How to Beat Writer’s Block | 5 Top Tips

What Is Writer’s Block?

A blank page is the ultimate frenemy of the seasoned writer. On the one hand, it is a land of golden opportunity, a place of boundless creativity waiting to happen, beckoning you forth. On the other hand… it’s a yawning abyss of crippling, endless choice, with blurry options melting and morphing in front of you, just out of reach. 

This deeply disturbing feeling of uncertainty is known as writer’s block. 

Writer’s block has plagued humanity since the original wordsmith felt inclined to scratch some symbols onto a wall (I assume). We’ve all see the montage. A wild-eyed writer stumbles and fumbles their way through frustrated, fractured sentences, before throwing crumpled sheets into an endlessly overflowing wastepaper basket.

Well, you don’t have to be that messy haired cliche anymore. Give these tips a try and you’ll be blasting out words like a dictionary with diarrhea in no time. 

5 Tips to Beat Writer’s Block

1. Let yourself make mistakes

Remember when you were a little tiny child, throwing stuff at stuff, covering yourself with paint and writing stories that went nowhere? It’s time to let that legend take over again.

When you write something, instead of scrapping it after the first few ‘terrible’ sentences, see how bad you can make it. Get ridiculous with it. Chase the dragon of stupidity all the way to the cave of outrageousness. 

Making mistakes is a necessary and beautiful part of being creative. It’s how we learn what works and what doesn’t. It’s how we stumble upon genius ideas. Sometimes it’s just funny.

Perfectionism on the other hand, is writer’s blocks best friend. Do yourself a huge favour and slam the door in it’s stupid, perfect, judgemental face. 

2. Free write regularly

Get into the habit of writing every day. When you write every day, you become used to the process of creating, and that blank page doesn’t seem so daunting anymore. 

I use a site called 750words which encourages you to write (unsurprisingly) 750 words a day. You can set yourself challenges that encourage free writing. Let out a stream of consciousness and encourage that delicious state of flow - the nemesis of writer’s block.

This site is also great for analysing what you’re writing about, as well as assessing mood. So if you have something on your mind, you can work through it here. You can even set yourself challenges and win badges - yeah that's right BADGES - which is a great way to spur yourself on.

3. Change your scene 

Take yourself somewhere else. A change of environment can feel like a breath of fresh air and what's more, it's a wealth of inspirational opportunity.

I like going to a cafe I've never been to before. I write about what and who's around me. Often you'll find that something sparks a tangent within you. Get that tangent followed.

If you're feeling a bit lost, literally just describe what is going on and write down whatever comes to mind. That might be the glorious architecture just outside of the window, or the aggy man who just came in and had a go at the cashier, or even the hungover person wearing wrap around sunglasses and looking like he wants to die. 

There’s a wealth of opportunity but moments away. 

4. Write in a different style

Many of us have a style of writing that we go to, automatically. Unfortunately, just as we can feel trapped by our physical surroundings, we can also feel trapped within the confines of the same writing style.

Beat writer's block by stepping outside of your comfort zone (which actually isn't that comfortable right now, so that shouldn't be too hard) and writing in a different style.

The beauty of this exercise is that you are simply playing. When writing becomes your main focus, there's a lot more pressure around the results. You may forget the reason you became a writer in first place - you love playing with words. So here is a chance to get back into that playful mindset and stretch your linguistic legs.

To start off, you might try writing some poetry in a less conventional style. For example, a Haiku or a Concrete poem.

5. Bounce your ideas off someone

Try a creative writing workshop. Some of us work best when we can develop our ideas with other people. Especially when creating a monumental piece of work, character development and plot development can become tangled in our minds. It can also be a great place to get ideas for new projects, or even to simply hone your writing style.

I offer bespoke creative workshops and one on one sessions, designed to help you bring your ideas to life.

Get in touch anytime.

You don't have to be this guy alone.