Thoughts on Conquering Writer’s Block

Writer’s block has been an issue for as long as there have been writers alive to experience it. And I don’t think it will be going away anytime soon. It’s not the kind of thing to be rationalized away or rendered obsolete because we’re too cool and modern for it now.

If you’re a writer, you’re going to have to come to terms with the ugly face of your profession, the corroded flip side of the writing coin.

But I do believe there’s a way through it.

Here’s how I see writer’s block: It is real. Painfully, heart-attack real. I know that from personal experience, and not to bash anyone who disagrees, but I take issue with the perpetuation that writer’s block is not real, or that it’s all in your mind. Because sure, it may be in my mind, but just because something only exists in my mind does not mean that it isn’t real.

But there’s a catch. I believe that the very nature of writer’s block also provides the means of attacking and defeating this fell usurper of the mind.

Writer’s block may be real, but it’s only as real as you believe it to be.

And if that’s true, then is writer’s block merely an illusion, a shadow monster made of smoke and mirrors? If writer’s block is a mindset, then it can be overcome. Because mindsets can be changed. Not overnight or with a quick miracle-elixir fix—because as anyone knows, a mindset is rarely, if ever, altered in an instant—but like the gentle, gradual transformation of a rising sun, or a waxing moon.

My theory is yes, writer’s block is a mindset and, therefore, solvable, no matter how insurmountable it may seem in the moment. The solution lies in how we view it.

I think we often forget that our creativity lies within us. We don’t have to go out and find it. Sure, it helps a lot to get advice, training, and stimulation from outside sources, but you won’t find any product on the market claiming that if you ingest a pill or inhale a substance, it will provide you with six or eight solid hours of mental and literary creativity (and if you do, it’s a scam). Everything we need to succeed is innate, and if we truly believe that, we can do anything. What’s stopping us is that we’ve lost sight of the particular trigger that will unleash that flow of inspiration and creativity within us.

Creativity is not only something you have—it’s something you do. You might possess all the creative talent and ability there is, but without taking action, you won’t get anywhere.

Surprisingly (or maybe not-so-surprisingly?), I’ve found that one of the best ways for me to trigger a creative streak and relieve writer’s block is to simply start writing. It sounds kinda lame, but there it is. And it’s effective (usually).

Write anything that comes into your head. If nothing materializes, write one word. Even blindly, randomly, if that’s what it takes. Look out the window or around the room and start describing shapes and colors. Or try a conveniently useful Prose prompt (my current favorite). The point is to start; write something, anything. Then keep going. Write another word, and another after that. Amazingly, that’s often enough to break through whatever blockage is in my head and restore the flow to my writing, at least to some degree.

Very frequently, I’ve found that if I just start writing, even if I feel as dry as a beached whale in the moment, somehow the creative juices will begin to percolate, and voila! The block is gone.

And I think that’s because the few words I’ve written have triggered the part of my subconscious that flows with creative inspiration. I’ve figuratively unstopped the dam, unclogged the artery, unblocked the stream of energy through my mind.

So maybe the solution to writer’s block lies in changing your mindset instead of desperately trying to “be better” or muster up inspiration from wherever you can. (Or worse, just quitting. Which is not a solution to any problem.)

Inspiration can come in many ways, both internally and externally. It comes and goes. But your creativity is always with you. You already intuitively carry every bit of creativity that you need; now all you have to do is figure out how to tap into it. Okay, that sounds simpler than it is.

I don’t pretend to know exactly how you personally can tap into your reservoir of creativity, but maybe, just maybe, if you change your mindset from “I can’t do this” or “I don’t have what it takes” to “I need to figure out how I’m going to tap into this,” then that could be all you need to trigger your subconscious back into that state of flow.

Let me tell you: the struggle IS real. I completely get it; I’ve been there time after time.

But the good news is: it CAN be beat. You can smash through that writer’s block like it’s a brick wall and you’re the Hulk. And if anything I’ve learned and studied over the past couple of years is worth repeating, it’s that your mindset and beliefs are so powerful in effecting positive change in every area of your life, not the least of which is your writing.

If it feels impossible, like you just can’t write anything, take a breath and remember that that is a lie. The truth is that you have it in you, we all have it in us; you are creative and capable and inspired. You have an unending flow of words and experiences inside you that you are meant to share with the world. So defy the lie and do it. Don’t let that life-sucking excuse of writer’s block suck any more life from you.

Anyhow, I hope this post was in some way helpful to you. Now please excuse me while I go and take my own advice...