What to Do When Writers Block Hits | 5 Extremely Helpful Tips Used by Authors

What can you do when writers block kicks in?

What do you do when you get stuck in the middle of a writing project? Writing can sometimes get difficult, especially when you try to stick to the same project until the end. I know of many writers who have struggled with writer’s block and I also know about it from first-hand experience. A German novelist by the name of Thomas Mann put it this way:

“A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.”

Now, that might sound a bit discouraging, but look at it this way: When you come to the point of getting stuck in your writing, then you will know for certain that you are in fact a writer.

So, it’s all fine and wonderful to be aware that writing will at some point become difficult. What can you do about it?

What exactly is Writer’s Block?

Writer’s Block is a period when a writer feels unable to write. They feel like they are in a creative slump. Nothing is inspiring, they have no new ideas, and no drive to keep on writing.

When writer’s block sets in remember:

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow unless the faucet is turned on.” – Louis L’Amour

“The desire to write grows with writing.” – Desiderius Erasmus

“If I waited for perfection, I would not write a word.” – Margaret Atwood

“Don’t forget – no one else sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the stories that you have to tell.” – Charles de Lint

I encourage you to copy these quotes out or others like them. Put them somewhere where you can see them while you are writing. Every time you feel stuck or discouraged, take a look at one of them and just read it. They won’t magically fix the problem, but they may just offer that little bit of encouragement that you are lacking at that moment.  

What else can you do when you come down with a bad case of writer’s block?

Writer’s Block can vary in intensity. Sometimes just reminding yourself to get on with it because the benefit of finishing will be so rewarding is enough. But sometimes, Writer’s Block can be so bad that you need to look into other solutions. I am now going to share with you some practical tools and strategies to use in a fight against Writer’s Block.

The first thing to do is to find out exactly what part of the writing process you are struggling with and why. 

What is causing your writer’s block?

Do you feel like you can’t write because you feel a lack of inspiration? Why do you feel so uninspired? Are you getting too caught up in just writing for the sake of writing and not spending enough time on allowing your creativity to come through?

Do you feel bored of working on writing the same story? Why are you bored of it? Does it feel too predictable? Do you feel like it is badly written and that you aren’t a very good writer and what is the point of finishing it anyway? Do you doubt your ability to bring the story across in a way that other people would actually want to read it? Did you lose interest in one or more of your characters? Is it time to kill someone off? 

Try to get to the root of the problem. In my experience, every case of writer’s block has something more behind it. Usually, it’s a feeling of inadequacy, fearing that you are no good as a writer and no one will ever want to read your work, but sometimes it’s something as simple as just needing a break to refresh your creativity in order to come back and finish strong.  

If you feel like you are in a creative slump and can’t come up with any new ideas:

Stop writing. Look for inspiration. Mind you, don’t spend too long looking for inspiration, because you don’t want to end up using that as an excuse to avoid writing. Alternatively, if you try to just keep writing when you have no inspiration, it won’t lead anywhere productive and will end up with you being very frustrated. That is not helpful. My recommendation, take a break and look for inspiration. This can come from many different places. You could try reading one of your favourite books, visiting one of your favourite places, spending time just thinking, looking at inspirational pictures, reading inspirational quotes or testimonies. Do whatever you find always gives you inspiration and always be patient with yourself. 

If you are bored of working on the same writing project and would rather just move on to something else: All writers have been there. Published authors, however,  are the ones who worked through the temptation of moving on and tossing their current projects aside. To help you overcome this temptation for yourself, you can try a few different things and see which resonates with you the best.

• You can try working on a different part of the story. Whoever said you have to write the story in the sequence that the reader will read it? Nobody, that’s who. If you are getting bored of writing the part of the story that you are currently working on, write a different part and come back to the other one later on.

• Work on a different part of the writing project. There are several different elements that go into writing a story and the actual story writing is only one of them. If you feel stuck and bored of the actual story writing process, work on character development, research, or back story. All of these things are important when writing a story. I will talk more about each of those and other behind the scenes things that writers work on later in this course. But working on those things in order to take a break from writing the story can be very productive and even beneficial.

• Set a timer and write something for fun. During this time, you can write anything your heart desires. You could even write about how much you hate writing your story right now. Sometimes just getting those words out can do worlds of good. Have a good rant and then you will be ready to get back to business. 

• Set yourself a time to write everyday. Make writing a habit so that you don’t even have to think about it. You know that everyday no matter what, you are going to spend a certain amount of time working on your story. You can also set yourself a time limit and you only write during that time. At first, you might find it hard to keep writing for the whole time period, but eventually, you might also find that that time period is way too short.

• If you were writing your story on the computer the whole time, try changing it up. Write for a while in a notebook or on paper. Tell your story verbally for a while, just make sure that you record it so you can write it out later. Find what works for you best. 

The most important thing in overcoming writer’s block is…

Most of all, be easy on yourself. Realize that Writer’s Block affects every writer and that it is just a part of the story writing process. It doesn’t last forever, and you can overcome it. I am confident that you can work through it and come out as an even stronger writer as a result.

Don’t give up on your writing, when the going gets tough. That is the point in the writing process where persevering is the most important. I hope you can find some use from the tips for overcoming writer’s block that I just shared. What trick do you use for getting through slumps in creativity and difficulty in continuing with your writing project?