Writer-in-Residence: Understanding and Overcoming Writer’s Block

Written by Intisar Khanani, Writer-in-Residence

Have you ever been working on a story and then found yourself unable to go on? You have the time, but you can’t find the words—or perhaps you can’t even make yourself sit down to write? 

Writer's block is a very real phenomenon, which means it also has very real solutions, though some are definitely harder than others. I’ve spent my fair share of time trying to understand and overcome my own writer’s block. Along the way I’ve done plenty of research on the topic that I hope will help you as well!

What is Writer's Block?

The Merriam-Webster definition is simply: a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece.

This could mean that you can’t write at all. Or that, when you do, you work at a much slower pace than usual. Or that you find it difficult or even exhausting to write.

The exact details can manifest differently from writer to writer, but symptoms may include the inability to focus, feeling mentally foggy, a lack of inspiration, and feeling stressed or frustrated.

Understanding Root Causes

There are a whole host of reasons why you may experience block. In order to address what’s holding you back, then, it’s important to first pause and ask yourself how you usually reflect on your life. Because the way forward is to start by examining both your story and your life to identify root causes.

Do you like to journal? Get out that notebook and pen! Do you like to go for long solitary walks to allow yourself space to reflect? Or talk to a friend who will ask the right questions? Or just dictate into your phone while you stare out the window? Whatever it is you do that allows you to reflect and dig into your life and your story, that’s where you’ll need to start.

Ask yourself:

• What is stopping me from moving forward?
• Have I lost interest in the story? Or is there something about the story itself that isn’t working? What is it?
• Is the story hitting too close to home? In what way?
• Do I have too many other things on my plate? What are they?
• Do I have the mental / emotional / physical energy to write? If not, why?

Take your time working through these questions—the first answer you come up with might only touch the surface, so you might have to dig to get to the root of it.

Common Causes of Writer's Block

Below are some common causes of writer’s block, along with some initial pointers on how to address them. The real solution, though, will have to come from you, and may take quite a bit more reflection as well as calling on your support networks—or giving yourself grace and time. Continue to use the methods of reflection that work for you as you dig into these causes.

• Exhaustion/stress
• Burnout
• Medical conditions/general health
• Fear/perfectionism/unrealistic expectations
• Boredom
• Too many distractions (in your life or your story)
• Emotional intensity (the project hits too close to home)
• You’re lost/unexpected things happen in the story

I’ve put together a document going into more detail about each of these causes. This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list; it just discusses the more typical causes, and the strategies to address them are also therefore more general.

What you need is going to be up to you to discern, but I hope these resources will help you get a start on finding your way!

I’ll be digging further into these causes and how to address them in my upcoming workshop Understanding and Overcoming Writer’s Block on Wednesday, May 13 from 6-7:30 p.m., and would love to see you there! Register.