Ways to Overcome Writer's Block

1. Read

Read every day.

Read different things too. Don’t just read books in the genre of your project. Read new articles, poetry, personal essays, short stories, and even fan fiction.

Read your favourite books to learn how to craft a book you would pay money to read.

Read bad writing, the worst you can find, to learn what you don’t want to do. Bonus points if the bad writing has been published. Somethings, when I get caught up in perfectionism and beat myself up, I can turn to bad books and remember that even they can find a reader, then so can I.

2. Take a class

I don’t just mean writing classes, though they can help you if you are struggling.

The class that helped me most with my writing was an improv class, and it inspired me to be a bit more free in my writing. Also, doing silly ice-breaker-style games helped my mind unlock the solutions to problems that had been bugging me for months.

Building a new skill can help you develop other skills too. And shifting your focus to learning something new can allow your brain to process things in the background, helping you get past blocking points.

3. Go somewhere else

Get out of your flat, away from your desk, and out of your head.

Go for a walk.

Visit a museum.

Go somewhere you’ve been meaning to go.

Check out that cool new shop or the latest play.

Even if you’re walking down the street to a cafe, a change of place can help you as much as a change of pace.

4. Write something intentionally bad.

Don’t just permit yourself to make mistakes. Make them on purpose. Have a character do something completely out of character. Go off on a tangent. Write lines of bad poetry.

You can also just try writing a small sample of something in a completely different style. Write a news article, write a novella, or outline a soap opera.

Prompts like these will get you writing again while also not having whatever problem is stopping you from finishing your manuscript.

These three things may seem simple, but that’s because they are. Sometimes the simplest solution is the best. It’s also frequently the ones that we overlook because more complex solutions seem more in line with the scale of the issue, which is writer’s block.

The trick is to do things that put your project on the back burner in your mind. Things that still engage you creatively. Then your brain will quietly keep doing the work for you while you refill your cup of creativity. You will feel less burdened and burnt out after you try my suggestions. This means that when you have your breakthrough and dive back into writing, you are less likely to hit the wall of writer’s block again.