Writer’s Block Doesn’t Exist — Here’s How To Beat It Anyway

The muse has left the building…or has it?

If you’re suffering from writer’s block, do me a favor. DON’T research advice from well known authors.

Okay, fine. Go ahead. But be warned — the vast majority of them will tell you writer’s block doesn’t exist, that it’s some deeper problem or just an excuse to procrastinate, and to get your butt back in the chair and write, you lazy writer.

I’m not going to say anything mean like that to you. I know what it’s like to feel creatively blocked, unable to write one coherent sentence to save your manuscript. It feels like your life as a writer is over. Looking back, however, I can also admit that it probably had nothing to do with writer’s block, and had more to do with some underlying problem with the story.

“I think writer’s block is a bad name for a number of real problems facing writers, most notably of which is fear.” — Jeff Goins

Is there something that’s keeping you from moving forward with your manuscript at an easy pace? Maybe you’re unsure about the facts of a certain scenario. Or perhaps, as bestselling thriller author Jeffery Deaver refers to it, you’re experiencing an idea block, where you’re “trying to shoehorn an idea into the passage or story where it has no place.”

In my efforts to find the things that would help me combat my idea block, I’ve found plenty of things that don’t work. These things include:

• checking my email
• scrolling Instagram
• watching Netflix
• texting a friend
• reading Medium articles
• perusing the news
• shopping on Amazon
• and other distractions

Here are the things that have worked for me:

1. Do a 10-minute free write within the world of your novel

Take a break from the actual story, the one you intend for readers to read, and instead do a free write with your characters and setting that is meant for only you. It can be silly and nonsensical, a character bio, or mimic a deleted scene. It may even be something you can use at a later time, but don’t go into it with your readers in mind. Just have fun with it and see what happens.

“Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.” — Barbara Kingsolver

2. Make a list of what’s bothering you about the story

Are you unsure about the details of a scene and just need to do more research? Are you forcing your characters to do things that don’t really fit the story? Has the story taken a turn you’re not comfortable with? By writing it all out, it forces you to take a hard look at the issues, acknowledge them, and then do what you can to fix them so you can go back to simply writing the story.

3. Go back and polish the story

Normally, I’d urge you to keep moving forward with your story and never look back. But if you’re stumbling in the story, you may need to take a break from writing more story and go back and edit what you’ve already written.

“What I try to do is write. I may write for two weeks ‘the cat sat on the mat, that is that, not a rat.’ And it might be just the most boring and awful stuff. But I try. When I’m writing, I write. And then it’s as if the muse is convinced that I’m serious and says, ‘Okay. Okay. I’ll come.’” — Maya Angelou

4. Switch up your writing routine

If you’re normally a morning writer, try writing at night. If you always write at your living room table, grab your laptop and head outdoors. If you type your story on a computer, see how it feels to write it longhand in a notebook.

5. Step away from the desk

If all else fails, you may just need to take a break. Give yourself a vacation day (or two) and go do something else that fills your spirit. It could be all you need to refresh your excitement about your novel.

Best wishes on your writing!