Writer’s Block: It’s All in Your Head

4 Tips to Overcome this Imaginary Ailment

I’m sorry. But it’s true. Writer’s block isn’t real. It’s all in your head.

I know, I know . . . you’ve heard all your favorite authors complain about writer’s block. That feeling that they just don’t know what to write. They “literally” can’t write a word. (Is it just me or do you find it amusing when writers misuse the word literally?)

They’ll say things like: 

• “My creative juices aren’t flowing.”
• “I have no idea what happens next.”
• “There’s nothing left inside of me.”
• “The story is dead.” – That expression came from a client of mine. We resuscitated that stinker about seventeen times.

Look  . . .  I get it. Staring at a blank page can be paralyzing. 

Writing is Hard

Writing is hard. It’s supposed to be hard.

You are literally creating something from nothing. (See what I did there?) A story that did not exist is now taking up space in the world. Or at least on your screen. 

Creating something takes effort and persistence. And dedication. And creativity. But most of all, it takes trust. You have to trust yourself. You have to believe that your story is good enough. And that you are the right person to tell it.

Sometimes the words don’t flow as easily as others. This is only natural. But it’s also uncomfortable. It makes us worry. Maybe I don’t have what it takes to be a writer. A thought that is even more uncomfortable. 

So instead of doubting ourselves, we blame our lack of progress on our old friend writer’s block.

Writer’s block is an excuse

I know you don’t want to hear this. It’s going to make you angry. You are going to disagree with me. 

You’ll probably tell me in the comments why I’m wrong. And DM me that I just don’t understand. You’re going to regale with me your stories of incapacitating writer’s block that stalled projects indefinitely. Or, worse, killed them all together. 

I’m sympathetic. I really am. I know projects get stuck. I know it feels like you “just can’t.” I understand that those feeling are very real. And frustrating. I’ve been there myself. But writer’s block is just an excuse. It’s the name we use when we just don’t want to do the hard work of writing. 

There are a lot of reasons that writers get stuck in their stories. 

Fear. It’s scary to share your ideas and yourself with the world. What if people don’t like it? What if my book gets rejected? What if nobody reads my work? What if I can’t finish this book? Fear of failure is real. And it prevents many people from taking a risk and doing the work.

Time. It’s not that you can’t write. It’s that you’re not giving yourself enough time to work on the project. One of the biggest causes of writer’s block is a failure to plan. If you sit down at your computer and just hope the words will flow you are often left staring at a blinking cursor. Writing takes time. It takes planning time and writing time.

Perfectionism. Similar to fear, you struggle with not wanting to create work that isn’t perfect. You don’t want to start writing until you have the perfect idea, the perfect characters, the perfect twist. But until you actually start writing down your ideas you aren’t a writer.

Laziness. I’ll say it again. Writing is hard work. And sometimes you just aren’t motivated to do the work. But not wanting to write and not being disciplined enough to write are not the same thing as not being able to write. Don’t let laziness get in the way of your book

Knowledge gaps: Often when you say you have writer’s block what you really mean is you don’t know what to write next. This could be because you don’t know your characters or your setting well enough. Maybe you haven’t mapped out your story well enough. Maybe there is an element of craft that you haven’t learned yet. This is probably the easiest problem to deal with because the antidote to writer’s block is simple. Research. And writers love research.

Overcoming writer’s block

The good news is that since writer’s block is not real, it’s not that difficult to overcome. It’s not as though you need a brain transplant or a complicated medical procedure to find your words again. If you find yourself struggling with what to write, try one of these 4 tips.

Just write words.

Any words. Even the words “I don’t know what to write . . .” can help. The act of writing will make it easier to write. Write about how you are feeling. Write about what you see. What about what you had for lunch. Write a backstory about your character that will never make it into your book. If all else fails, find a writing prompt. But just start writing.

Move your body.

Go for a walk. Take a hike. Hit the exercise bike. If all else fails, hold an impromptu dance party in your living room. Just move your body. Okay, as a runner and Pilates instructor I am partial to movement because it’s just good for you. But, there are specific benefits specifically writers. Research shows a link between walking and creativity. Walking opens up the free flow of ideas and increases neural plasticity. 

Change your scenery.

Sometimes all you need to get your creative juices flowing is a change of scenery. This is especially true if you are trying to write in a chaotic environment (sink full of dirty dishes I’m looking at you). Try going to a coffee shop or a museum. I love to write in bookstores. And, when the weather cooperates, on my patio or at the park.

Consume content.

If you are really feeling stuck, try taking a break from creating and consume content instead. Pick up your favorite book on craft. Or your favorite novel. Listen to a podcast. I love Writing Excuses and #amwriting about writing. I always get good ideas from Hidden Brain and Happier. Or, pick one that correlates with your work in progress. Watch YouTube. Chris Fox has great writing tips and his videos are short. I also love Shaelin Writes (even though watching her makes me feel very old). Or pick your favorite vlogger and binge some videos. Heck watch cat videos on Tik Tok or scroll through Instagram. Just shifting gears a bit, taking off the pressure to create, and consuming content can give you a fresh batch of ideas. 

Practice self-care to fend off writer’s block. 

Finally, even though writer’s block isn’t real, burnout is. Please do yourself a favor and take care of your mental health. And no, I don’t mean mani-pedis or deep breathing.

I mean really take care of yourself.

At a minimum, this means eating well, sleeping enough, moving your body, and occasionally venturing out of the writing cave for sunlight and social interaction. The last one is the toughest for me. If it weren’t for my children I could go days without actually talking to anyone but my characters.

But remember what I said before? Writing is hard work. And it’s even harder if you are not feeling well. No matter how exciting your project is or how tight your deadline is, you must prioritize self-care.

If you are feeling overwhelmed or anxious or even depressed, find a writing buddy to chat with. They will be able to support you in a way that only writers understand.

And if your demons are bigger than a blank page, please don’t be afraid to seek out help.

Happy Writing!