I’m not the type of person that turns to Google to solve my problems. I don’t just Google ‘writer’s block’ to help me sort my issues. But when I do, it is for legitimate research, and only partially and slightly out of curiosity.

Alright. My name is Aleksandra and I have writer’s block. 

At least I said it!

Before you skim half this page to find out answers to your own problems, let me tell you that your solution is right here. This is what I did to battle my writer’s block – I wrote about it. 

I took myself on a therapeutic route of carefully structuring and writing an article about how to overcome writer’s block. It got me reading, it got me thinking, it got me jotting down ideas (pen on paper), but it also had me in rage, and I finally decided to share my thoughts with you. Here are some of my findings. 

Don’t trust Google and other awful advice on writer’s block

Alright, so I promised you there would be some bashing in this article. This is the part where I have to put a disclaimer and say ‘no offense to the following writers and their opinionated pieces that they can take and stick it up…’. 

Ahem. 

This is a disclaimer to say I have the utmost respect for writers of all paths of life, even if they give bad advice for the sake of ranking higher on Google. But some of their advice is just outrageous. Here are ones that really do rank high on Google that I found unbelievably unhelpful; ranked from worst to ok advice.

1. Go for a walk or go for a run. 

Really? Going for a walk is going to enlighten me with some unearthly powers, so that I get back home and feel ‘inspired’ to start writing? A walk! Take a walk! If you have writer’s block, no walk is going to help you (in my experience). Don’t get me started on running…

My advice:

Go for a walk, but with a purpose – to change your work environment. Go to a new cafe, go to a park, go to a different coworking space. Go to crowded places, quiet places, and watch how the environment has an impact on you. Bring some paper and a pen. Observe people. Record thoughts. Do it for the sake of trying something different. 

2. Get rid of distractions. 

Umm…I really don’t think distractions are the problem here. If I had distractions, I could come back and do my job – put those words on paper! If I had distractions, I’d have the peace of mind that I can a) get rid of them and come back to writing eventually, and b) have the peace of mind that it’s temporary. 

My advice:

Get distracted. Get so distracted you forget about writing for a while. One of the most common issues with writer’s block is actually sheer boredom. So do something different. If you don’t have to write for a living, then you can afford to abandon writing for a while. If you do do it for a living, keep reading for more applicable tips and some unconventional ones. 

3. Create a routine. 

You know, there are whole books written on ‘the power of habit(s)’. And some fellow writer wanted me to ‘get’ into routine…to fix my writer’s block. This is just misleading. If you haven’t formed a good routine by the time youre X years old, you won’t. And no book will help you either. 

My advice:

Break out of routine. I think we get really comfortable with the routine we’ve built for ourselves (be it good or bad). One thing that does help is doing something completely out of the ordinary. If your weekend plans were to stay home – go out. Do something fun. Get out of your comfort zone. Anything that will help you stop mulling over your writer’s block. 

4. Read a book. 

Alright, this one is fair. But sometimes, during a writer’s block, you don’t even want to pick up books! What do you do then? Books can remind us of other great wordsmiths that excelled, made sales, and even became famous; certainly they didn’t have writer’s block…and on and on and on. 

My advice:

Read some cookbooks, poetry, magazines. Review ads. Something quick and easy to digest. Reading this type of writing gives you the sense of quickly digesting information and you’re more likely to act on an inspired idea. 

5. Freewrite. 

This is a controversial one because I’ll agree with it partially. But only partially! If you have writer’s block, technically, it means you just Can’t. Get. Those. Words. Down. Right. Or, of course, you just don’t want to do it at all, or it’s been a while since you produced anything you’d be proud to put your name next to. 

My advice: 

Get a nice sketchbook. A plain one. Get a nice (but cheap pen), and doodle away. Not only doodle, but write stuff along the way. Try to freewrite, but if you’re stuck, record your thoughts of the day. Make to-do lists, recall movies you wanted to watch, write down your thoughts as they come to you. The trick is pen on paper, simple as that. To read up more on this very elaborate theory and technique with plain sketchbooks and a simple pen, jump to this article. 

Other ridiculous advice that was equally useless included things like ‘take a break’, ‘brew some coffee’, ‘you have too many ideas/ too few’, ‘create a deadline’…the list goes on. Why is there all this mediocre advice online? 

I suppose I am no expert myself, but it doesn’t take a genius to understand that really generic advice about brewing a cup of coffee WILL NOT help me or any one that’s reading this article. 

Writer’s block is serious. And has to be taken seriously. 

I don’t have a magic trick to solve all your problems with creativity or motivation, but I do have some things that I think might help with more unconventional advice on how to overcome it. I’ve worked this up over the years and it got me through some tough times. Hopefully you’ll see yourself pursuing some of these tips (or write an article bashing my tips! Why not?). 

Legitimate advice on how to overcome a writer’s block

Some advice on Google was not bad at all. Let’s quickly go over what might work for you:

1. Just write. 

Yes, many hate this but I standby that it’s the cure. I really think the trick is to find something you’re really opinionated about at the moment. If you’re unenthusiastic about absolutely everything, write shit. That’s ok too. Alternatively, step away from your work completely, and I think the enthusiasm for writing will eventually come back to you. Just remember that writing is the legitimate cure. 

2. Get to the root of the problem. 

There’s no need to refer to a shrink at this point, unless you’re going through an endless rut and are spiraling into depression (that happens too). But know there’s always a reason why you’re stuck or aren’t producing work you like. We go back to point 1 – write about it. Try to pour your thoughts about your writer’s block on paper or in a file. Keep digging if you’re unsatisfied. Put the spotlight on yourself. And then answer a question very honestly with yourself – what will help you get out of this situation? Even if it’s a small thing; maybe you want to have takeout and watch movies, and think about it later. Act on it. 

3. Practice another art form. 

This was a good one! Is there something you’ve always wanted to learn? Drawing? Painting? Sketching? Music? A new language? Take a course! Commit! Write about it! Doing something completely different will help you break out of that rut and possibly inspire you to come back to writing with a new mindset. 

So these are all great, but we want action! Results! Immediate gratification! 

And that, as you very well know, comes from producing great work. 

Unconventional advice on how to overcome a writer’s block

1. Treat yourself!

You know this meme? Yeah, well I’m not going to force you to buy stuff, but here’s food for thought – why not treat yourself? Get yourself new tools! A typewriter? You got it. New laptop? Ooo careful there. Jokes aside, buy yourself something you’ve always wanted. If it helps you with your writing, all the better. Books, new tools, notebooks, pens, other stationery, etc, etc, etc. 

2. Clean your damn house. 

Skip this one if you’re super tidy and dust your library of books on a daily basis. For us normal people, keeping things neat and in order on a daily basis is a chore. But you’ve got to clean. Like Monica from Friends. Find pleasure in taking care of your habitat. Chances are, a clean house and a neat desk might inspire you to get back to work. 

3. Write letters. 

Write letters to your friends. Sometimes, I open my email and write to someone I haven’t heard from in a while. Helps me put my thoughts in order and pour my heart out a little. Mind that you don’t even have to send those letters. Just write. Find a penpal if you don’t have friends. Or write letters you’ll never send to close family. You can complain and pour your frustrations into those letters, which accomplishes the job of you structuring your writing, getting your thoughts coherently in writing, and YES, finally writing. 

4. Take a copywriting course. 

That’s right, if you’re a writer, shove your interests aside for a second and try a copywriting course (which is complimentary to your interests). I chose this as my career path, so I’m never stuck on what to write. Interestingly, you have a lot more to say (and write) when it concerns a product or a random ad, rather than something you’re writing for yourself. Copywriting teaches you the art of being concise, slightly manipulative, and strategically cheeky to get people to take some kind of action. Be it short copy, articles, emails, or landing pages. 

5. Create a landing page. 

Speaking of landing pages, I created one for myself using ReadyMag just for the fun of constructing something partially artistic, and forcing myself to write a little bit about promoting myself as a copywriter. It helped. No-coding platforms make it easy to play around with design elements and text, so it’s just another trick up your sleeve if you’re stuck. Of course, do your research about landing pages as well and research the niche you’re creating the page for. Inspiration incoming!

Side note on self help books

I also read somewhere that self pity gets you nowhere. I disagree. Cry about it! Rage, throw some things around, scream into the pillow, literally cry if you have to. While you’re at it, pick up some self help books if you have issues in other areas of your life, and read something that you think will help.

This is not to say that it will help you directly with your writer’s block, but I find that self help books tick some kind of imaginary box in my brain that I’m doing something to resolve an inner issue. And then you get to feel like you learned something from a person that’s eloquent, so why not. 

Why the internet is full of bad advice and my final thoughts

As I’m writing this, one piece of advice clings on to me as particularly annoying. Someone said you have writer’s block because you have ‘too few ideas’. 

In all truth, it’s not because you have too few ideas, or because you’re somehow uninspired. A writer’s block can be about unresolved issues. Things that bother you: crammed mind, messy house, etc. It can be any of those! And there is not one universal solution. 

This is why so often we find generic advice, people trying to appeal to other people on some very basic level. But you really do have to dig to the root of it – what is making you feel stuck? If you’re honest with yourself and can answer this question, you also have a solution. 

Don’t want to write anymore? Want to quit your job? Want to switch career paths, hobbies, or do something new? Go for it. But be honest with yourself. 

Natalie Goldberg was once asked at a conference or some kind of writers retreat: “So what is it, what’s the best piece of advice on how to write well?” Natalie picked up her notepad and made an imaginary scribbling motion on it with a pen. 

So there you have it. You also scrolled to the bottom to find the answer. Go out there and write! It’s a matter of finding what you want to write about. So take my example – find something that really ticks you off and take it apart like I did. 

It did the trick, didn’t it?