You know the scene. You’re sitting at your desk, cursor blinking accusingly on a blank document. Your protagonist needs to walk through a door, but suddenly you’re convinced you’ve forgotten how to string words together. You tell yourself you’re “blocked,” and there’s something almost comforting about that diagnosis. After all, writer’s block is romantic, isn’t it? It’s what real writers experience. Hemingway probably stared at blank pages too, right?
The comfortable lie of writer’s block
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: what we call writer’s block is usually a cocktail of perfectionism, fear, and exhaustion masquerading as some mystical creative ailment. And the more we buy into this myth, the more power we give it.
Why plumbers don’t get “plumber’s block”
Think about it. When was the last time you heard a plumber say they had “plumber’s block”? Or an accountant claiming “spreadsheet block”? Writing is work, just like any other craft. Sometimes it flows easily, and sometimes it feels like trying to squeeze water from a stone. That’s not a block – that’s just the natural ebb and flow of any creative process.
The problem is, we’ve romanticized the struggle so much that we’ve turned a normal part of the creative process into an identity. “I have writer’s block” becomes a badge of honor, a way to feel like a “real writer” without actually writing. It’s much easier to tell ourselves we’re blocked than to admit we’re scared our writing won’t be good enough.
The real culprits behind your writing struggles
But here’s the liberating part: once you stop believing in writer’s block as some mysterious affliction, you can start addressing what’s really going on. Are you mentally exhausted? Take a genuine break – not a guilt-ridden “I should be writing” break, but a real one. Go for a walk. Read a book. Fill your creative well. But set a specific time to return to your writing, because breaks without boundaries become abandonments.
Breaking through: practical steps to start writing again
Are you stuck because you’re trying to write something perfect? Remember that first drafts are supposed to be messy. They’re the raw material you’ll shape later. Your job right now isn’t to write something brilliant – it’s just to write something.
Are you overwhelmed by the scope of your project? Break it down. Don’t think about writing a novel. Think about writing a scene. Don’t even think about writing a scene. Think about writing a sentence. Any sentence. It doesn’t have to be the right sentence. It just has to exist.
From block to breakthrough: creating sustainable writing habits
The secret that productive writers know is that writing isn’t about waiting for inspiration or fighting through blocks. It’s about showing up, day after day, and putting words on the page – even when those words feel clunky and awkward. Especially when they feel clunky and awkward.
Your action plan: turning writing fear into writing flow
So the next time you feel “blocked,” try this: acknowledge the feeling, but don’t name it writer’s block. Name it what it really is.
Tired? Take a nap.
Scared? Write about why.
Perfectionist paralysis? Give yourself permission to write badly.
Whatever you do, don’t wear that block like a badge of honor. It’s not a mark of authenticity – it’s just a stop sign you’ve placed in your own path.
Remember, the only cure for not writing is writing. It’s that simple, and that difficult. But unlike writer’s block, it’s real, and it actually works.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go write something terrible. Because terrible writing can be fixed. No writing can’t.