(3 min read.) Here’s my quick pep talk to beat writer’s block. Would you still have writer’s block if you got paid a hundred dollars a word? Or could you FIND A WAY?
Really think about it. If every word you put on the page dropped a hundred dollars in your bank account, would you somehow manage to get those words down? What if every page netted a $500 donation to the charity of your choosing? What if every time you finished a writing project, one of your best friends or loved ones was gifted a brand new car? Would you still need to beat writer’s block, or would you be busy writing right now?
If you could write for more money, you’re not having “a creative block.” You haven’t been “deserted by the muse” and you’re not “stumped.” You just don’t think your writing will lead to anything good.
Beat Writer’s Block by Accepting It First
You are a smart animal and you have reasons for your behavior. You’re too smart of an animal to do something for no reason. If you’re blocked, there’s a reason. It can be really helpful to admit it and accept it.
If you’re not writing, you have a good reason.
If you can find what it is, you can solve it.
How might you accept what’s going on and work with it?
If you want to beat writer’s block, the first useful thing to do is (almost always) to forgive yourself for having trouble. If you’ve got writer’s block right now, you might be beating yourself up a little. You might even be beating yourself up a lot.
What if you tried this instead: celebrate yourself for not being a FOOL? You’ve got good reasons not to write; otherwise you’d be writing. You’ve done nothing wrong except for accurately assess your current (real) situation, and figured out that writing would be a bad call. In fact, you’re very probably doing a good job of noticing it would be a chump move to write in your current circumstances.
You don’t need to change yourself. Just your circumstances.
Beat Writer’s Block by Getting Specific
Writing is no different from any other activity. Fixing your writer’s block starts with accepting it as a reasonable response, identifying the problem, and solving it. If you were having trouble getting dressed every day because you can’t find your pants, you might go shopping for new pants or re-organize your closet or do your laundry.
If you’re having trouble writing, what do you think you might need?
When your resistance to writing comes up, see if you can ask yourself this question. “What do I need right now?”
You probably need something. A different schedule, a different set of expectations, a different level of ease or challenge, more social support, or more money. When you figure out what you need, solve the specific and real problem of how to get THAT. Join a writing group for more social support. Try a harder/easier project. Make a plan for how to monetize your work so that this draft feels like the first step towards a real career.
When you ask yourself what you need and answer honestly, instead of focusing on how difficult it feels to make progress, your “writer’s block” will most likely take care of itself.
Ask yourself what you need. Answer truthfully. Take the needed action. Then, try writing again.
Still stuck? Ask again, and get even more specific. “What do I need right now? What could make writing today feel easy and exciting?” More than one thing about your circumstances might have to shift, but if you solve enough small problems they’ll add up to your big solution.
Meg, I Don’t Want to.
Fair. Let’s take the easy road. If you want a practical and immediate solution to get yourself writing: try my clickbait-y sounding but genuinely science-backed Mantra for Writer’s Block.
Or if you’re game to really fix this but don’t feel like you know how to tackle this fairly large problem, even after reading this one entire BRILLIANT 3-minute post, come see me for a sliding-scale 1-hour coaching session. Let’s get you moving again.
xo, megan
Or just go home to the blog.
These (hopefully) really quite helpful creative writing tips offer what I’ve learned as an award-winning author who writes a million words a year, and what I’ve learned about supporting others as a private writing coach.
There’s no one way to write. There’s only your way. I hope some of my tactics and ideas can help you find it.
Yup, I’m a writing coach.
I work with folks at all levels of experience and all levels of income. My writers range from unhoused teens living on the streets to C-suite executives who want to up-level their communication. If you want a private coaching session but can’t afford it, email megan@howtowritesomething.com and ask for scholarship info.
curious/confused?: what does a writing coach do (and not do)
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