Writer’s Block: What It Is and How to Cure It

5 tips to beat the blank page, once and for all

Writer’s block. Two words all writers fear. It’s a problem everyone will face at some point but isn’t always easy to fix.

Writer’s block is often described as a short- or long-term failure to put words on the page. In reality, writer’s block is a failure of creativity, not the ability to write. There are several causes of writer’s block, including perfectionism, fear of failure, and health problems. To beat writer’s block, you have to find a new approach (and mindset) toward writing.

What Is Writer’s Block?

Writer’s block, as defined by Oxford Languages, is, “the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing.”

The first part of this definition is a matter of imagination and creativity. The second part is a matter of practice and skill. I’m going to focus on the creative side of writer’s block here, but let’s briefly explore what to do if your issue is with skill.

3 Exercises to Improve Writing Skills

Let’s face it, beginners are going to struggle more than veterans when it comes to consistently creating content. Whether you’re writing articles or books, it takes time to find the process that works for you.

Exercise one: read, read, read

This tried-and-true nugget of writing advice has stood the test of time for a reason. The best way to learn how to write is to read.

If you want to write better articles, find and read pieces by prolific writers. A few of the best on Medium include Tim Denning, Abena Talks, and Jenn Leach. These writers have written hundreds, if not thousands, of articles.

Whatever type of writing you want to do; you must first read extensively. Spend at least ten minutes a day reading. You’ll start to notice patterns (like what makes a good headline) that you can incorporate into your pieces.

Exercise two: use a free editor like Hemingway Editor

Plenty of free editors are out there, including a free version of Grammarly, but I think Hemingway Editor is the best place to start.

Why? Hemingway Editor is all about style and readability, two important things when developing your voice. It will help you write short, impactful sentences while minimizing the use of complex words, long phrases, and adverbs.

Exercise three: write

The best way to learn how to swim is by jumping in the pool. Writing isn’t much different. You can study others’ writing and read books about craft until you’re blue in the face, but nothing beats the actual practice.

Pro Tip: Your first few dozen articles might stink. That’s okay! The more you write, the faster your writing will improve.

What Causes Writer’s Block?

For me, writer’s block isn’t about your physical ability to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). Rather, it’s a kink in your creative hose or, as Simon Whaley describes it, creative exhaustion.

Even during the times when my creative well was completely dry (I’m talking many, many months here), I could still write. Instead of building my brand or working on my books, I was writing articles for clients.

I was familiar with the topics and provided with outlines, so no creativity was required. Anytime I tried to work on a piece for myself, however, I hit a dead end.

Why? My writing wasn’t blocked, but my creativity was.

Symptoms of Writer’s Block

Writer’s block may be common, but it isn’t always easy to recognize. In fact, the early signs of writer’s block manifest long before the writing stops.

Physical symptoms of writer’s block

If you’re sensitive, you may notice things like headaches, muscle tension, or even minor digestive issues. This is your body’s way of saying the stress of writing is becoming too much.

Mental symptoms of writer’s block

Writer’s block can also manifest mentally. Perhaps the thought of writing makes you feel anxious. Other times, you may feel depressed when thinking about your latest project.

It can even be as simple as worrying that your article or book won’t be good enough. While these signs can also be a normal part of the writing process, they can also be the beginning of a block.

Examples of Writer’s Block

Writer’s block can look different for every writer. It can also be different for the same writer each time.

Maybe you’re halfway through a book but don’t have any ideas for the second half. Or you’re having trouble brainstorming articles for your next blog post.

Perhaps a 1,000-word article now takes you three times as long to write. Maybe you just have trouble focusing on writing.

Causes of Writer’s Block

Writer’s block doesn’t always happen because of something in your writing. Being sick, diagnosed with a mental health problem, in a fight with your partner, or overwhelmed at work can all cause writer’s block.

Perfectionism

A writer’s number one enemy is perfectionism. Feeling like every word you type must be perfect and that your first draft must be flawless is incredibly limiting.

Everyone makes mistakes, especially writers. And writing a book can take dozens of drafts to tease out the full story.

Eliminating the notion of perfection is a hard but necessary step to avoiding writer’s block.

Pro Tip: Give yourself permission to be imperfect. Taking away the pressure to succeed on the first try. Make mistakes. Revise. Repeat.

Fear of failure

For centuries, writers have been tormented by the idea of failure. The thought of spending years creating a masterpiece that only your mother reads is horrifying.

The truth? That might happen. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write the book. Your blog may only ever have a few dozen subscribers. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write it.

Fear is a powerful thing. It can trigger your body’s fight-or-flight response. Get scared of writing enough and your body’s limbic system will learn to associate writing with danger.

In other words, your body now associates writing with running towards a hungry, angry bear. Retraining your body to view writing differently is hard.

This is what happened to me. I became so paralyzed by fear and the need for my book to be perfect that I became unable to write creatively in any form. It’s taken months of work to get back to creative projects again.

Creativity

More often, the problem is with your creativity. You struggle with brainstorming, your imagination feels dry, and you can’t remember the last time your muse did more than suggest another cup of coffee.

Creativity is a luxury. I like comparing it to hypothermia. Your body loses heat faster than it can make more. All the blood goes to your core to keep your organs warm. This leaves you with cold fingers and toes. Creativity is your toes. Not necessary to keep you alive, so it’s the first thing to go.

Writer’s Block Rehab

Now that you understand writer’s block better, it’s time to talk about how to get rid of it.

Start with your physical health. Are you:

• Drinking enough water?
• Getting exercise? (I’ve noticed a difference with as little as 15 minutes of walking a day)
• Eating healthy foods? (Snacking on strawberries and blueberries is a favorite)
• Sleeping?

If your body isn’t right, your ability to write is impaired. Taking care of yourself is taking care of your writing.

Let’s assume you’re physically healthy. Are you dealing with anxiety, depression, or another mental health issue?

As someone with anxiety, writing creatively is almost impossible when my anxiety rears its head. It can have me equally afraid of failure and success at the same time.

Fortunately, I found a great therapist and got it under control. A few months later, I started getting book ideas again. A few weeks after that, I wrote my first chapter in almost a year.

Dealing With an Absentee Muse

Has your muse gone rogue? If so, highly recommend watching this YouTube video, a TED Talk by Elizabeth Gilbert.

She presents the (not-so-new) notion that all artists have a creative genius that helps them out. Wrote a brilliant book? You have a great muse. Your last article flopped? Your muse is lacking. Either way, success or failure doesn’t rest entirely on your shoulders.

Thinking about creativity as something outside of yourself does two things. One, it prevents your ego from exploding if you see great success because you had help. Two, it prevents you from feeling like a failure if your project doesn’t succeed, because you aren’t solely responsible for its outcome.

A series of mental and physical health issues left me with a pretty damaged muse relationship. I think I scared her off. Too much pressure to succeed, too much fear of failure, and the heavy weight of grief after a painful loss weren’t conducive to, well, creating.

Now, there are plenty of writers who will tell you to ass-in-chair and write anyways. If you’re talking about writing articles, I agree. You don’t need inspiration to write 750 words about the hottest hotels in San Diego. If it’s a poem, book, or another creative endeavor in question, plowing ahead is, in my experience, worthless.

The Cure for Creativity

First, make sure all is well physically and mentally. No spinning down the anxiety rabbit hole of fear.

Create space to write every day, even if it’s just ten minutes

Show your muse (or your creative self) that you do have the time. That you value your ability to create. It might take a few days or even weeks to see progress. That’s okay. I promise it will come.

During those ten minutes, be somewhere peaceful. Turn off your phone. Disconnect from the internet. If technology is too tempting, grab a pen and notebook.

For these ten minutes, your only job is to write. If nothing comes to you, take this time to journal (or word vomit) about your day. Make a to-do list. Write anything that comes to mind. Those ten minutes are more about creating the space and the habit than writing anything usable.

For me, I set aside one hour every afternoon from 3 pm to 4 pm. That first week, I didn’t write much. I ended up reading books to research the novel I wanted to write.

In the second week, ideas started to come to me while I was reading. I jotted them down. Some felt silly. Others felt so simple and obvious writing them down felt pointless. I wrote anyways.

By the end of the month, I had a partial novel outline and a scene written. Making the time made the writing possible.

If you build it, they will come.

Just say yes

Whatever idea comes your way, however silly or different from your usual, go with it. Creativity isn’t yours to control or question.

If you don’t currently have a project, scroll through Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, Goodreads, etc., and find something that sparks your interest. Use that as a jumping-off point.

If you’ve been struggling to write your latest sci-fi novel, and you get an idea for a cozy mystery, go with it. See where that idea takes you. Even if you write a draft that never sees the light of day, I bet writing your sci-fi novel will be easier afterward.

Be flexible in what you write

Muses, like people, get bored. Be open to writing in different genres or age groups. Writing a YA Fantasy when you normally write Adult Contemporary Romance doesn’t mean you have to permanently switch genres. Think of it like flexing a different muscle.

Don’t force yourself to write something just because it’s popular. On the same note, don’t avoid writing about something just because it’s popular. Write what interests you, and that passion will show up on the page.

Overcoming Writer’s Block

Writer’s block can be cured. Better yet, it can be avoided. Learning to recognize the early symptoms can help you maintain a healthy relationship with writing.

1. Take time off

Don’t be afraid to take a few days off or try writing something new. Explore the ideas that come to you with an open mind.

2. Shift your mindset

Above all else, shift your mindset about writing. Don’t think of it as your job, an income stream, or a side hustle (even if it is). Writing is something that wants to be desired, not demanded.

3. Find your passion

Work on projects that you feel passionate about. Don’t start a tech blog because it’s in demand when your real interest is gardening. Don’t write a fantasy romance series because they’re top sellers if what you really love is small-town murder mysteries.

4. Write what you love

If you write things you love, it will be easy. It won’t feel like work. You’ll want to spend all of your time writing. That’s where success comes from.

5. Be patient

If you’re currently blocked or just coming out of it, be patient with yourself. It can take several months to get back into a sustainable routine. Pushing yourself too hard too quickly will put you right back to feeling blocked.

Bonus tip: use micro-goals

I talk about how micro-goals can improve your life a lot because they’ve been a saving grace for me. Setting micro-goals can help you achieve your writing goals faster. Micro-goals are also great for forming writing habits that help you achieve long-term success.

Once you’ve got your writing flow back, set a micro-goal of writing 100 words per day. It will only take five to fifteen minutes to achieve, and at the end of the month, you’ll have 3,000 words.

100 words can become 250 words, then 500 words, then 1,000 words (or higher). But it all starts with that first micro-goal of 100 words.

Parting Thoughts

As someone who recently emerged from a six months of writer’s block, it is possible to overcome it and start thriving again. However, it’s easier to prevent writer’s block in the first place. Take care of your writing the way you take care of yourself, your kids, your dog, etc., and writing will start taking care of you.