How to beat writer’s block

How to beat writer’s block

by Leo Wiles
18 May 2018

I attended a writing workshop recently where people shared their battle with writing (and writer’s block).  One attendee even likened the process for him being akin to childbirth or going to the toilet.

While I find both of these analogies distasteful, it did trigger memories from my early freelance days of countless hours circling my desk, cradling cups of tea, folding the washing and cleaning the kitchen floor hoping that by some miracle the elusive words would eventually come. And sitting there in that workshop, with other hopeful bright-eyed 30-50 somethings, there was a sense of camaraderie. That feeling of being the ‘only one’ with writer’s block fell away.

Here are some ways you can bust through that dry spell – or move past that often crippling feeling of perfectionism we so often deal with as writers.

  • Drill down to when you’re at your most productive with this tracker by “The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy” author Chris Bailey, at Thrive Global. Heh, if nothing else it is a great procrastination tool that makes you feel like you’re working.
  • Free-fall and write as if no one was reading.  Works best when you unplug and minimise all external interruptions by silencing incoming alerts. (Shameless plug: our free Do Not Disturb door hangers might help!)
  • Find your tribe. Join one of the Melbourne or Adelaide Shut Up and Write groups, where you’ll find motivation in friendly group pressure and get to put your hermit M.O. on hold. If you live out of State, why not consider organising one in your hometown?
  • Set goals. Know what it is you want to accomplish with your daily writing and set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely) goals. Do you want to shoot for a specific word count, a set number of pieces, a financial target?
  • Turbo charge your writing by setting your Pomodoro timer for an hour of power in 25-minute chunks, and get down as many words as you can.  Sure, it may be quantity over quality – but with any luck, there will be some gems amongst it!
  • Practice fast writing, slow revising which means that you stop editing as you write, and leave your polishing, grammar and spell-check until the very end to maintain a cohesive flow.
  • Be inspired by the same place same time routines of Stephen King and Lolita’s Vladimir Nabukov. Both favoured morning writing sessions before their days got underway.
  • Live on the edge… with the slightly sadistic The Most Dangerous Writing App. Warning: it’s not for the faint hearted!
  • Minimise those slow starts by leaving your desk with the next paragraph already begun.  That way when you next sit down you’ve already got some momentum and not facing a gut-churning cold start.

Do you suffer writer’s block? How do you deal with it?

Leo Wiles
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