How to Beat Writer’s Block: 5 Quick Pro Tips

Your deadline looms. The blank screen taunts you. Even though you’re trying so hard, everything’s coming out wrong. Or worse—nothing’s coming out at all. You’re stressed. You’re agitated. You’re frustrated.

Panic might be starting to set in.

Take a deep breath. You’ve found help. I’ve got your back.

Even though I'm a professional writer and editor, I still grapple with writer’s block, self-doubt, and just plain resistance.

Writer’s block is a part of life, so the sooner you learn how to win the battle over writer’s block, the better off you’ll be. And trust me—you can win this battle.

Learning how to prevent writer’s block in the first place (or making it a lot less likely to happen, anyway) is your first line of defense, but since we are in crisis mode right now, I’m going to save that for another post.

Here are five of my favorite tips for overcoming writer’s block:

1. Get up and walk away 

Writer’s block is a state of paralysis that you can beat. All of the words are in you, but your state of fear, anxiety, or stress often keeps them from coming out. It’s a cruel irony, I know. You’re fighting to write, but the more you struggle, the harder it is. The longer you stay stuck in writer’s block, the harder it can be to get unstuck. Try doing what I do: save whatever you have (even if it’s a blank document), close your computer, and walk away from it for awhile. Go do something else, even if that means staring at a wall. If you’re not under a tight deadline, “awhile” could mean an hour. Or maybe even a day. However long it takes for you to stop feeling frustrated. But if the clock is ticking, take 10 minutes or so. Stretch, get a drink or snack, say hello to your dog, step outside, or even get a quick chore done. Then come back. If you think you’ll get distracted, set a timer.

Getting away from your screen and physically moving can help you disrupt your mental and physical paralysis. Sometimes, it’s the only thing that can. Movement literally gets your blood flowing again, your eyes get a break from the screen, and you remember that there’s a world outside of your writing task. All of these little actions add up to a big fat reset.

2. Start at the end (or in the middle)

This is one of my favorite tricks. If your writer’s block has kept you stuck in the same spot for too long, abandon that spot and go somewhere else. Like the end. I do this A LOT when I’m editing large pieces because when I see I’m only on page 5 of 50, it can feel extremely overwhelming, like I’ll never make it. If that happens to you, try going all the way to the end and start working backwards. Maybe you’re stuck on your intro, but have a clear ending in your head. So go write the ending! Then come back to the beginning later. And if you’re like me, you can bounce back and forth between the beginning and ending, bringing them closer and closer until you meet in the middle! Speaking of the middle, there’s nothing wrong with starting there, either! Write whatever you want now. Whatever is easiest. Even if you have no idea where it goes or if it really belongs in your piece at all. Just get it out, and worry about where to place it later.

3. Speak freely

When we start worrying about what other people are going to think, that’s when the creativity stops. I can always tell when I’m falling into the writer’s block trap because I feel no words come. Or I tap out a few, but keep deleting them. If you notice you’re spending more than a minute writing out a sentence, that’s probably a sign you’re overthinking it, which is death to productivity. Especially when you’re in the beginning stages of a first draft, do your best not to judge yourself or wonder how it sounds. If it helps, imagine the only person who will ever read this piece is your biggest fan. Maybe that’s your best friend or spouse. Or your mom or your mentor. Whoever it is, write to them. This will open up your brain and heart to speaking freely. It will allow you to relax and have fun, and when that happens, the words come out.

Don’t worry about editing or polishing it up. You can work on all of that later, once you’ve gotten everything out. But for now—when you’re in the thick of being stuck—the antidote is to simply write to someone who loves you a lot—and if you can write like you speak, even better. To take it one step further, you can try literally speaking instead of writing. Use a transcription app like Otter, or the voice memo on your phone. Even Word has a dictation feature now that will transcribe what you say onto the page. Don’t let the physical act of writing stand in the way of your writing. Just talk it out!

4. Make as many mistakes as possible

Look, in case no one has told you yet, all writers and editors (especially the pros) across all genres agree: all first drafts are terrible. Maybe even the second and third ones, too. How does it feel knowing that even people who get paid to write always write terribly at some point? Does it help knowing we all suck at first?

When I have trouble starting a piece and I feel writer’s block coming on, I just repeat the mantra: “it doesn’t have to be good. Just get it out. Just get it out.”

Find your mantra. Give yourself permission to suck so perfection doesn’t become the enemy of the good. All you have to do is get your ideas out, in whatever shape or form they emerge. You can make them pretty later. If you need to, you can take it one step further by telling yourself to make mistakes on purpose. Make typos and misspelling, write nonsense sentences…try to see how much you can mess up. It’s freeing! It releases the pressure to be perfect right out of the gate, which is an impossible goal anyway, and only serves to make your writer’s block worse.

5. Get help

If you’ve tried everything here, and you’re still stuck in writer’s block, don’t torture yourself any longer. There’s help right in front of you! If you’re a student, make an appointment at your school’s writing center or tutor center. During my college days, I worked as a tutor in the Writing Center at DePaul University in Chicago, and I can’t tell you how much one 30-minute session can make a difference. Your writing or tutor center is packed full of friendly students who are experienced and want to help you. They can get you unstuck. All you have to do is ask. Don’t put it off any longer. Look up the email or number or location right now, and take action to make an appointment. Or just walk in! Most centers take students without appointments, as long as they have a tutor available.

If you’re not a student, you have all the power to hire someone like me to do your writing for you! There’s no reason you have to waste time and get frustrated when you need to do a million other things to keep your business and life running.

If you’re at your wit’s end and want freedom from writing stress, contact me to set up a free consultation to learn more about how I can handle it all for you while you tend to the real business: expanding your empire.