Overcome Writer’s Block

Dec 28

After a lifetime of dealing with writer’s block I had a sudden epiphany…

Why should you listen to me???

My name is Kauffman, and I’ve been a Creative Writer my entire life. I’ve written novels, short stories, scripts, poems, and all types of writing styles since I was 7 years old. In my past 20 years of writing, I have also battled the dreaded beast, Writer’s Block. Here’s what I’ve learned:

My personal experience with the dreaded Writer’s Block!

Sometimes I’ve been writing for hours, and suddenly, my mind goes blank, and HELLO, Writer’s Block.

Sometimes I haven’t written a single word in weeks, and then SUDDENLY, I am inspired, sit down to write, and nothing.

The worst cases happen when I know I need to work on a story, and right when I’m about to write, something comes up, or I gotta finish that chore/errand/distraction.

Maybe you can relate?

What value you can expect by reading this article:

Below, let’s dive into

1. The meaning of writer’s block

2. How I ultimately vanquished writer’s block

3. Strategies and concepts to help you overcome Writer’s Block

4. The Mindset: Creative Writer’s Block

The Meaning of Writer’s Block

Let’s begin with a few well-known definitions of writer’s block.

Oxford Dictionary: the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing.

Wikipedia: Writer's block is a non-medical condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown.

Common writer’s definition: A time when I might have an idea, concept, or story, but when I try to sit down and write, nothing comes.

My Definition: When a writer is at a loss for words.

All brevity aside let us attempt to understand this conundrum. In all my years of working with writers through writer’s groups or private consultations, I’ve learned that writer’s block hits each of us differently. Some might sit down to write and have nothing come to them. Others might put off writing because, deep down, they either have no clue what to write or are afraid of what they might produce. Another individual might still hop into new projects or hobbies because the story they want to write has been blocked off.

If I were to take all these definitions and cram them together my new definition would be as follows:

Writer’s Blocks:
A condition in which an individual wants to write but cannot do so due to a lack of temporary creativity or planning.

Now, what are we supposed to do about it?

Storytime: How I Overcame Writer’s Block

I was working on a fascinating coffee shop script a few years back when I encountered the dreaded Writer’s Block. I only had one more scene to write of the big finale so all the characters could grow. Unfortunately, I decided to do everything that would prevent me from sitting down and writing it.

I met up with friends to grab coffee.

I got some spring cleaning in (during the winter).

I made sure to organize my cat’s toys/belongings.

I hopped on social media for funny writing memes.

I did about 20 – 30 other things over the next month every time I sat down to finish that scene.

I knew it would only take me an hour to pound it out. I knew I could write the most fantastic or worst scene ever. But deep down, I was afraid of writing the wrong thing, which would be the wrong moment for the character, which would, in turn, let me down.

Then, GASP, the idea came to me (3 months later), and I finally sat down and finished the scene. Do you know what caused the inspiration? A random note I had written on my phone much earlier in the project that I had completely forgotten about. It was a single sentence that stated an idea revolving around the protagonist’s passion for coffee. At long last, inspiration struck, and my story was complete (at least that draft of it, anyway).

Maybe I lost that 3 months’ time due to poor organization.

I lost 3 months’ time because I failed to overcome the idea of writer’s block in my mind.

Then I recalled all the time writers had mentioned the dreaded Writer’s Block as the reason for being unable to write, and I found my truth.

Whatever writer’s block may mean to you, it usually ends up becoming an excuse to hide something else:

· Maybe a writer didn’t know what dialogue, idea, or concept to write next.

· Maybe a writer is busy dealing with life and stress isn’t allowing them to write.

· Maybe a writer keeps putting off writing due to fear.

· Maybe writer’s block is just a fear writers have given form?

Regardless of the why, the truth is if you have the time, then you have the capability to sit down and write something (May be amazing, may be trash), but if you do no writing, then no writing will happen to you.

Strategies to overcome Writer’s Block as a Creative Writer

I’ve tried and heard so many strategies to combat Writer’s Block. Here are the most common ones I’ve found & had suggested to me:

1. Work in a new setting.

2. Start writing on a new or old project.

3. Meditate.

4. Talk with other writers or join a writer’s group.

5. Chat with a friend or family member about life.

6. Try some free writing to loosen up your creative juices.

7. Watch a movie/TV show or listen to music for inspiration.

8. Try a different style of writing.

9. Read a book or article or listen to a podcast about writing.

10. ***My favorite*** Go on social media and follow 10 popular writing accounts. See what their strategies are for how to overcome writer’s block.

At the end of the day, you’ll get farther ahead with your writing journey if you look inward and better understand the root cause of this so-called ‘writer’s block’.

Is it fear? Go to therapy or talk with someone.

Is it no creative ideas? Go back to the planning stage and better understand your character’s journey.

Is it a lack of experience? Join a writer’s community online or in person.

Is it…because you don’t like writing but quickly get inspired by the idea? Well then, that, my friend, means changing projects, writing something smaller, changing formats, or finding a new hobby (The beautiful thing is… if you enjoy writing, you can always return to it).

Mindset:

Creative Writer’s Block

Remember when you clicked on this article because you wanted to overcome writer’s block as a creative writer? So far, I’ve only explored the general idea of Writer’s Block as a concept. Regarding creative writers, I believe 8 times out of 10, it is due to a lack of thorough story planning or fear.

Next time you’re trying to overcome writer’s block as a creative writer, reframe your mindset like this:

You are the writer, and you can choose to write anything. Don’t know how to write that next piece of dialogue or tie of the scene? Just write something and tell yourself it’s a placeholder. That’s alright. After writing it, you’ll realize you’ve just overcome the dreaded writer’s block. Congratulations! You’ve just overcome writer’s block until the next time (unless you learned the lesson).