6 Strategies for Overcoming Writer’s Block

Is your writing going nowhere no matter how much time you spend on it? When you lose the ability to produce new written content, you have reached the dreaded territory every writer faces: writer’s block.

Writer’s block occurs when you approach your writing in the same way consistently over time until you cannot generate new ideas. You need to rejuvenate your mind by taking a new angle on your old writing problems. The solution? Change up your approach! Try overcoming writer’s block with these strategies.

Shift to Taking Notes

When overcoming writer’s block can’t be done by writing prose, takes notes instead! Identify the troubling topic and jot down all your ideas and questions. After you’ve exhausted your list, rearrange your ideas in cohesive order and take a stab at answering your questions. What comes out of these ideas? What ideas got your creative juices flowing?

Shift to Freewriting

Perhaps what your writing needs for overcoming writer’s block is a safe space to brainstorm. Grab a notebook or a fresh stack of paper and write down all that you know about the troubling topic for 10-15 minutes–no pauses or breaks! If writer’s block sets in during this session, write your ideas again, nonsensical words, or even “blah, blah, blah” until another idea surfaces.

Shift to Journaling

Confide in your journal as to why you’re struggling with overcoming writer’s block. Perhaps the reason why you’re stuck has something to do with a situation occurring in your life. Write in your journal regularly to discuss your writing project as if you were telling someone else about it so that you’re always excited to write.

Shift to a New Medium

Overcoming writer’s block could be changing something as simple as the platform of your writing. Do you always write on the computer? Try writing the next couple of pages on paper. Do you always write with a pencil? Try writing with a pen. Do you always write in a notebook? Try writing in a word processing program. Challenging your brain to write under different conditions might be what you need to get the ball rolling again.

Shift to a New Writing Environment

Does your current writing workspace promote productivity? Try switching up your writing environment to refresh your enthusiasm for writing. Do you always write in the evening? Try writing in the morning. Do you always write at home? Try writing in a public place like the library or a café.

Create a Healthy Lifestyle

Taking care of your health is crucial to your writing and may be why you’re currently not overcoming writer’s block. Review the following questions and see where you need to improve your health:

• Are you exercising?
• Are you eating healthy foods?
• Are you getting plenty of sunshine?
• Are you getting at least 8 hours of sleep?
• Are you thinking positive thoughts?

Test out one strategy at a time to see if which strategies work best for you. These strategies for overcoming writer’s block are best implemented every 4 weeks or when you hit a wall in your writing.

Remember this mantra: when you’re stuck, switch it up!

How often do you experience writer’s block? Vote in my poll here.