Writer’s block can feel like a brick wall in your mind. The words stop flowing and the page seems impossible to fill. Maybe you feel like you don’t have what it takes to be a writer, or that you’ve somehow fooled people into thinking you do. The truth is, every creative struggle has a history.
One of the greatest fears of any creative person is what happened to Chuck “Fundamentally Sound” Knoblauch. Knoblauch was a major league baseball player for twelve seasons. As his nickname suggests, he was considered one of the best fielders in the game. All of a sudden, the unthinkable happened. He couldn’t throw the ball anymore. Not because of a physical injury, but some sort of odd curse. His throwing errors doubled in the span of a year. In one case, a pass to first base (normally his best throw) sailed into the stands and hit sportscaster Keith Olbermann’s mother right in the noggin. Nowadays, we call that “the yips.”
Don’t worry, odds are your writer’s block isn’t as bad as Knoblauch’s yips. Anyone can fall into a groove while writing and fall out just as easily. It doesn’t mean you’re a failure or undisciplined; sometimes there are blocks in creativity. Luckily, there are ways to alleviate writer’s block.
To help cure this ailment, in this article I’ll unpack the key causes of writer’s block and give you some tips to dig yourself out of your rut. Lastly, I’ll give you a Story Weapon to show you that writer’s block doesn’t mean you’re not a writer.
Writer’s block isn’t a personal failure but a common, often temporary response to stress, fear, perfectionism, or life distractions. By simplifying your approach, caring for yourself, and staying playful and patient, you can move through the block—and remember that hitting resistance is often a sign you’re doing meaningful work.
Causes of writer’s block
In 2022, a study authored by Sarah Ahmed and Dr. Dominik Guess of the University of North Florida was published in Creativity Research Journal under the title “An Analysis of Writer’s Block: Causes and Solutions.” They defined writer’s block as “a period during which a competent writer cannot produce new material.”
Let’s take a look at the four main causes they found in their research.
Physiological causes
The first cause they noted was physiological. This includes stress, anxiety, grief, and exhaustion. This might’ve been the case for our Chuck Knoblauch example. Right before his yips began, he went through a divorce and his father began to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. There might be stressors in your life; things outside your control that are siphoning energy away from your creative pursuits.
It can be tempting to consider writing a sort of holy suffering, where your own problems are secondary. It hardly benefits your writing to treat it this way, however. The art is secondary; you are primary. When you feel that you just can’t write, practice the art of restraint and step away from the page. Take time to heal, rejuvenate, and rest. The paper will still be there when you’re ready to return.
Motivational causes
The second cause these researchers noted were issues in the psyche, mainly a fear of criticism, performance anxiety, and a lack of enjoyment in the process. We’ve all been there. No matter how successful you may become through writing, the demon of self-doubt is always lurking around the next corner. You might call it imposter syndrome.
So what do you do when you have lost motivation? In this case, stepping away from the page might not solve the problem. Instead, consider staying out of the result and focusing on the process. Allow the thrill of creation to be your reward. Allow yourself to “write poorly,” and just get the words down. By the way, this will not lead to poor writing, but in fact, the opposite. You will discover that when you stay out of the result you tap more deeply into that wellspring of subconscious material that is only accessible when one allows themself to relax and be a channel. Creating art is about playing on the page.
“And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.”
– Anne Lamott
Cognitive causes
The third cause is a flaw in approach. The researchers noted that perfectionism, under-planning, over-planning, and rigid thinking get in the way of writing. You might be forcing something, like trying to push the story in a certain direction you think an audience would like or avoiding sensitive issues that really need to be addressed in the work. Maybe you’re laboring over word choice and sentence structure, hamstringing the creative flow.
The trick to untying cognitive knots you’ve created is to abide by one rule: simplify, simplify, simplify.
You’ll know instantly if you fit into this category. You know if you’ve outlined too much and avoided the work of actual writing. You know if you’ve been too right-brained to bother outlining anything at all. The more you can simplify, the less obstacles there are between you and the muse.
Behavioral causes
The final reason the researchers found was problems sourced in our outside lives. These include procrastination, interruptions, distractions, or simply being too busy to write. All of these get in the way of actually writing and it’s easy to blame yourself when they happen. We all feel a little disorganized at times and protecting time to write is surprisingly difficult.
How can we address this cause of writer’s block? Let’s borrow some language from Aldous Huxley, in his book Island:
“It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them.”
It’s not as serious as you’re making it, which is a relief. If you’re too busy to write chapters and scenes, maybe this isn’t the season for it. You can always develop your writing by reading more or just writing little poems between meetings. Get at least a few minutes of writing in each day.
If you’re procrastinating, maybe you need a break anyway. If you’re getting interrupted or distracted during work, take a notebook and a pen instead of a computer. Slow the process down and savor the words.
Cures for writer’s block
“Nothing’s a better cure for writer’s block than to eat ice cream right out of the carton.”
– Don Roff
Here are some of my favorite cures for writer’s block. Try them all and see what sticks for you.
Movement is medicine
We’re not just brains in bodies; we’re complete beings that need more than a desk to be productive. When you’re feeling stuck, try to move your body. That might be an exercise routine or just a walk. It might be a swim, a bike ride, or yoga.
Nourishing your body is a wonderful way to keep yourself from despairing while writing. Once the blood is flowing, you’ll probably find that you’ve chipped away at your writer’s block.
Engage with art
It’s good to remember that we don’t write in a vacuum. There are countless artists out there making wonderful works of art. Sometimes your creative mind needs to connect with something outside yourself. Watch a movie, read a book or some poetry, maybe stop by an art museum. Letting yourself feast is great inspiration to keep cooking.
Go on a side quest
If you just want to keep writing in spite of the block, try filling out details about something in the world of your story that’s not directly relevant to the plot. Maybe write a prequel moment or imagine the setting of the world a thousand years in the future.
You could even take your characters and plop them into Hogwarts or a spaceship. It might seem silly, but seeing how they fit into a completely different world might teach you something about them. Plus seeing which Hogwarts house your characters get can be a lot of fun.
Face your shadow
There might be something you’re avoiding that’s blocking your progress. Perhaps there’s an emotionally resonant part of the piece that’s too painful to address or you’re hesitant to depict a violent scene.
Whatever it is, remember that the desire to write is deeply connected to the desire to evolve. If there’s a part of your shadow self that needs to see the light, work up some courage and go face the fear. You’ll be a new person when you return to the page.
Your story weapon: You’re not alone
When the words won’t click and the page feels hostile, it’s easy to assume something has gone wrong. You might think you’ve lost your talent, your voice, or your right to call yourself a writer. But this experience is actually very common. Frankly, it’s an initiation into the world of writing. Writer’s block is proof that you’re pushing past the easy territory and into something that actually matters. So, welcome!
What ultimately distinguishes writers isn’t effortless inspiration or raw natural ability. It’s your endurance, and how you react to challenges. It’s the willingness to meet resistance with curiosity instead of panic, to rest when rest is needed, and to return to the page without shame. Sometimes progress looks like writing; sometimes it looks like stepping away and trusting that the words will find you again.
Be patient with yourself when you encounter writer’s block. The page will wait, and when you come back you’ll find that you’re still a writer.
If writer’s block is something you’re wrestling with right now, you don’t have to face it alone. Join one of my next workshops: The 90-Day Novel, The 90-Day Memoir, Story Day where we’ll dig into the roots of creative resistance, and you can write in a space that values process over perfection.
