(4 min read.) Here’s my honest mantra for writer’s block. It’s factual, helpful, and based in neuroscience. I’m a trained deep work facilitator and award-winning author who writes a million words a year. Borrow this.
Your Mantra for Writer’s Block
Your mantra for writer’s block is: “It’s possible, it matters, and maybe I can do it.”
You don’t need to brainwash or gaslight yourself. You just need to tell the truth. Your work needs to be possible, it needs to matter, and you need to think you might be able to do it. “It’s possible, it matters, and maybe I can do it.” Make this true, then don’t let yourself forget it.
Why this Mantra for Writer’s Block Works
What’s so special about these words?:
“It’s possible, it matters, and maybe I can do it.”
This mindset shift is the one that’ll get you writing. Why? It’s based in neuroscience. Look, the science of creative writing tells us it’s easiest to focus when we’re in “flow state” which is a particular hormonal state caused by a balance of specific neurotransmitters in our brain. The long version of that science is available lots of places (perhaps most elegantly in the book “Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.) But I’m not here to teach you neuroscience or cite tons of research. I’m trying to make this super-easy so you can get back to writing. Based on all the science in that book, you’ll do your best work when the task at hand hits all three things in a particular perceptual trio. Sound fancy? It’s not. To hit “flow state,” you just gotta see your writing a certain way.
You need to see your writing task as:
1. POSSIBLE.
2. MEANINGFUL. (It matters.)
3. CHALLENGING. (Maybe I can do it.)
Our brains do their best work when we see our tasks as possible, meaningful, and challenging. When our creative writing tasks are impossible, pointless, or boring: that’s how you get writer’s block. Why would you ever try to do something boring, pointless, or impossible? Sadly, sometimes we try to write that way by setting our goals too large, ignoring the positive results our work will bring, or by making our goals so small that we’re honestly not that excited to try.
It’s possible. It matters. And maybe I can do it.
Like any mantra for writer’s block, this one will only work if it’s TRUE.
If you say “It’s possible. It matters. And maybe I can do it.” and it’s a lie, it won’t help you that much. Don’t try to write by tricking yourself with lies, my love. Tell yourself the truth and mean it: It’s possible. It matters. And maybe I can do it. Make your work more possible, meaningful, and challenging. Then remind yourself it is all three.
Is your creative writing possible?
If you’ve phrased your creative writing goal as something that’s simply not possible to do, it’s no wonder you’re having trouble doing it. Do you plan to “write a book?” That’s not something you can sit down and do. Even “start writing a book” is more possible. “Find out how much of my book I can write in 20 minutes” is even more possible. “Edit one paragraph.” “Freewrite for three pages to see what I actually might want to say about my mother.” “Plan a cool death scene for the robot.” What feels possible for you? Try to identify a possible action. If it’s not something you can do right now, it probably won’t feel possible. For example, do you plan to “write every day?” That’s not a thing you can sit down and do right now; it takes place yesterday and tomorrow, so on some level it’ll feel like an impossible task to do today. “Write a new page today,” that’s something possible. Because someone could do it today. Look for a way to describe your writing that’s actually possible for someone to DO TODAY.
Does your creative writing matter?
If your writing goal is possible but you’re not doing it, here’s the next likely culprit. Do you feel like doing this matters? Do you have a reason WHY you’re doing this at all? If you can’t find an easy answer, I suggest you might want to look for one. Having a good reason helps you get stuff done. If you think your project would matter but you’re worried your writing isn’t good enough to be really meaningful, picturing doing this work as pivotal simply for your own life. What confidence, joy, self-esteem, or satisfaction might you gain by actually finishing this writing project? I truly believe writing matters, even when the world is on fire. Find your reason, or don’t bother trying to make yourself do this. (Want a few suggestions? I’ve got some in my earlier post This Matters.)
Is your creative writing challenging?
If you know you can do it and you know it matters, the rocket fuel that’s gonna blast you into flow state is to add just a splash of challenge. Not too much. Think of hot sauce on a taco.
Challenge is spicy and if you have too much, it can drown everything else out.
So, don’t terrify yourself with an impossible goal. But introduce an element of challenge to get yourself fully engaged. If you know you can accomplish the task in an hour, try to do it in 40 minutes. Or if you know for sure that you can tell this story, see if you can tell it with more jokes. What feels like an exciting but possible challenge. You want to be able to say: MAYBE I can do it.
Now, try this Mantra for Writer’s Block
Let’s summarize the takeaways here. You’re blocked? It’ll be okay. But maybe don’t worry about brainwashing yourself or about freeing your voice. Get tactical and practical. Worry about making your next bout of creative writing more possible, meaningful, and challenging. You want to see your task as a meaningful goal where success is possible but not guaranteed. That’s how to beat writer’s block using the science of creative writing.
Now that you’ve made this true, remind yourself of the truth:
“It’s possible, it matters, and maybe I can do it.”
“It’s possible, it matters, and maybe I can do it.”
I want your writing to feel possible, I know it matters, and I bet you can do it.
(If you’re trying to work on something and it’s just not happening, what you need might be lurking in my mega-post 55 Ways to Stop Procrastination.)
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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