Writer’s block is one of the most common questions I get asked as an author. And the honest answer is this: it still happens to me. Regularly. It doesn’t disappear just because you’ve written multiple books. It doesn’t go away because you have a contract deadline. If anything, the pressure of deadlines can make it more noticeable.
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Over the years, I’ve stopped trying to eliminate writer’s block. Instead, I’ve learned how to move through it without panicking or abandoning the manuscript altogether.
Here’s what that actually looks like for me when it comes to working through writer’s block.
I step away, intentionally
When I feel stuck, I don’t force words onto the page just to say I wrote something. Instead, I step away.
Sometimes that means a few hours. Sometimes it means a day or two. I’ve learned that there’s a difference between productive writing and writing that comes out of stubbornness. If I push too hard when my mind is clearly resisting, the writing usually becomes flat or overly complicated and I usually end up deleting it and starting over!
Taking a short break doesn’t mean I’ve given up. It usually means my brain needs space to reorganize the idea or get fresh motivation.
I change my writing location
Environment affects energy more than we realize. If I’ve been writing at my desk and feel stuck, I’ll move. That might mean going to a different room, working from a café, sitting outside, or even just shifting to the dining table for an hour.
The change itself resets something mentally. It interrupts the frustration loop that can build when I’ve stayed in the same space trying to solve the same paragraph.
I don’t romanticize this. It’s not about aesthetic writing spots to take photos for social media (lol). It’s about breaking the mental pattern that’s keeping me stuck.
I allow my brain to rest with something mindless
When I hit a wall, sometimes the most productive thing I can do is something completely unproductive.
I’ll watch something mindless on TV or I’ll fold laundry or take a walk without a podcast playing. Sometimes I’ll even cook or bake!
It sounds counterintuitive, but those low-effort activities often create space for the idea to settle in my head. Many times, a solution or transition will come to me in the middle of doing something unrelated.
Writer’s block, for me, is rarely about a lack of ability. It’s usually mental fatigue or overthinking. So for me, resting helps.
I revisit the outline
If I’m truly stuck, I go back to my original structure. Structure has always been central to my process, even before drafting begins. I outline heavily at the proposal stage, which I explain in How I Write a Book Proposal (From Concept to Submission).
Because I outline before drafting, I can step back and ask: where am I in making this point? What is this chapter meant to accomplish? Did I drift away from the core idea?
Sometimes writer’s block is a signal that I’ve wandered too far from the structure.
Revisiting the outline helps me reconnect to the original intention of the chapter. From there, it becomes easier to move forward again.
I lower the standard temporarily
One of the biggest causes of writer’s block for me has been trying to make the paragraph perfect too early. When I catch myself doing that, I deliberately lower the standard and just keep writing.
This allows me move on to the next section even if the previous one isn’t polished because I know I can revise later. And almost always, I do.
I talk more about how I approach imperfect drafts and why I don’t obsess over early edits in What My First Draft Actually Looks Like (And What The Process Has Taught Me), because managing expectations at the drafting stage reduces a lot of unnecessary pressure.
I remind myself that this is part of the process
Writer’s block used to feel like a sign that something was wrong. Now, I see it as a normal phase in a long project.
Part of building longevity as an author has been learning not to panic during those slower seasons. I reflect more on that in I’ve Written 6 Books In 8 Years: What That Has Taught Me About Building A Sustainable Author Career, because pacing matters just as much as productivity.
I’ve realized that writing a book is not linear. Some chapters come together easily. Others require more time and distance. That doesn’t mean the book isn’t working. It means the work is unfolding.
When I zoom out and look at the full manuscript instead of the one stubborn section, the pressure decreases.
What I’ve learned about working through writer’s block
For me, writer’s block is usually one of three things:
- Mental fatigue
- Perfectionism
- Loss of clarity
The solution for me is to create space. Sometimes that space is a few hours or it’s a change of scenery. Or sometimes it’s mindless television and letting my brain rest. The key is that I always return.
Over time, I’ve learned to trust that if I step away thoughtfully and come back with fresh eyes, I have a fresh task. And this process for me is what has allowed me to finish six book, despite the writers block.