Last Updated: April 18, 2023
The way to deal with writer’s block is subjective, but this is what I found works the best for me. First and foremost, determine what is causing your writer’s block. Ironically, it is as easy as it may (or may not) sound. Like many things, once you understand the reason why, you will know what you need to do or at least a vague direction of where you need to go.
There are usually only three causes for my writer’s block: “TIO.”
T: Time
I: IDK
O: Overworked
Time
Many of us probably don’t have time to write. We either wake up super early in the morning or stay up super late in the night (when it is practically morning again) to squeeze in a little writing time. I am not sure about other writers, but I am the type of writer who needs to get in “the zone” to write. I am unable to write and then stop at a certain time. I like to write and then not stop until I feel like it (which is practically never). But that is not possible when you have a million things to do and you only have one of you to do all those things.
Since I often don’t have the chance to get in “the zone”, I sometimes end up not writing anything at all or write something unsatisfactory and delete it soon after. If my writer’s block is because of my time issue, I start planning what I want to write/how I am going to write it whenever possible (brushing my teeth, when I eat, before I drift off to sleep, etc). I do this so the next time I can write, I quickly jot down everything I thought of. Maybe because I am a planner type of writer (I’ll go more into this in a different blog), I like to strategize ahead of time what I am going to write next so I can actually write it. Kinda like how you might envision yourself doing something first and then proceed to do it.
IDK
Sometimes I simply don’t know what is going to happen next with my story. This is actually my most hated cause of my writer’s block because it is the hardest to solve. But what I learned is to simply let ideas come when they do.
I know many of us (me included) don’t have time to sit around and wait for our writer’s block to go away therefore I will also list some other solutions that I used: remember your roots, reread what you wrote-even go as far as the first chapter if you need, talk to someone about your story/speak aloud about what is happening, and/or write your thoughts on paper.
Going back to the beginning (your roots) might remind you why you are writing this story. When you reaffirm your reason/purpose, everything suddenly becomes clearer. Rereading what you wrote might help you get back in your writing rhythm so when you write again, ideas/thoughts will flow more smoothly. Talking to someone or talking out loud strangely helps too (at least in my experience). I don’t know if there is a science behind it, but saying things out loud usually does the trick. If it doesn’t, seeing things visually (I definitely recommend a white board) might also help.
Overworked
Stressed out, burned-out, really tired? Yeah, all those can be a major factor in what’s causing writer’s block. Your writer’s block is not usually because you lost your creativity and/or writing flow out of nowhere. Most of the time, I find myself still knowing what to write but when I am either so busy and/or tired, what was once like second nature becomes so foreign. The obvious and only solution is to get enough rest. This is always easier said than done but it is the only way. Eating properly, getting enough sleep, and taking care of yourself is not only good for the human body but also a necessity. When you are well-rested, your ideas/writing flow will naturally come back to you like it never left.
Hope this blog was helpful or at least somewhat interesting to read. As always, thank you for reading! <3