How to overcome writer's block for Storytellers and Creatives
by Alex Meehan
What is writer’s block? It’s the feeling that you cannot make progress on a creative project, no matter how much you might want to. It’s something that many creators struggle with at least once in their lives, and can affect both amateurs and professionals. (Sarah J Ahmed and C. Dominik Guss 2019)
For example, Great Gatsby author F Scott Fitzgerald struggled with writer’s block throughout the 1920s, whilst legendary poet Samuel Coleridge (Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner) lamented his inability to write after he’d seemly exhausted himself by the end of his mid-twenties.
Experiencing writer’s block can sometimes feel like a personal failing. However, as Adrienne Kennedy MD notes: “understanding writer’s block requires recognition of its complex nature,” there may be several causes of your writer’s block and, therefore, multiple potential solutions.
We’re going to look at the different kinds of writer’s block, lessons for how to beat writer’s block, as well as learn how to prevent writer’s block for the future.
How are you experiencing writer's block?
How do you learn how to overcome writer’s block? Solutions will differ depending on the type of block. Read through this list and see if any of these describe what you’re feeling -
-
The overthinker: You struggle to even get started with the writing process. All the ideas are in your head but you can’t start writing.
-
The self-critical creative: Your own writing sounds terrible and you're afraid that it won't get better.
-
The serial starter: You had brilliant creative flow to begin with, but you can't keep the creative juices flowing.
-
The lore drowner: You’re bursting with enough ideas to fill six novels, but the creative process seems so overwhelming.
-
The multi-tasker creative: You cannot write more than one sentence in a writing session before you find yourself doing something else.
-
The perfectionist storyteller: Every page of work must live up to extremely high standards, otherwise you can't keep writing.
1. The Overthinker: Begin in the middle
Having a clear idea of everything you’re going to pen down can have a hindering effect on your first draft. Author Alexai Galaviz-Budziszewski once said “writer’s block is a refusal to let yourself get lost in the woods,” - letting yourself create without a detailed plan, can help you shake writer’s block.
Solution 1: Start in the middle
If staring at a blank page is your writer's struggle, consider jumping ahead. Instead of starting at the very beginning, try writing a later scene or series of plot points in your story. This takes the pressure off where to start and allows you to just write.
Solution 2: Do a five-minute ‘ugly’ draft
A study by Singer and Barrios looked into what to do when you have writer’s block and recommended ‘Free Writing’. Free Writing is when you write without thinking about what you’re writing - just let the ideas flow. You can use The Story Engine Deck to do your own Free Writing session, by picking various words from prompts (like the one below) and writing whatever comes to mind.
(Prompts from Peter)
"They [The Story Engine Deck prompts] are a great way to focus my lateral thinking mind" - Quenntis
2. The Self-Critical Creative: Have fun with writing
It can be hard to ignore a self-critical voice, especially if factors like low mood are amplifying this voice. When this happens, it’s important to acknowledge these feelings and look for options that help you to quieten this voice - whether through self-care or creative play.
Solution 1: Step away and care for yourself
Sometimes, learning how to deal with writer’s block is knowing when to take a break. Take a walk, eat, go to a coffee shop, spend time with family or friends - whatever helps.
Solution 2: Remove the pressure from the writing process
A tip for writer’s block is to try writing without engaging your critical brain too much. The Story Engine Deck prompts can act as pressure-free writing time zones to have fun with and engage the subconscious creative mind.
“This [The Story Engine Deck] is an incredibly fun tool to randomize storytelling elements and get beyond your internal editor” - Josh
3. The Serial Starter: Find a fresh angle
It’s sometimes difficult to keep up the kind of creative flow required for the writing process. Dips in creative output do happen, but you shouldn’t just try to write as normal. Instead, you need to craft a creative space where you can find that next big idea moment.
Solution 1: Make a plan to follow
To overcome feeling stuck, you can create a master plan that can act like a loose path to guide you. The Story Engine’s Lore Master’s Deck is a great tool for helping you keep track of your story threads, so if you do get lost or stuck then you have a creative blueprint to follow.
"[Lore Master’s Deck] Definitely helped with the writer block" - Jess
Solution 2: Take a second look at your writing
Another option is to look at your writing from a fresh angle. Think about certain aspects of even your best writing - maybe a character's lacking motivation or a scene is missing a crucial element? Try reading your writing out loud or even show it to someone else.
4. The Lore Drowner: Gain some focus
You might be an ideas person, but if you can’t get those ideas written down then you’re not going to get your best writing. In Dawn Raffel’s The Truth About Writer’s Block she writes “When you are writing well [...] you are solving a creative problem.” Find fun creative problems to solve.
Solution 1: Give yourself obtainable writing goals
One tip for this kind of writer's struggle is to give yourself obtainable goals to reach. For example - finish penning the summary describing one scene. Achieving these goals will give you that dopamine hit you need to be productive.
Solution 2: Focus on the lore details that matter to the story
By keeping focus on one writing element, you can avoid overwhelming ideas. The Story Engine’s Deck of Worlds can help you to focus on the lore details that matter most in the story, instead of trying to cover absolutely everything.
“Deck of Worlds have been instrumental in helping me craft my world & stories” - Michael Taylor
5. The Multitasker Creative: Experiment and refocus
Most writers struggle to focus at some point. There are several factors that could be at play - whether you’re distracted or you’re getting creatively tired. There are ways to reignite your creativity.
Solution 1: Refocus when you get distraction
When you’re distracted, you can find focus with the Boildown Method - where you summarize your entire story within a single sentence. The Story Engine Deck can help with boildown, as prompt cards can help you visualize what matters most - such as core characters and motivations.
“I love my deck! I came up with a fun idea for a story” - Alexandra
Solution 2: Try new writing exercises
If you’re struggling with writer’s block, you could switch to start writing something entirely different. Consider using the Deck of Worlds prompts or examples from Reddit page /r/writingprompts as mini writing exercises to imagine new cities and towns.
“Deck of Worlds is a wonderful addition to my collection of writing tools” - Chris Moore
6. The Perfectionist Storyteller: Gain a fresh perspective
Perfectionism can be a symptom of having unrealistic standards, which could stem from having a low opinion od your work. It's tough, but there are ways to relieve yourself of harsh self-judgement.
Solution 1: Find inspiration
One way to break writer’s block is to look for inspiration. Consider leaving your desk to read a book that inspires you. Write out your favourite passage and make notes on what you like about it.
“[Fantasy Story Prompt] cards will help prompt you in unexpected ways and encourage exploration of a richer set of ideas” - Michael Duffy
Solution 2: Experiment with new ideas
Removing the urge to make every aspect of your story or world perfect helps. The Story Engine Deck can help you to commit to a creative decision through the use of prompts, providing quick solutions to choices you’re agonising over and fight writer's block.
"[The Story Engine Deck is] A must-have for writers and world builders alike" - Mischi
FAQs
1. What is writer’s block and is it even real?
The term ‘Writer’s Block’ was first officially coined by Austrian Psychiatrist Edmund Bergler in 1947. Some psychologists and writers have debated whether it's real psychological condition. Either way, writer’s block is when a creator struggles to make progress on their work, even though they want to.
2. Why do I have writer’s block? - most common causes
In Ahmed and Guss’ study, they identified that the: “most common causes of blocking were physiological and motivational.”
These causes can include:
-
Stress
-
Depression
-
Anxiety
-
ADHD (Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder)
-
Tiredness
-
Self-criticism
-
Lack of inspiration
-
Feeling overwhelmed
3. What's a quick cure?
Though there’s no guaranteed way to break writer’s block , there are some techniques you can practice:
-
Do some no-pressure writing exercises (The Story Engine Deck is great for this)
-
Write something completely random or off-topic
-
Take a break: eat something, have a walk, talk with someone
-
Switch projects and write something else
Conclusion
Most people overcome writer's block eventually. Just give yourself time, space, and a creativity boost with help from tools like The Story Engine.