TL;DR: Have you ever had writer’s block? Have you ever wondered what causes it? You know the feeling. It happens to me sometimes. More on overcoming writer’s block. I sit at the screen, staring, trying to type. I enter a sentence. No, that will not work. Delete. Then another, and another. The words that normally flow refuse to make the leap from brain to screen. Here are six causes of writer’s block and how to destroy it.
Have you ever had writer’s block? Have you ever wondered what causes it?
You know the feeling. It happens to me sometimes. I sit at the computer screen, staring at it, trying to type. I enter a sentence. No, that won’t work. Delete. Then another, and another. The words that normally flow so easily refuse to make the leap from brain to screen. For more, see Bird by Bird.
On a normal day, I write between 5,000 and 10,000 words, depending on other commitments. That’s 10,000 publishable words. Once in a while, my productivity crashes and I spend a whole day producing a thousand words. It’s frustrating. Since I make my living writing, if it continues it creates financial problems.
What Does Writer’s Block Feel Like?
You know you can write, but you can’t make it happen.Share on X
Writer’s block shows up in different ways at different times. For me, it hits hardest when I have a tight deadline. That’s when I feel the familiar anxiety deep in my stomach.
- You feel blank. You want to write, but nothing comes to mind.
- You feel sad, anxious, tired, or depressed. The words won’t come.
- There’s a crushing sense of frustration and uselessness.
- Sometimes it feels like an itch you can’t scratch. You know you can write, but you can’t make it happen.
- You feel self-doubt. Have you ever been able to write? Was it all luck?
- It feels like emptiness.
What Causes Writer’s Block?
Writer’s block has many causes. Over the years, I’ve found several things that kill my writing productivity.
- Idiots – Have you ever received a negative comment disguised as something positive? These passive-aggressive jabs can do real damage. A snide remark, unsolicited “help,” or a few rude comments can torpedo your momentum and stop the words cold.
- Failures – A failure outside of writing can block the words. Anything that causes grief, fear, or terror seems to stop the creative flow. I write best when I’m enthusiastic about life or the subject. A recent failure can definitely cause writer’s block.
- Information not understood – As a ghostwriter and technical writer, I often work with subjects I don’t fully understand. Not comprehending the material stops me dead.
- Illness – Something about throwing up makes it hard to write.
- Screen fatigue – Writing is introverting by nature. Sitting in front of a computer all day creates a hypnotic effect, headaches, stomach pain, and other problems. After a few hours at the screen, my writing jams up and the words refuse to flow.
- Lack of interest – Have you tried to write about something you don’t care about? I’ve written over a hundred technical manuals. Some were exciting. Others were dry and technical. I’ve written large manuals I knew no one would ever read, produced only for legal reasons. There’s more in my interview with fantasy author Suzanna Linton. It’s hard to stay motivated when you’re writing a hundred thousand words destined to collect dust on a shelf.
How to Overcome Writer’s Block
How do I get past writer’s block? Are there techniques that actually work?
- Set a quota – Setting a daily goal, say 5,000 words, motivates me to keep the words flowing. It becomes a game: can I hit the quota today despite all the interruptions?
- Write every day – Sitting down to write every single day matters. Even when I only have an hour due to other plans, I squeeze in time to write a blog post, finish a letter to the editor, or reply to emails.
- Protect your writing time – I set aside dedicated writing time every day. Other events get planned around it, not the other way around.
- Handle confusion immediately – Not understanding the material is one of my biggest blocks. Google is essential for research. The online dictionary helps too. One caution: Wikipedia is often inaccurate. I’ve blocked it from my Google searches.
- Get up and move – Every hour or so I get out of the chair and walk around. I check the mail, vacuum, dust, or just watch the bees buzzing on my deck.
- Switch projects – I always have several writing projects going at once. When I’m blocked on one, I switch to another. Pick something completely different. This frees up brain cells and gets the words flowing again.
Beating Writer’s Block
No matter the cause, writer’s block can be handled. The best solution is the simplest: just start writing and keep writing, no matter what. Write your heart out. Before long, the words will flow again.
For more on writer’s block, see these articles:
- The 10 Types of Writer’s Block (and How to Overcome Them)
- How to Overcome Writer’s Block: 14 Tricks That Work
- How to Overcome Writer’s Block Once and for All
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes writer’s block?
Writer’s block has several common causes: fear of failure or judgment, perfectionism that rejects every sentence, lack of a clear plan or direction, burnout and fatigue, external distractions, and sometimes simply not knowing the material well enough yet. Which cause is at work matters, because different causes call for different fixes.
Is writer’s block real?
Yes, though it’s less a mysterious affliction than a set of identifiable obstacles, fear, perfectionism, lack of direction, fatigue, that stop words from flowing. Naming it as real but explainable is useful: instead of waiting for inspiration, you can diagnose the specific cause and address it directly. That’s far more effective than treating it as an unbeatable force.
How do you get rid of writer’s block?
I set a daily word quota, usually around 5,000 words, which turns writing into a game I try to win despite interruptions. I write every single day, even squeezing in an hour for a blog post or emails when my schedule is tight, and I protect that writing time by planning other events around it. When confusion about the material is the block, I research immediately using Google and an online dictionary instead of letting it fester. I also get up and move every hour or so, and I keep several projects going so I can switch to something completely different when one stalls. No matter the cause, the real solution is simply to start writing and keep writing until the words flow again.
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