How to Overcome Writer’s Block Forever (9 Guaranteed Ways)
Many people think that writer’s block is just a myth. They believe that it does not exist, and anyone who claims to have it is just lazy or out of ideas. While this may be true for some, many other writers are struggling with how to overcome writer’s block.
Writer’s block can take on different forms, such as the fear to start writing because you don’t know how to or the inability to continue writing because you feel like you’ll never be a bestselling author.
As an example, the more important your blog is to your business, the more frustrated and anxious you might feel when your writing becomes less consistent.
I am definitely not immune either and have struggled with staying focused over the years as well. I am not that good at creative writing and coming up with ideas. I kept on getting stuck staring at a blank page with just the blinking cursor at every stage of the writing process.
So here are 9 tips that got me writing consistently again and can definitely get you on your way to getting rid of the dreaded writing block forever.
Ready? Let’s go!
How to Overcome Writer’s Block
1. Find the Perfect Time to Write.
This is especially important for people who are writing blog posts, essays, and other longer pieces of content. Write when you have the most energy to tackle it!
If this means getting up at five in the morning every day because that’s how your body operates, and it’s when your best writing happens, then do that.
For many writers, their best ideas come right after they’ve woken up. So it may not be a bad idea to keep a journal on your bedside table and then come back to those ideas when you have more time later in the day.
Writers need to get a handle on trying to force words on the page and instead find what motivates you to write and come up with your own creative process.
If the idea of getting up early feels too daunting, then try writing at night instead. This may be better for some than others, but there’s no rule that says a blog post has to be written during the day only.
If you’re feeling drained, try getting up at a more natural time for your body. This will give you more energy and help to relieve how stressful writer’s block is on your mind.
The goal is to find what works best for you.
2. Have a Plan and Outline it Before You Start Writing.
This is especially true for people who are afraid of how their content might turn out. If you know what the end result should look like (and how it’ll go in between), then there isn’t as much pressure when you’re writing.
Writing prompts are an effective way to beat writer’s block. It just gives you that little push when you’re feeling stuck and helps get some words on the page.
If you don’t have a plan, then you could feel lost and not know how to get started or what comes next.
An outline can also help if your content is more personal in nature. It allows you to make sure everything fits together and that each part of the post has a purpose.
You may find that you still get writer’s block, but at least it’ll be more manageable this way and can hopefully help to improve how your content turns out.
3. Set Writing Goals for Yourself.
This is a great way of managing how much time you’re spending on your blog and how fast it’s coming together.
Having this type of goal setting in mind will help to increase how often you write and how many words to write per day or week to reach your target. There is a lot of pressure when you don’t know how much to write or how many words per day are reasonable.
It’s all about the writing process and alleviating the stress of not reaching your overall goal.
The key here is keeping yourself accountable for the commitment that you made to yourself. This can drastically reduce how many times writer’s block occurs because now there are clear goals to be reached each day or week.
If you feel like your blog posts aren’t as good as you would like, then setting goals can help to keep track of how much time is being devoted to your writing.
4. Break Down Your Larger Goals into Smaller Ones.
If you’re having trouble overcoming writer’s block, it could be because you aren’t creative enough or have too many ideas.
Sometimes you need to break up your goals into smaller ones that are easier to achieve. The writing suddenly becomes easier, and the fear becomes less each time you write.
For this solution to happen, several steps need to take place, and as you’re writing the post, it can seem daunting.
It’s normal for content creators who struggle with overcoming writer’s block to want everything to be perfect, but how do you know when it’s “perfect”?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a clear definition of what is deemed to be perfect. There are different meanings for different people.
For me, perfectionism is something that I have struggled with as well. So I’ve learned that I had to get creative and break down my goals into more achievable ones that I could hit on a daily basis.
It meant that I could get sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation all to a standard that I was happy with.
I have helped many writers do all their research and draft the headings to go into the blog post on day one. Then the following day give themselves a target of 250 – 500 words (using a range helps avoid keyword stuffing rather than trying to hit a hard target) to write.
This is a much more attainable goal to accomplish, and it can help with how often writer’s block occurs and reduce overall stress.
5. Find Inspiration in Another Writer’s Work.
If you’re feeling like this is one of the causes of writer’s block for you, then reading other books, blogs, or articles by famous writers is a great way to get past it.
A lot of people feel self-conscious about how their content might turn out because they don’t want it to be bad or not as good as another blogger’s work. The issue here can stem from the fear of how their content might turn out.
If you’re still struggling with trying to beat writer’s block, then finding inspiration in other writers’ work can help alleviate these fears and provide a different perspective on how your blog posts may be received by others.
You can even use articles in a completely different niche to get a sense of the different writing styles.
Remember that not every blogger is perfect. They, too, struggle with the same problems that you do. Just break it up into smaller pieces.
If you really struggle with this, then try to freewrite for a couple of minutes. Similar to writing in a journal, it could help with “downloading” your thoughts and then clearing them up when you return to your article.
6. Take Breaks When You Need Them.
Don’t force yourself to sit at the computer all day long if it’s not working for you. Get up and move around.
This will help to take your mind off how much time you’re spending on your writing and how the content is turning out.
Taking breaks when needed can really make a difference in how often writer’s block occurs because it allows for creativity to flow more easily.
Or go one step further and have a change of scenery. Take your laptop to a coffee shop. Here you’ll get the best of both worlds, you get to take a break, and when you’re ready, start writing again.
Even though there are no set hours or days that you need to write, it can be easier to make this a habit if you write at the same time each day.
Try to create a writing routine and make sure you stick to it. It can be as easy as just setting up a timer on your phone and writing until it goes off, or try a focus booster app. Take a 15-20 minute break, then rinse and repeat.
This is a good way to get rid of writer’s block because your goals are more attainable and not as overwhelming.
So create a writing habit and then keep yourself accountable to stick to your writing schedule.
7. Make Time for Other Activities Outside of Writing.
It’s easy to get stuck on overcoming writer’s block when there are so many distractions in the world.
There are a lot of things that can cause how often writer’s block occurs, and it may be worth taking some time for yourself every now and then, outside of writing blog posts. This will help brainstorm to keep your mind fresh, creative, and full of ideas.
This doesn’t mean that you should stop writing altogether, but consider taking a walk outside or even reading a book, just get away from your desk for a bit.
This is an easy way of staying on track with your writing and can help prevent your creativity from running dry. You may find yourself being more productive because you’re not feeling as self-conscious anymore in regards to how often writer’s block occurs.
Who knows, while you’re outside, you could even walk past a whole heap of story ideas that you could use for future blog posts too.
8. Write to a Friend.
This could be a useful tip, and it’s how I actually get my first draft created. I imagine I’m writing to a friend. Seriously. I pretend I’m sending them an article, and I want to get my message across.
This makes it so much easier for me to picture who I’m writing to. If it helps, give your friend a name and a face and let them know that they are your target audience.
The end result is that you’ll feel more relaxed with writing, and you won’t overthink things letting your creativity flow. I try not to use big words all the time, or like I’ve used a thesaurus on every word to make it easier for people to understand and read.
For example, instead of writing “their giant aortic pumps”, it would be “their big hearts”.
Now instead of hitting send in an email just for them to read, you now hit publish for the world to see!
9. Use Artificial Intelligence (AI).
If all else fails and you’re really stuck with something to write, or you’ve been staring at the screen for hours wasting time, then by using artificial intelligence writing software, you can get to the next stage of your article faster.
I get it, we’re not all professional writers or writing the next Stephen King novel, so this is a useful tool to keep you on your writing schedule.
I’m not saying to use it to write the whole thing, but it may spark something in your mind and get you writing again while reducing your writing time.
The best part of using this type of software is that it can give your mind a creative direction on what to write and keep it on topic to hopefully cure writer’s block.
It’s definitely not a replacement for writing articles but think of it more as an assistant to great writers.
Writing tools like Neuronwriter and Zimmwriter are great examples if you’re trying to come up with ways to combat writer’s block. Even if you’re having trouble with spelling or grammar, then Grammarly is another helpful tool.
Bonus tip to Defeat Writer’s Block.
This is what personally works for me most of the time. It’s keeping my files organized using Google Docs on my laptop. This helps with writing templates that I can use over and over.
This leads me to have a clean workspace. If my laptop is clean, then so is my desk. It could stop you from constantly checking your phone and remind your brain that you’re there to do a job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Writing More Necessarily Result in Becoming a Better Writer?
Writing more can certainly help a person become a better writer. It’s much like any skill – the more you do it, the better you get. However, it’s just one piece of the equation. Reviewing and revising your own work, seeking feedback from others, and continuous learning are equally important in becoming a proficient writer.
How Can a Writer Create a Writing Process That Reduces the Chances of Experiencing Writer’s Block?
Strategies like setting a regular writing schedule, breaking the writing project into small tasks, setting achievable goals, using techniques like the Pomodoro technique for maintaining focus, and regular reader interactions for feedback can help in creating a writing process that reduces the chances of experiencing writer’s block.
What is the Pomodoro Technique?
The Pomodoro Technique is a time-management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to divide work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. This can help maintain focus and productivity while preventing burnout.
How Do Reader Interactions Affect Overcoming Writer’s Block?
Reader interactions are important for writers to get feedback on their work. It helps to gauge how well the audience is receiving their work and can provide new perspectives and ideas, which can help stimulate creativity and overcome writer’s block.
What is Some Typical Advice Bestselling Authors Provide to Overcome Writer’s Block?
Bestselling authors often advise writers to step away from their work for a while to refresh their minds – sometimes you need to close the door on it. They recommend trying different approaches to writing like writing with a pen and paper instead of a computer or focusing on a different aspect of the work-in-progress. Taking regular breaks using the Pomodoro technique or similar methods helps in working steadily without draining creativity.
Bottom Line
Writer’s block is a frustrating experience for any writer, but there are many ways to beat it.
Putting off writing your article for no good reason is just procrastination and could lead to sub-par articles as you rush to get it out on time.
If you feel stuck, you may want to write something different and see if your creativity returns at all or take some time away from the project altogether before coming back to it.
Experiment with the different writing tips I have mentioned above until you find one that works for you for your next writing project.
It can also be helpful to start writing in a new way by changing punctuation styles or experimenting with a different writing process. These techniques may help get those creative juices flowing again.
Whatever technique you choose, make sure you create a writing routine and give yourself enough time between writing sessions.
That way, when you come back next time, your brain doesn’t feel like it’s returning right where it left off, and you can finally overcome writer’s block forever.
You’ve got this.
How you have gotten past writer’s block, and if there’s anything else you want me to add to the list that has helped you.