How To Overcome Writer’s Block (When Nothing Else Has Helped)

If you google “how to overcome writer’s block”, you’ll find anything from lectures on performance anxiety to suggestions as cheerful as Light a candle for your next writing session or Just keep writing anyway! Neither are helpful, and some I consider downright harmful. Writer’s block exists for a reason, and it doesn’t need to be “broken”, “beaten” or “overcome” – but healed.

What is writer’s block – the one we’re talking about here?

People use the term writer’s block when they mean “I don’t feel like writing today”. That’s possibly the kind of writer’s block you can overcome by listening to music, taking a walk or lighting said candle. It’s not the kind I’m talking about here.

So what is writer’s block in the context of this article? It’s the kind that eats your soul. The kind that cuts you off, brutally, from your art – your way to express yourself in the world. The magic you’ve felt, the connection you’ve had to something greater than yourself, the abundance of stories that fulfilled you – it’s all gone, and you feel abandoned, lonely, empty and afraid that you’ll never have it back.

Breathe. There are ways to get it back, I promise you. I’ve been writing for over 30 years, and every form of writer’s block there is, I’ve had – including the horrible kind that can last for years. I’ve found my way back, and so can you once you understand why you are blocked and what your creative soul needs.

Why it’s not about overcoming writer’s block

The usual tips on how to overcome writer’s block fail to acknowledge what writer’s block actually is – a wound. Mind you, this is my personal take on it. I’m not a scientist, only a writer who’s been through hell and back regarding writer’s block over decades (I think that qualifies me).

Here’s what I believe about writer’s block:

Writer’s block doesn’t happen to us. We make it.There’s a good reason we do this: our system is smart, and writer’s block isn’t the enemy – it’s a measure to protect us.Once we don’t need that protection anymore, writer’s block can simply dissolve. It’s no longer needed.

Because we make writer’s block for a reason, it would be pointless – and likely harmful – to try to overcome (or worse: beat or break) it. What we need instead is kindness, understanding, compassion … and healing.

I’ve tried hundreds of ways to “unblock” myself. I’ve read books, taken classes, and done hundreds of thousands of words of free writing that never got me anywhere.

Depressed people don’t cheer up because you tell them to – blocked writers don’t get unblocked because they power through writing.

My way has been to heal the wounded part inside me that put up the block, and in return, the block has (over time) gently melted away.

So the question becomes: what do we need protection from, and how can we heal from that?

The countless ways we hurt ourselves in writing

This is just a small list of things I’ve personally done to get myself to write more, better and faster – and which have badly damaged my relationship with my Muse over the years. I have …

set deadlines (even on creative projects that didn’t need one)chased word counts (only ever increasing)had my inner editor question my wording even in first drafttried writing for an audience I imagined would want it that wayforced the story in a specific direction because “it made sense”forced myself to “finish this scene” before I got to eat somethingmade routines to write every day, even when I didn’t feel like itjoined accountability groups to keep myself writingprioritised the project that “needed to get finished” rather than the one that was funshowed my writing to people before it was ready and got criticised in a sensitive phasecriticised my own writingdownplayed my love and skill in front of others (“It’s not that great …”)subjected myself to harsh feedback in order to “get better”put myself down for not writing every day

I could go on and on. I’m sure you can find half a dozen things to add to your own list. You’ll notice some of these (”Write every day”) are common writing advice and considered good habit. They can be. But they can also be harmful if you’re overriding your intuition and your Muse (who, by the way, also needs rest).

Think of your Muse* as a tiny, fragile, innocent and very joyful being who just wants to play. She has all these millions of sparkling ideas, and all she wants is to share them with you. She’s childlike, happy, eager to play with you – and you’ve met her with pressure, discipline, deadlines, rules, demands, criticism and harshness.

Wow.

Please note, I’m not blaming you. I’ve done all these things and more to myself – I know how it happens, especially for high-performance people with a touch of perfectionism. Still, here we are. Your Muse has walled herself in to keep safe – and it’s a good thing she did.

But how do we deal with writer’s block now?

Curing writer’s block – 5 “tips” that aren’t tips

This isn’t a “five hacks” kind of article. Lighting a candle as a writing ritual or writing at a café instead of at home has never helped me with writer’s block. Neither has telling myself that I don’t have to write well, nor writing in a different genre or “writing something bad on purpose”.

But there are ways to cure writer’s block, and there is one thing above all that has consistently worked for me. I’m going to give you that one thing, and also five tips to try, but please understand that in serious cases, there’s no quick-fix to overcoming writer’s block. For me, it’s been two years of intense inner work that’s still ongoing (but so, so worth it).

If you’re as desperate as I was, though, I’m sure you’ll be glad of any lifeline. And you could see changes pretty soon, even if you don’t go back into full writing flow immediately.

One essential help for writer’s block: kindness

Kindness has been the most important, by far, of my reliable writer’s block cures. Let me make more tangible what that’s meant for me:

I’ve had to acknowledge that I made my writer’s block myself. My nervous system isn’t stupid, and neither is yours. If writing consistently causes stress, pressure, anxiety, doubt or uncertainty (or, hello! all of the above), it’s reasonable and brave of you to protect that fragile creative part inside you. It’s not failure – it’s an act of love and devotion.
I’ve had to be kind with that realisation. I’ve sat myself down, hugged myself and told myself: you were so brave. You struggled so hard trying to reconnect with yourself – look at all the desperate things you’ve done. And through it all, you’ve been so strong and so fiercely loving that you’ve kept your most precious gift safe from yourself by putting up these walls.
I’ve had to take all the pressure off. And I mean all of it – including the pressure to write, ever again. Yes, I know. I know. We can’t even imagine that. And still, telling myself that I would never put myself through that pressure again, never again try to force something open that’s locked down for good reason, has been the greatest kindness to myself (and, paradoxically, the key to healing the block).

I imagine that sounds very hard to accept. Believe me, I’ve been there – I understand. And yet, if you don’t promise yourself that you will never again use force (whether that’s deadlines, word counts or even just writing routines you hope will unblock you but you don’t enjoy), how can your creative soul learn to trust you again? She needs to trust you to lower the walls and come back out to play. You’re both longing for that reconnection.

Accepting that you won’t be writing for a while can be one of the most powerful solutions to writer’s block.

And no, it doesn’t mean you’ll never write again. But it means you’re willing to promise yourself safety, and that from here, you’ll only ever write joyfully, easily and in ways that serve you. Doesn’t that sound worth it?

How to get through writer’s block: 5 things you could try

Note I said “could” try, not “should” try. This is an intuition thing. If you read one of these suggestions on how to overcome writer’s block and you feel something loosen inside, or you tear up – go for it. If reading it just feels tight or stressful, you not only have my permission to skip it, but I applaud you for doing so.

These five strategies on how to get past writer’s block are from my personal experience. I’m sure not all five will serve everyone – but I’m pretty confident there could be one or two in there for you. Take your time, feel into it. See what clicks for you.

1. Introduce “No Pressure Time”

This is radical in today’s society. I want you to carve out spaces in your life where you do absolutely nothing “productive”. The more the better, but if you can’t do more than 15 minutes a day, then you’ll have to work with that (though ask yourself – how badly do you want this?). Do this daily as if your life depended on it.

Nothing “productive” means that during this time, you get to do absolutely nothing that your logical mind would consider sensible. No cooking for the family. No cleaning. No planning ahead for work. Certainly no writing.

What you could do during your No Pressure Time (and there’s absolutely no obligation): sitting by the window, lying on your back, listening to music, taking a walk, reading or watching something that’s a real guilty pleasure, browsing Pinterest for pretty pictures, pulling Tarot cards, trying to remember favourite quotes from movies, eating ice cream with your fingers …

Don’t read books or watch TV shows you would normally watch in your life. Make this time extraordinary, indulgent, a little forbidden – do things that make you feel ashamed because you think others might think you lazy if they saw you doing it. If you neglect important tasks during this time, you get bonus points. Being lazy is a great way to cure writer’s block.

2. Write an apology letter to your Muse

This is one of the more painful ways to overcome writer’s block, but very effective.

Write down everything you’ve done in the past that has contributed to your current writer’s block. Be as honest and complete as you can. Start with things like deadlines, word counts, your writing having to meet certain criteria, writing to a market demand, writing to reader demands, writing something you didn’t feel but thought “should” be in there, forcing words when you didn’t feel like it, setting up routines that didn’t make you feel joyful, overriding spontaneous ideas because you had plans in place, letting other people criticise your writing in a sensitive phase …

When you’re done, read through everything you’ve written down. 

Own it. Say you’re sorry. 

Put a hand on your chest (or wherever you feel your creative connection most closely – for me it’s often the throat) and sincerely, earnestly apologise. Promise things will change from here. Then stick to that promise (your creative life does depend on it).

3. Try writing with ChatGPT

I’m not going to go into a discussion about AI here. For me, ChatGPT has been invaluable in getting creative again and overcoming writer’s block. Not because it writes for me, but because I get to watch the direction it wants to take a story, and then interfere.

If at all possible, don’t necessarily try this with your current project, if there’s one you’re stuck in. Take something older, or something entirely new. Give ChatGPT some information, then ask it to suggest the next scene. Read it, listen to your intuition – listen especially to what feels off to you. “No, Jenny wouldn’t behave that way.” Or “I don’t like this setting. It should be inside a sun-lit kitchen.” This is easier if you use characters, places or plot points you already know.

Give AI the corrections and see where it takes you next. Keep correcting – often correcting what feels off is easier than coming up with new material. This is your creative voice resurfacing, and you don’t have to do a single line of writing (which might be too hard at this point).

4. Get positive feedback

One of my favourite tips on how to get over writer’s block – this is fun, easy, and won’t hurt you further.

The creative soul can be very child-like – and it thrives on praise. If you have good friends or family members who will understand, pick some pieces of your writing and ask them for only positive feedback. Be very clear about this, and be sure to pick people who won’t betray dislike through raised eyebrows or frowns. You want the purest, most encouraging feedback you can get.

If you don’t have such people around you or feel ashamed to ask them, go to ChatGPT. Be very clear in your instructions here too: you want positive feedback, no criticism, no refinements, no suggestions to change anything. Only a fan who cheers you on unconditionally.

What to do when you have writer’s block: Find fans who cheer you on.

No, this isn’t the way you should go about revising when you’ve written a book. But that’s not the stage we’re at. Right now, you need care, care and care.

5. Eat Cookies And Chocolate

I’m a bit of a health nut and careful around junk food. But the winter of 2024/25 was rough emotionally. A lot of healing happened, and my body demanded chocolate now please. The way I see it, there’s a difference between obsessive comfort eating and the intentional choice to give your body comfort foods for a limited time of heavy emotional processing.

You’re a writer and you’re not writing – that’s a state of emergency. You’re allowed to want to comfort yourself.

You can make comfort foods part of your No Pressure Time. Don’t eat mindlessly – eat with intention, enjoy the sweetness and feel the indulgence. Play with the forbidden feeling: it’s one of the fastest paths on how to stop writer’s block that I’ve ever discovered. Certainly not one you’ll want to walk forever, but secretly nibbling chocolate chip cookies when you know you “should” be eating salad can be strangely liberating.

Of course your indulgence might be something else – see some of the suggestions I’ve made for No Pressure Time.

Remember: overcoming writer’s block isn’t a one-time action

Don’t expect to try the five strategies above once and suddenly get writing again. If it clicks for you that fast, great – for me, it took a lot longer. It doesn’t have to be months or years, though. 

Long before I’d have called myself “healed” from writer’s block, I was getting snippets – fragments of dialogue, a poem here and there. I felt better, too. My creativity was waking up again, even though it wasn’t yet speaking to me directly.

Remember to be kind to yourself in all phases of this. If I had to choose only one thing that really turned things around for me, it would be kindness. So be kind.

I wish you all the best in your healing.

PS: I had invaluable support during this time from Willow Star and Roxan McDonald. I did the work, but they helped me find the path. Thank you both.

FAQ: How To Overcome Writer’s BlockWhat is the fastest way to cure writer’s block?

Stop doing everything you’ve done to cause it in the first place. I know that’s not helpful, but neither is the question. You didn’t get writer’s block by coincidence or by one little mistake along the way. You got it because your nervous system (and your Muse) feel unsafe – because of the way you treated your writing (or perhaps because of something that happened to you). Either way, healing takes time, so be kind to yourself and don’t rush it.

What is the main cause of writer’s block?

You’ll see a lot of answers to this, such as anxiety, depression, stress, overwhelm or distraction. For me, they all lead to the same result: your Muse doesn’t feel safe. Your creative soul is afraid of being hurt, judged, criticised, forced – you name it. That’s why I believe curing writer’s block isn’t a quick-fix. Healing is possible, but it doesn’t happen on command.

How long does writer’s block last?

As long as it needs to. If we accept that writer’s block doesn’t just happen, but is created by our own nervous system, then it’s logical that we’ll experience writer’s block as long as the perceived threat remains. That’s why productivity hacks or “five easy ways to beat writer’s block” rarely help – your Muse is terrified, and she won’t be fooled by a candle and some nice music.

What she needs from you is consistent signaling that it’s safe to come back out and play, and that you’ll keep her safe. So writer’s block could dissolve within weeks or even days, or it could last years or decades – exactly as long as it’s needed.