Writer’s Block: How to Overcome It as a Writer

Writing is an art form. It’s therapeutic. And to be honest, it’s a career field for a lot of people. Authors, bloggers, and musical artists all rely on the same form of communication—typed or handwritten words. But sometimes—we simply can’t find the words to say. The words to express our works to the world, our audience—and simply, ourselves. We’ll sit down. Pen in hand for a draft—or for those who rely on technology, our fingers on our keyboards. And we’ll wait. Wait for the next bright idea to hit us. “This will be it—today will be the day that I write my masterpiece. My blog post. A song”. And then—we get stuck. We experience, writer’s block. It happens to the best of us. But, there’s a way to overcome it.      

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. Short stories, poems—and an upcoming coming-of-age short story, that will be published soon. I usually have a routine when it comes to writing. I set aside hours in the day, and make sure I have a comfortable workspace. I also stay hydrated and caffeinated. And throughout my writing journey, I’ve hit numerous blocks. Numerous—writing blocks. Once the frustration of being unable to produce content went away—and after a lot of trial and error—I devised a plan. A plan to overcome writer’s block. Interested? Keep reading.

Step 1: Come up with a Topic

The first step is definitely the most important. Well, in my opinion. Choosing a writing niche is an easy feat—or a difficult one. Being a writer usually involves wanting to write about a lot of different topics—and publish in different markets. But, choosing a niche for the current project is imperative.

When I decided to write a coming-of-age story, I knew that I wanted to publish in the young adult/new adult fiction market. These are stories that I loved to read. So, I knew that the writing style would be something I enjoyed. But, I didn’t know where to start. Would I write a story about romance? College? Moving out—and starting fresh? I had so many ideas—and to be completely honest, I was completely overwhelmed. So, I did a lot of research. I wanted to make sure that my character development and plot tied into what younger adults were currently reading. This helped a lot. 

And with research on niches—comes, knowing your audience. As I typed and wrote notes—I made sure that my words related to who would be reading my story. And if and when I got stuck—which happened more times than I can count—I proceeded to step two. 

Step 2: Take a Break

I want to preface and say that this step—may be more beneficial than step number one. Or Three. Or even during those steps. But, it is important, nonetheless. Take. A. Break. 

 When you’re feeling overwhelmed, put down the pen. Close your computer. Walk. Away. I cannot stress this enough. 

When I first started writing my short story, I would write for three to five hours straight. Eating as I typed—ruminating over the plot as I cooked dinner—and it wasn’t healthy. I wasn’t allowing myself to let the book—“sit”. The characters to grow on me—the plot to develop. And to be completely honest, I would hit a lot of blocks—due to my brain being absolutely and completely exhausted. I would sit there, with my head in my hands—sighing from frustration, and wondering how I could transition scenes. 

And then, I had an a-ha moment. I needed to step away. So, that’s what I did. I would cook a delicious lunch. Watch a good show. Stretch. Run an errand or two. And when I returned to my work—I felt a lot better. My mind was a lot clearer. And the characters and plot development came together.

These are breaks in writing that worked for me—and are currently working for me. But there are definitely other things that you could do. Maybe go for a walk, exercising is a great way to get the brain juices flowing. Spend time with friends and loved ones. Listen to good music while dancing your life away. Work on another art project. Or simply, sit in silence. There’s no right or wrong way in taking a break—just please, take one. Or a few.

Step 3: Make a List

Okay. So. You’ve researched your niche. You’ve taken a break, or two. You’re on a roll—and then it hits you—you’re stuck….again. The thing about writer’s block—is that it can occur during the entire time of your writing. Maybe in the beginning. Maybe in the middle—or even sometimes, near the ending of your work. That’s okay. 

I’ve been writing a really good scene—building character relationships—and then, I draw a blank. I ask myself, “where do I want this to go?”. “Is the story moving along, as I envisioned?”. Before, I’d get really frustrated, sometimes tense, and otherwise unmotivated. But. I had another a-ha moment, and decided to make a list related to character and/or plot development. 

The list, usually, involves the character I’m having trouble with. Maybe their personality needs more tweaking, more emphasis on certain characteristics—maybe the dialogue just isn’t telling the story the way I intended.

So, I get a pen, open to a blank page in my notebook, and brainstorm on qualities that I’d like to incorporate into the scene, the chapter, or the entire story. After my list is somewhat complete, I begin to organize the characteristics in order of importance. This is definitely helpful. It helps me hone in on what I’d like to further develop—and when. And then, I will head back to my iPad (yes, I type my works on a tablet, more on this later), look at the list—and begin to type. Making sure to incorporate everything that needs to be explored in the scene. Sometimes I tweak it—I mean, this is what editing is for. And sometimes, I re-write scenes. But, having a general outline, when you’re stuck—definitely helps. 

Step 4: Reassess

Reassessing your writing is—difficult to put it simply. I mean, we think that our short stories, novels, and poems are great the way that they are. But, I’m going to be completely honest—that is usually further from the truth. Writings always need to be reassessed. Plots need to be strengthened—and sometimes, characters need to be omitted from the story. And that’s okay. I like to reassess my writing before I’ve completed a work. Sometimes, I re-read a finished chapter—or maybe, I’ll read the previous two. And sometimes, I’ll remove a supporting character that just isn’t progressing the way I’d hope. Yes, it is more work—but, when you have a stellar piece in the end—worth it.  

A good way to reassess also involves being totally real with yourself. If you know, deep in your writer’s soul, that a chapter’s transition isn’t progressing the story—scrap it. I know, I know. But understand, scrapping an entire chapter isn’t a bad thing. It means that you’ve put your ego to the side—and decided that your writing could improve. You decided that you’d rather work a few more—well a lot more hours—in perfecting your craft.

Whether it’s gathering more information for your work, introducing characters, or changing the entire trajectory of the plot—sometimes it’s necessary to start over. And once again, that’s okay. Writing isn’t for the faint of heart—and, sometimes starting over is the only way, to progress.

Step 5: Ask for Feedback or Advice

I think, as writers, we all have some sort of issue with feedback. And advice. Well, I know that I do. I’m really protective of my work—and usually do not share any part of it—until I’m finished. And even with that, I’ll sometimes sit on a story before asking someone to read an excerpt. But, as I’ve come to realize, sometimes you do in fact, need help. And that’s more than okay.

Let’s say I’ve written a short story. I’ve poured my heart—and brain into it. And, after reading it a hundred times—I’m still not quite sure if it will reach the audience as I intended. So, I’ll usually ask a friend—nicely of course—if they wouldn’t mind reading it. And after agreeing, I’ll ask if they can identify the nuances I have written. I’d also like to add—asking for feedback or advice shouldn’t involve pressure. Allow your reader time to read, process, and ultimately provide you with what you’re asking. 

After receiving feedback—sometimes positive—sometimes indifferent. And sometimes, downright critical. I’ll take their advice to heart—re-read the story, and sometimes I make revisions. And let’s be honest, sometimes I do not. It usually depends on the advice they’ve given me—and if I really think changing anything would be beneficial.

Also, it shouldn’t go without saying—all readers process works differently. And, sometimes you may have to ask more than one reader to critique your writing. If asking for feedback isn’t your thing—trust me, I get it. It’s always helpful to ask yourself for feedback.

Sometimes, reading the story aloud helps. It helps you identify and correct the tone of the characters’ dialogue. It helps you ultimately decide if your word order—or word choice—convey what you intend it to. And it provides you with the ultimate goal—of overcoming an otherwise writer’s stump.

So, there you have it. I know that this list wasn’t extensive—but I didn’t want to overwhelm you with steps—when I’m sure that having writer’s block is overwhelming enough. It shouldn’t go without saying, that these steps, in no particular order, have worked for me. But, as a writer, I’m constantly evolving—and I’m sure these steps will be modified or new ones, introduced. If you’re currently experiencing writer’s block—and don’t know where to start—or finish—I’d be more than happy to help you brainstorm. Writing can be an interesting journey—and we sometimes need all of the help we can get. Have any tips for overcoming writer’s block? Please leave them in the comments below! 

Thank you so much for reading—now go complete your masterpiece.