Ray Blasing
Sorry about my delayed response - I'm just now freeing myself up to answer questions on a regular basis!
Writer’s block is often described as a lack of ideas, but I’ve found it’s usually the opposite—a traffic jam of thoughts all trying to merge at once. In General Career Intelligence, I talk about how procrastination, overwhelm, and self-empathy shape our ability to think clearly. Writer’s block has the same fingerprints. It appears in countless forms in life: when a student stares at a blank college-application essay, when a project leader struggles to craft a clear plan, or when we search for the right words to comfort someone who has lost a loved one. The common thread isn’t “stuckness”—it’s a moment when the brain is trying to separate signal from noise.
My own method is not linear. I allow myself to bounce between chapters, ideas, and even unrelated tasks—something I encourage readers to embrace. Shifting gears is not avoidance; it’s often the cognitive reset needed to let deeper ideas surface. In the book I explore the value of “productive distraction”—those moments when stepping away is not indulgence, but strategy. When I return, the fog has usually thinned, and the path forward becomes obvious.
Writer’s block can also stem from imposter syndrome—another theme I address. When you’re writing slightly beyond your comfort zone (which is where all meaningful work happens), your confidence may falter. In those moments, I try to apply the same advice I give in my chapters on inner strength and foundational character traits: extend empathy inward. Let yourself be human. The ideas are still there; they simply need space to reorganize.
And finally, I remind myself that writing a book is more than writing sentences. Outlines, structure, chapter titles, sequencing, imagery, even the rhythm of the table of contents—these are all forward motion. So even on days when the prose refuses to cooperate, I take satisfaction in knowing that the project is still advancing.
In other words: writer’s block isn’t a wall—it’s a pause. And sometimes a pause is exactly what clears the way.
Writer’s block is often described as a lack of ideas, but I’ve found it’s usually the opposite—a traffic jam of thoughts all trying to merge at once. In General Career Intelligence, I talk about how procrastination, overwhelm, and self-empathy shape our ability to think clearly. Writer’s block has the same fingerprints. It appears in countless forms in life: when a student stares at a blank college-application essay, when a project leader struggles to craft a clear plan, or when we search for the right words to comfort someone who has lost a loved one. The common thread isn’t “stuckness”—it’s a moment when the brain is trying to separate signal from noise.
My own method is not linear. I allow myself to bounce between chapters, ideas, and even unrelated tasks—something I encourage readers to embrace. Shifting gears is not avoidance; it’s often the cognitive reset needed to let deeper ideas surface. In the book I explore the value of “productive distraction”—those moments when stepping away is not indulgence, but strategy. When I return, the fog has usually thinned, and the path forward becomes obvious.
Writer’s block can also stem from imposter syndrome—another theme I address. When you’re writing slightly beyond your comfort zone (which is where all meaningful work happens), your confidence may falter. In those moments, I try to apply the same advice I give in my chapters on inner strength and foundational character traits: extend empathy inward. Let yourself be human. The ideas are still there; they simply need space to reorganize.
And finally, I remind myself that writing a book is more than writing sentences. Outlines, structure, chapter titles, sequencing, imagery, even the rhythm of the table of contents—these are all forward motion. So even on days when the prose refuses to cooperate, I take satisfaction in knowing that the project is still advancing.
In other words: writer’s block isn’t a wall—it’s a pause. And sometimes a pause is exactly what clears the way.
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