Taking the Shame Out of Writer's Block

I want to talk a little bit about one of the biggest soul crushers that all authors have to face at some point in your life: Writer’s Block.

This is a topic that is often discussed and acknowledged in the writing community, and people have a variety of solutions for figuring out how to get past it and through it. And I want to preface this post by saying what works for me isn’t necessarily going to work for you. If this past year of self reflection has taught me anything, it’s that we’re all unique and different and trying to force ourselves into habits or methods that work for other people doesn’t always work. And that’s okay! It’s supposed to be that way!

Take what serves you, leave what doesn’t. Study your own patterns. Get to know yourself and work with your unique needs.

Writer’s block carries with it a lot of shame. And this is an interesting concept, because as much as the community discusses this as a topic, nobody wants to admit when they have it. There’s nothing that makes me cringe more than when a friend or fam member or fellow writer asks that dreaded question; how’s your next book coming along? 

How do I tell them that i haven’t written in weeks? In months? How do I say that i sit down to write and nothing comes out. Or I can’t even make myself sit down to write at all? 

Well this is my first piece of advice for you. Don’t let the shame win. That embarrassment is nonsensical. Feeling like you can’t push through to create something new is a part of the process. It’s an essential element of the creative life.

And if you can’t bring yourself to tell other people, at least don’t let the shame keep you from making progress with yourself. When I’m struggling, I carve out time to do a little self care and ask myself what is actually stopping me from writing? Is it the blank page? Am I out of ideas? Or is it fear? Is it apprehension?

Once I have a better idea of what’s acting as my roadblock, I can work a way around it. Or over it. Or under it. You get the idea. 

More often than not, it’s fear that keeps me out of the arena. I’ll figure out that I’m stressed about something else in my life, or the book itself, and that will just fully incapacitate me. So I’ve learned to stop, give myself some self care, and focus on making sure my mental state is as healthy as possible.

But we can’t just sit around and wait for inspiration to strike. Any artist worth their salt knows that. It’s a lovely whimsical idea that the muse comes to you and you can only create when she’s around, but ultimately this isn’t how you actually get stuff done, especially not if you have a publishing schedule. 

There is a certain amount of perseverance and dedication that has to come in to play to keep your train moving, even when the engine gives out. As much as it pains me to admit, you do have to write when you’re not “feeling” like it. This is where daily habits can be a huge saving grace for you. So even if you feel unmotivated, you’ll have a habit to maintain that will carry you through with some amount of progress to your next moment of inspiration. Which will come. Trust me. It always comes back.

Some practical things I’ll use to get out of a writing block episode:

I’ll do some writing exercises. I can’t say I enjoy doing this, because it feels like a waste of time and effort, but it can help me out of the rut. Personally, I love writing dialogue, so my exercises center around this concept. I’ll write freely, without structure or constraints, and work on conversation pacing with my characters. Or sometimes I’ll use favorite characters from other books or tv - yup, I churn out some fan fiction to get the wheels turning. 

I’ll get advice from people I respect. Often this is in the form of a book written by another writer I admire. Or a book on writing. In general, I try to be always reading one book on craft at any given time. This can be as slow as one chapter a day, but it keeps my mind thinking about the process and gives me new ideas and inspiration, so it’s a vital part of keeping me going.

Sometimes, I’ll try some guided meditation. I’m a huge fan of this, because I have such a vivid imagination, it works unusually well. I’ll do a guided meditation to get into my head, then I’ll invite my characters in and let them fly. It’s almost like a lucid dreaming situation, and I happen to love this. When I’m struggling with ideas, this will most likely always help. When I’m done, I’ll write down the new things I’ve learned or the new ideas I’ve had. 

Another trick I love it to pull out my white board. Something about the white board makes me feel like it isn’t as important or concrete. I can write something down and erase it. I can free my brain to just free write or concept write or plot work without restrictions of pressure. If I don’t have my white board available, I’ll pull out a fun pen and work within a notebook. I just let the ideas come and go, and write it out in whatever form it takes. 

And finally, sometimes I just have to take a break. We all need rest sometimes. You need to understand yourself and be kind to yourself. When it comes to shame, self hate and negativity is a very easy pit to fall into. Self compassion will save you when the darker thoughts threaten to overtake your world. I’m still learning to lean into this time. It’s the magic in between. Let your mind drift. Make some tea. Sit in nature. Do some yoga or go for a walk or a hike. 

Creativity is a part of who we are. Sometimes when we relax our grip, it can move more freely than ever before. I try and give myself grace and space to move through the times when block happens, and accept it as a part of my life as a writer. If I have a firm understanding of myself, and the compassionate habits to carry me through that time, then it becomes much less of a scary unknown. 

If you have any personal ways that you like to get through those times when block hits, please let me know! I’d love to see if anybody has any ideas I’d like to add to my routine. I hope even just reading this helps dispel some of that fear and shame we tie to Writer’s Block. It’s really not so scary once you get used to dealing with it!