You’re probably here because you have some writing to do. Whether you’re a life coach looking to expand their business through creative copy, or a fellow creative working on their first novel, we’re all here for one thing:
To beat the dreaded writer’s block.
As both a copywriter and aspiring author, I know how hard it is when the words just don’t come to you. You need to meet a deadline, or you need to create a clever sales funnel that converts. To do that, you need to write!
It’s stressful, isn’t it? To stare at a blank page and feel nothing but anxiety.
We’re going to conquer this together. It’s my job to help you create amazing content for your business or help your creative dreams come true.
Let’s take a look at why writer’s block is so dang hard to overcome.
What causes writer’s block?
Although writer’s block can feel as dramatic as any mental block (especially if you write for a living like myself!) it’s not actually a psychological condition. The conditions that result in you experiencing writer’s block are actually common in many life scenarios.
Writer’s block is most commonly caused by perfectionism, fear of failure, self-criticism, and pressure from external sources. When you think of it this way, writer’s block is just a reflection of any combination of these scenarios. It could just as easily apply to any other task you have to do.
Writer’s block is just a testament to how difficult the task of writing is. Very few activities demand such a combination of focus, creativity, skill, and vulnerability. It’s only natural that some of these elements may fall out of place from time to time.
If you can be aware of why your writer’s block is afflicting you, you can start to make some progress in overcoming it.
Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will
The most important thing to remember is to not get discouraged. Just because you may be experiencing writer’s block doesn’t mean you aren’t cut out to be a writer. There are plenty of tactics you can use to overcome writer’s block.
(If you’re trying to overcome writer’s block in writing copy for your business, you can always outsource! Check out my portfolio here to learn more about my writing services.)
Don’t stop creating just because your confidence hasn’t caught up with your creativity yet.
As they say, done is better than perfect. If you can just get something done, you can edit and tweak it later to make it wonderful.
And remember, not everything you write has to be perfect! Get very comfortable producing a lot of B- work. It’s the only way you can keep up with the demands of your writing and improve your skills. Let go of the need to make every project perfect.
Related: Learning to Love Progress, Not Perfection
Ok, I love practical tips, so here are the top things you can do to combat writer’s block:
1. Get some space
Get some space from your writing if you are able to. Sometimes just staring at your computer screen can only increase your anxiety around writing. Take a few steps back to let the creative process breathe a little.
Try switching up the scenery you’re writing in. This can be effective in jumpstarting creativity.
Utilizing the concept of liminal space can help spark ideas. Switch up where you are doing your work by going outside, trying a new coffee shop, or renting a coworking space. Many writers find this can help your productivity and creativity.
It’s the slight feeling of discomfort you capitalize on to create great work. A lot of creators and artists used this at the start of the pandemic to create some amazing work (Looking at you Miss Taylor Swift…) They used the discomfort to create something they would have never created otherwise.
2. Brain dump anything
Free writing can also be a catalyst for overcoming writer’s block. Try journaling for 5 minutes straight just to get thoughts out of your head that are only taking up space.
If you’re working on creative writing or copywriting, try doing a demo project where you write the first thing that comes to mind. You don’t have to share that work with anyone, but you might get some good ideas out of it.
Brain dumping can also be a good practice at the beginning of your day to organize your thoughts. There is this sense of letting go when you allow yourself to just write without judgment.
Leave it on the page, so your brain only has what is conducive to your work.
3. Pull from inspiration sources
Pull inspiration from sources that inspire you or assign yourself a writing prompt. Many writers find writing about something that inspires them helps them get the creative juices flowing.
Try these inspiration prompts:
- Rewrite the plot of your favorite movie, but in a completely different genre
- Write a new verse to a song you like
- Rewrite advertisements to see if you can make them better
- Write fanfiction
- Write the summary of a book that hasn’t come out yet
- Take a Taylor Swift song and write it into a short story
These activities don’t have to be perfect! You should start to feel your neurons firing with creativity. You never have to share these ideas, but they can help stretch and strengthen your creativity muscle.
4. Take a walk
Don’t underestimate the power of stretching your legs out of doors! The mind-body connection for creatives is just as important as the work you do on a daily basis.
Walking can allow your mind to wander to wherever it wants to be. You may just find you come up with your best ideas while on a hike. That’s certainly been the case for me!
Related: The Complete Guide To Setting SMART Goals For Creatives
5. Give yourself parameters
As creators, we typically don’t like adhering to a set of rigid rules. It’s why we’re in the creative business in the first place. But sometimes adding some parameters to your work can act as guardrails rather than roadblocks.
Self-imposed constraint may be the tool you need to get you out of a creative rut. Research has shown that those who give themselves constraints to work around often come up with even more creative ideas as a result.
So as a writer, why not try writing copy without any words that have the letter “E”? Can you try writing 1000 words in a half-hour? If you’re a creative writer, try writing a dialogue that goes alphabetically? Let me start us off.
“Absolutely anyone can be a great writer.”
“But those who doubt themselves will never get far”
“Can’t you make some allowances for those struggling with writer’s block?”
“Don’t make excuses for them!”
Ooh, that’s fun…
6. Copy someone else’s work
Is there something out there that you wish you wrote? I could name a dozen songs, books, and even web copy that I wish I wrote.
So try writing that! No idea is original, so don’t feel bad about trying your hand at a recycled idea. Obviously, you can’t claim ownership over this work (hello plagiarism), but copying something that you love could be a great way to expand your writing expertise.
Check out this summary of the book, Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon to discover the benefits of stealing ideas.
“There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope.”
Mark Twain
7. Read your old material
Reading some of your old work can get your brain working in a new direction to move past writer’s block. Maybe you love some of your old work! This can serve as a reminder of what you are capable of and help build your confidence to get out of writer’s block.
Perhaps you read some of your old work and cringe (hello, same 🙋♀️). Take this opportunity to write your old work, but make it better this time. It’s a great way to see how your skills have developed over time.
Personally, I love editing old pieces of my own or of my clients. In a way, I feel like the hero because I can lend my expertise to improve something.
8. Switch mediums
You’re probably here because you’re a writer, but is there another medium of creative work you have experience in? Or something creative you’ve always wanted to try?
Switching up your creative activity can allow for another path for inspiration to thrive. As a writer you can try:
- Drawing
- Coloring
- Playing an instrument
- Dancing
- Singing
- Composing
- Crafting
- Design
For myself, I love creating collages on Canva Pro when I need a different way to express ideas. With a variety of images, fonts, and texts, it’s an incredibly user-friendly way to create mood boards or collages.
9. Give yourself a deadline and stick to it
Do you work well under pressure? It’s time to find out! Giving yourself a deadline to get your writing done can pull you right out of a state of writer’s block.
Sometimes the stress of a fast-approaching deadline can jump-start a creative flow and produce our best work. If you start viewing stress as a catalyst for creativity, rather than a creative block, it starts to work in your favor.
Ok, I know this is a 9 part list, but I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t mention this last item:
Just refuse to believe in writer’s block.
Since we covered that writer’s block isn’t actually a physiological condition, you can make it go away by just refusing to believe in its existence. Just call it what it is: fear, imposter syndrome, self-doubt, etc.
Don’t cling to the belief that you’re a writer who suffers from writer’s block. You’re a great writer, who sometimes lacks confidence. But you already have every tool you need to get through it and start writing something amazing.
Just don’t let it get the best of you, and don’t stop writing!
And if you don’t really want to beat writer’s block, you can take a look at my writing services here and I can do it all for you. 😉
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