Writer’s Block Is Just a Myth: Here Is What Is Really Stopping You

 

“I have writer’s block.”

It is said like a diagnosis. Treat it like some mysterious illness. An unavoidable rite of passage. It sounds trustworthy and even clinical- like the creative muscles have been hijacked, and the brain frozen.

But here is the alarmingly uncomfortable truth:

Writer’s block is not real.

Not in the way that most people stereotypically think of it- as some sort of external, unpredictable force that falls upon you without warning and limits your ability to write. What we generally refer to as “writer’s block” is simply a convenient term for a myriad of psychological, emotional, and practical reasons.

These challenges, for sure, are real. But they are not unfixable. And most importantly, they are not mysterious. They have names, reasons, and most importantly- solutions.

Let’s remove the curtain and assess the true nature of the issue when you say you are “blocked.”

Part 1: The Dangerous Romance of Writer’s Block

The myth of writer’s block is alluring because it provides us with the opportunity to evade responsibility. If you have some mysterious block to your flow, then of course you can’t write. You’re stuck.

This myth has been reinforced by generations of tortured-artist myths: the introverted novelist can’t find the words for even one page, the poet crouched down next to a crumpled-up stack of paper, the screenwriter drinks coffee and pushes through all night hoping for divine guidance.

We’re told that writing is about waiting for the muse to strike — that when the time is right, when the stars align, the words will flow.

But not only is this thinking unproductive — it’s harmful.

If you wait and only write when you’re “inspired,” you won’t write very often. The most successful writers don’t sit and wait until they are “ready.” They sit down and write. Because they understand writing is not a magical gift. It’s a skill.

Part 2: The Real Reasons You’re “Blocked”

Let’s look more closely at what is actually happening below the surface.

1. Fear of Being Seen (Fear of Judgment)

This is probably the most common — and powerful — reason for writers stalling. You’re not just putting words on paper; you’re laying bare thoughts.

Deep down, you may worry:

• “What if everyone thinks this is stupid?”
• “What if I’m not as good as I think I am?”
• “What if no one cares?”

 

Even if no one will ever read what you are going to write today, worrying about what might be said in the future can leave you frozen. It’s like playing on a team with a crew of imaginary critics in your head acting as lookouts.

What to do instead:

• Write privately first. Give yourself full permission to write like nobody will ever see it. That little shift in perspective creates safety.
• Practice some detachment. Your work is not you. It is a product. You can change it, you can edit it, you can make it better later. Right now, you just need to create the raw version.
• Make small goals. Try writing 100 bad words. That’s it. You are not trying to impress anyone — you are just trying to start.

2. Perfectionism That Calls Itself Standards

Perfectionism is seductive. It tells you your standards are simply high. That you are ambitious enough to make the work a success.

But perfectionism will kill momentum.

The first draft of anything is supposed to be a mess. Nobody writes clean text the first time. When you’re writing and editing at the same time, you’re using two different brain modes — creative (the writing) and critical (the editing) — at once! The inner tension causes a kind of stagnation.

What to do instead:

• On purpose, write badly! Do your best to write an awful version of your idea. Usually, the pressure will drop and the imagination returns.
• Separate writing from editing. Schedule your draft writing and draft revision on different days — yes, ideally different days.
• Use “placeholder” writing. Don’t know how to say it just right? Write something like “[insert better example here]” and keep going.

3. No clarity or preparation

Sometimes “writer’s block” is just not knowing where you are going.

You sit down to write and then not knowing:

• What’s your point is.
• How are you going to organize your argument?
• What to use for examples or anecdotes.

 

The result? You get stuck — but not stuck because you are unable to write, but because you are lost.

What to do instead:

• Make a bullet-point list. Don’t get complicated. Just lay out the main points or steps that you need to cover.
• Use guiding prompts: Ask yourself, “What do I want the reader to know or feel by the end?” or “If I had to explain this in one sentence, what would it be?”
• Utilize guiding questions: Think to yourself, “What do I want my reader to know or feel at the end?” or “If I had to summarize this in one sentence, what would it be?”

4. Mental Fatigue and Burnout

When it comes to creativity, it takes energy, and let’s be honest, most of us are running on empty. You may have a full-time job, deadlines, meetings, notifications, family obligations, and your own goals or ambitions in the mix.

If you are feeling mentally tired, you are not “stuck.” You are burned out.

Writing requires mental energy. You need more than time; you need the actual energy costs of bandwidth.

What to do instead:

• Protect your peak energy time. Identify which time of day you engage in mental work and are mentally engaged, and schedule writing time during those moments.
• Rest before you are exhausted. Don’t wait until your brain is fried to take a break. Taking shorter, frequent breaks maximizes productivity. Rather than only writing certain length chunks of time to work, work in bursts.
• Try working for 25 minutes at a time with the Pomodoro technique. Use a timer, work with diligence, and then rest.

5. Procrastination in Disguise as Productivity

You might think you are working hard — you are studying, you are taking notes, you are reading yet another “how to be a better writer” blog post — but you are not actually writing.

This is active procrastination. You are close to the task, but you never really start. Why? Because starting is difficult. Here are some suggestions instead:

What to do instead:

• Set a timer for 10 minutes. Tell yourself you only have to write for 10 minutes. Tell yourself you only need to write for 10 minutes. Just 10 minutes. Most often, you’ll keep going.
• Create habits of writing that you make non-negotiable. You have a coffee, you have a playlist, you have a document open, and you put your phone on airplane mode. All these things help get your brain into “writing mode”.
• Create accountability. Find a writing community to join, put your goals publicly on social media, or set a deadline you need to meet with someone who won’t let you off the hook.

Part 3: Writing Is A Process, Not A Bolt From The Blue

If you think writing is something that happens for you at times of inspiration, most of your time you’ll be waiting to write something.

But if you think of writing as a process — a messy, iterative, imperfect process — then you’ll show up and do the work even on the days you don’t want to do it.

And the truth is: action creates momentum. Words create more words. Once you start putting your fingers on the keyboard, even if you’re writing a bunch of crap, your brain begins to formulate ideas, find clarity, and establish flow.

Professional writers — the writers you respect — are not mythical creatures. They are people who have trained themselves to work in spite of the resistance, instead of waiting for it to pass.

The Last Word: You’re Not Blocked. You’re Just Stuck — And That Can Be Fixed.

“Writer’s block” is a catchall phrase. And like all catchall phrases, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more you use this phrase, the more helpless you will feel.

But the actual causes of your stuckness are not a mystery. They have names: fear, perfectionism, lack of clarity, distraction, exhaustion. And once you give them names, you can work with them — not against them.

Next time you find yourself staring at a blank page and stuck:

• Do not say “I’m blocked.”
• Say, “I can’t think of anything to write about. Let me figure out what is going on.”

 

That transition — from confusion to understanding — may be all you need to start writing again.

Call to Action:

Have you suffered from “writer’s block” lately? Try writing about what’s really going on, and then go do it. Start with

“What am I not doing right now, and why?”

It may open up more than just your next sentence.

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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Photo credit: Nick Morrison on Unsplash

 

The post Writer’s Block Is Just a Myth: Here Is What Is Really Stopping You appeared first on The Good Men Project.

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