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Eight Tips for Writer's Block
October 23, 2025
Artist Insight
Jocelyn Osoria
Creative blocks come and go -- or at least, they're supposed to. Sometimes blocks are more like stubborn squatters. Whatever you do, stay calm. From firsthand experience, there is nothing worse for creative block than beating yourself up for the misfortune. Easier said than done, but you have to utilize whatever resources you have to minimize negative thoughts and excessive pressure to perform. To aid with this ailment, I have compiled a list of helpful tips that I implement whenever I can't get even a few words out. These tips are more effective when implemented in the longterm. While blocks can never be avoided altogether, they can be minimized with the right attitude and approach to writing.
Without further ado, take a gander at the eight tips to help defeat writer's block.
Avoid Burnout
Again, I know this is easier said than done. However, prevention is crucial here. A lot of times, creative blocks come with fatigue, and if most of us are being honest with ourselves, it is because we're burnt out. Gluing your eyes to a screen or your hand to a pencil for too long isn't exactly stimulating to the brain. Make sure to work in regular breaks, mental and physical, from writing. Taking this approach prevents you from exhausting your creative juices all at once, and leaving yourself high and dry after days of non-stop clicking and clacking.
Give it a Break
Writer’s block is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be insufferable. Hear me out; try to ruminate in the block for a little while before immediately trying to force sentences onto the page. It’s like tossing and turning in bed; you will quickly become restless. It is better to get up, distract yourself, become tired, and try to sleep again. Unlike sleep, however, there’s no melatonin supplement you can take to spontaneously overcome a creative block. Let your brain rest, and live life.
Use Force
If it’s been an extended writer’s block, the opposite could be helpful – force yourself to write anything at all. Use prompts, use deadlines, use word count goals. Focus on short stories/individual scenes/chapters to build momentum up. It doesn’t have to be good. Whatever you do – Do. Not. Delete. Do. Not. Edit.
Compartmentalize
You are just one human in one millisecond in the tradition of storytelling. There are no new stories to tell – just different ways to tell old stories. You don’t have to consciously reinvent the wheel, or stun the world. Storytelling within itself is a valuable practice and staple of the human experience. Your work keeps this tradition going, and that is all you have to aspire to do.
Fuel for Artistic Flames
I am a firm believer that in order to write well, you must read. Sometimes, writers forget that there are billions and billions of ideas floating around, waiting for you to notice them. Pick up a book on your TBR list, and enjoy it. Allow yourself to connect to those ideas, and release the pressure on yourself to be the artist. Let someone else be the writer for once. You could even watch a movie if reading isn’t in your schedule. Plenty of writers get inspired by visual media as well. Whatever it might be, don’t starve your brain of artistic fuel!
Write Something New
Now that you’ve taken a few days, at least, don’t immediately return to the same project that had you stumped, unless you’ve been struck by furious inspiration during your break. Whether you have an ongoing project or not, try writing something new. Short exercises should suffice. Change up the genre, the tone, the themes, the characters, the setting, or all of the above. Allow yourself to explore different ideas than the ones you are used to. It doesn’t matter how much experience you have writing these particular topics – no one has to see it but you.
Allow the illogical to become logical
When writing first drafts, ignore all logic. Just do it. Don’t sit there thinking about the nitty gritty details of worldbuilding and logistics – focus on taking the story forward. You can and you will fix any plotholes and logical errors in the editing phases. You need a draft to edit in the first place.
Exchange Ideas
Have a trusted peer/mentor look over a work that is stumping you, and be open to prescriptive advice. You can always go back and change it later. If you don’t have an ongoing project, have them look over past pieces and offer insight on your weaknesses/strengths.
If these tips didn’t work, don’t blame me. Seriously, though, there could be a specific, deeper issue that I (connected to you, the reader, solely through a screen) cannot address. Perhaps there are health (mental or physical) issues that have to be acknowledged. Perhaps there are economic barriers, due to the unfortunate capitalist system we find ourselves in. Perhaps there is a lack of adequate time or space for you to fully engage in writing. Whatever it may be, be kind and be easy on yourself. A writing journey is a marathon, not a sprint.