Overcoming Writer’s Block: The Critic, The Muse and The Weight of Life

We’ve all been there, and you seem to be there now; where you have the desire to write, but you just can’t get the words out. You might be without ideas entirely, or maybe you’re in the middle of a project and you’ve just lost the plot so to say. Screen blank. Mind empty. 

Writer’s block is an inevitable state of being in a writer’s life, and it’s not just writers that get blocked. Sometimes it’s referred to as creative block to include all our artist friends whose canvases, staffs and lumps of clay remain untouched.You could even consider it akin to the Yips in sports. Don’t panic! Learn to work with and around your writer’s block because it’s bound to rear its head again. Whether you define this inability to write by a lack of motivation and inspiration, burnout caused by outside influence and/or the fear of your inner critic, we can find a way to the other side and overcome writer’s block.

Below I’ve split up our block busting techniques into a few categories so you can explore different avenues of besting the beast. Some of these are best for getting out of your head, others are intended to spark inspiration and some are simply ways to face the threat head on. If the first doesn't seem to help, try another. Soon, you’ll have an understanding of your own hold-ups and you won’t need to refer to this list as often; you’ll just know what to do!

Take a break and…

Just like between writing & editing, a break can give us the space we need to see things clearly.

Get away from your writing

Distance makes the heart grow fonder. Take a step back and think about anything else. This break may be a few hours, days, maybe even weeks, but the important part is that you leave it alone. 

While you are away from it, not only will your desire to go back grow stronger, your mind will be working in the background figuring out the problem you’re stuck on, whether that’s an actual plot problem or one that's a bit more mental or emotional in nature. It’s wild the things our brains do when we’re not paying attention.

So, try sleeping on it. Assess how you’re feeling the next day and decide if you’re ready to tackle your piece again.

Get the blood pumping

To take getting away one step further, try getting the blood pumping. Go for a walk, do some yoga, drop down and give me ten! If you are someone that can’t move around much for whatever reason there are loads of chair-based or laying down workouts available, you can try certain breathing techniques (like lion’s breath) to “wake up.” You don’t need to run a marathon by any means, this is more about focusing on the body instead of the mind for a moment. 

Bringing our focus to our body and letting our mind rest can be super helpful when fighting writer’s block. I highly recommend getting a little woo-woo with this and seek mindfulness in your movement to occupy your mind with something, so it can’t think about your writing (or lack thereof) while you get this blood pumping.

Seek other art

Other art can prove as distraction and inspiration. 

Consume art

There are two main ways to think about consuming other art as a way to get out of your writer’s block. The first is inspiration. For this you will want to aim for things that are similar and adjacent to what you’re working on but try to consume in different forms. The other is for distraction and so you should aim to get as far away from the themes of your project as you can.

Consider reading a book, watching a film, attending a play, listening to music, visiting an art gallery or flipping through a coffee table book. As you can see, this one very nicely lines up with taking a break and getting away from your WIP.

Grab a book from the library or a second-hand shop. Scroll an art gallery's website or go to a local one. Museums can be great inspo or distraction too, and often there’s some form of art there, especially if you stretch your definitions. Watch a film or play or listen to music via the internet or or go to the theatre, a live performance or an open mic. So many options to consume art and either gain some insight or distract yourself and get out of your own way.

Work on something else 

Seek YOUR other art. You can work on another writing project, but I’d suggest getting away from writing is better. Getting out of your comfort zone and exploring new things can be a great way to get out of a funk, but similarly the comfort of a well known art form can be just as helpful.

Maybe you’re a fibre artist or painter or musician. Knit something. Embroider something. Paint something. Throw paint. Jam alone or with some friends. Just sing and dance (and get that blood pumping) until you feel free to continue with your project. Maybe your creative mind just needs to work on something else to reinvigorate that writing part of it. Novelty can open new ideas and motivation.

Write anyway…

Sometimes banging your head against the wall is the only way through the wall.

Say poo-poo to perfectionism

Often what holds us back is the need for the first words on the page to be the right words and it’s just not a realistic goal! A huge part of the writing and publishing process is the editing and revising portions. The whole point of editing and editors is that the first (and third and tenth) draft isn’t perfect. So get out of your head and just get the story on the page, you can make it pretty later.

This is about as head against desk as it gets but sometimes just sitting in front of the blank page works. Boredom breeds creativity believe it or not!

Prompts

If your struggle is a lack of idea generation, try some writing prompts! There are options that will get you thinking about your current WIP, but also try some writing that is removed from it to get that space we’ve talked about previously.

Using writing prompts goes hand-in-hand with seeking (and creating) new art. Not sure where to look for prompts? Try my Pinterest board and Instagram, this autumn prompts post, this fantasy prompts post, this mystery prompts post or this romance prompts post!

Sprints

Used in conjunction with prompts, new art or your WIP, try running (or joining) some writing sprints. What’s a writing sprint? Simply, it’s a set amount of time to write as many words as you can. If you run a few of the same length in a row, you can try to beat your previous “score” for some extra motivation.

And what do I mean by “join” some writing sprints? Well, there are writing communities that host writing sprints so everyone can share their progress and it works as a body-doubling or co-working environment. While it’s not currently live, you can join me through space and time (and catch future lives) on YouTube with my Autumn Writing Sprints video!

Talk it out

Figure out what’s stopping you from writing.

Talk to another writer (or simply a caring friend)

Sometimes we need to talk to someone else to get us through the block. You might want to talk about the project itself or simply commiserate in the writer’s block woes. Maybe it turns out your writer’s block is actually a block in your story and you need to bounce ideas off someone. Or maybe it’s more of a mental block and advice or comfort from a friend will get you through. Despite feeling like a solo plight, writers are a community and we should all take advantage of it!

Journal about what you're stuck on and why

Not feeling up to discussing your project or innermost thoughts with a friend? Talk to yourself or your muse via journaling! Something is blocking you from writing and you need to get to the bottom of it. This writing is truly for your eyes only, so don’t worry about how messy it is, if the spelling is correct or if it’s one giant run-on sentence. You simply want to have an honest conversation with yourself about why you are stuck. Sometimes we don’t know what the obstacle is, but if we take the time to walk through it, we realize the answer is right there.

And this can be less about your mental state and more about your project if you find that your writer’s block is truly plot or character driven. Something that helps me is writing down all of the questions the plot needs to answer and sometimes that helps me realize what the next scene needs to be.

The rubber ducky

In coding, there’s this practice of talking out your code with a rubber ducky because it helps you find the problem, similar to the advice writers get and give about reading your manuscript out loud during the editing process.

Grab a figurine of some sort. It can be the classic rubber ducky (or a fancy rubber ducky,) a troll, a pet rock, a stuffed bear… whatever you like. And talk to it. Out loud. Something happens when we engage the language centre differently and speak out loud rather than just thinking. I’m sure there’s some awesome science behind it (and maybe I'll deep dive at some point) but try it out! 

This is like taking journaling to the next level. Actually, it’s kind of like taking “talk to a friend” and “journaling” and smooshing them together!

Stop giving it power

Rename it/ rethink it

Writer’s block isn't some illness that we’re afflicted with, it's inevitable to get stuck at some point. Think of it more like an obstacle to overcome. Like most of your sentences, it should be active. You should be working to get around, over, under and through rather than waiting for the storm to pass. 

Look at it as a wall: find a chisel and hammer to break it down.

Look at it as a river: knock down some trees, grab a few vines and make yourself a raft.

Look at it as a mountain: pack a bag with snacks, rope, and pitons; strap on a harness; and get climbing!

You can even think of it as an anti-cheerleader and give it a people name. This is especially helpful when the foundation of your writer’s block is doubt. Tell Janice to leave her annoying laugh at home because you won’t be listening to her today; it’s writing time.

Sit with it

Keep your writing appointment with yourself, even if you don't write. Don’t let your creative block stop you from ever writing again. If we ditch our current routine because we can’t write, we may lose that routine. So, keep scheduling time to write!

Consider using this time to create different art, try some writing sprints, talk it out with your beanie baby or just hold space for your WIP. Keep coming back. Be persistent. Eventually, something will click. I don’t recommend this being your only method of beating writer’s block, but it can be a helpful tool in the toolbox.

Some final thoughts on conquering writer’s block

Creative blocks are inevitable. If writing (and finishing) was easy, everyone would be published. Finding motivation and inspiration can certainly be part of the process, but remember that not every part of the writing, editing, and publishing process is easy. Sometimes you just have to slog through part of the project. That’s not writer’s block; it’s just part of the job.

It’s an obstacle not a malady. You can, should and kind of have to work to get through it. Consider taking the time to focus on what the problem really is rather than talking about it like some vague, ethereal ennui. When you figure out if it's mental, physical or technical, you’ll have a much better chance at getting back to writing in a shorter amount of time.

Every person and instance of writer’s block will be different; there is no one tried and true way to cure writer’s block, so if the first method isn’t working, try something else! Even better, start by choosing a few things and use them in tandem! Often we need to get the blood pumping, find inspiration AND remember that first drafts aren’t perfect.

I believe in you, even if you aren’t believing in yourself right now. You will write again; you just need a little time.

If you have ways to get out of your slump that weren’t mentioned here please share them with  us in the comments! This is by no means an exhaustive list and everyone here could use all the help and support they can get!

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Jerrica is a writer and editor who inspires up-and-coming writers to create compelling fiction and creative nonfiction works while providing them with the confidence to do it themselves or ask for a helping hand when they need it. She enjoys speculative fiction, horror and gut-wrenching emotion with a side of food & drink and the cozier things in life.