that's the bargain you make when you write a quick first draft with an eye to revising later.)

8. You can't think of the right words for what you're trying to convey in this one paragraph. I've had this one - I know what I'm doing, and where I'm going next, and the story is humming along. But I can't move forward until I find just the right verb in this one sentence, and I spend a whole day's writing time staring at the screen and trying to figure it out. This seems like a silly waste of time - just use the wrong verb for now, fix it in rewrites! - except that sometimes hitting on the right word is partly a matter of visualizing the scene in your head. Plus, what if this happens during rewrites?

There's nothing wrong with spending a day or two fussing over one sentence. It may seem like a waste of time, it may feel like you're stuck - but actually, you're just paying close attention to your writing and to the way you're depicting the scene. If this goes on for a week, though, just pick a verb and move on.

9. You had this incredibly cool story in your head, and now you're turning it into words on a screen and it's suddenly dumb. Is this your inner critic talking? Are you sure? Are you really sure?

Okay then. It's possible you're actually seeing a real problem with your idea, and with the execution. And, you know, there's nothing wrong with abandoning a novel and starting afresh. Sometimes these dead half-finished novels serve as great fertilizer for the awesome novel you're going to end up writing.

But don't give up too fast. It's possible that part of your idea is salvageable, or that the idea is genuinely cool and you've gotten yourself stuck into a weak execution of it. Sometimes it's helpful to step back and write a synopsis of the stuff you've already written, so you can see how it fits together and whether there are some buried parts that should be turning points in the story. Sometimes it's helpful to try writing bits of your story from a different character's point of view, to see how they look from another vantagepoint.

10. You're revising your work, and you can't see your way past all those blocks of text you already wrote. Revising is a nightmare - and if you've adhered to the "write a first draft quickly and then fix it in rewrites" school of thought, you've agreed to a Faustian bargain. There's no way to make this process go faster or more smoothly, a lot of the time. Sometimes it takes a while of looking at your text from different angles to figure out where the problems are, and sometimes you need more feedback from more people to figure out where the real structural weaknesses are.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that if you're getting stuck during revisions, that's not any type of Writer's Block (as nebulous a concept as Writer's Block is), but rather just the natural process of trying to diagnose what ails your novel.

Although one thing that works for me when I'm getting stuck with revisions is just to rewrite large sections from scratch, without looking back at your original draft. Same story, new words. Sometimes, it's a lot quicker than trying to wrangle the words you already put down.

Want more writing advice? Check out io9's free advice page.

Pulp magazine images via Toyranch , Sukrat Lord Dub and Walker9 on Flickr.

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Meaning of writer's block in English

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• bang something out
• bash something out
• borrow something from something
• re-registration
• readability
• reformulate

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