I'm inspired to write, but words don’t come out. Even I know what scenes I’ll write. It’s been a year of taking a break from writing. :c
hey, anon. this is a really tough spot to be in and i sympathize. we all have dry periods, and as tough as it is to admit, that's part of the creative process.
however, when it's been stretching on for so long that it starts to feel a little bit like despair, then it becomes important to address it and see what you can do to help yourself out.
How To Escape Writer's Block
what i would suggest is to walk yourself through these questions. if the answer to any of is 'no', take the necessary steps to make them 'yes'. usually when i do this, the gears kick back into place before i've even made it all the way down the list.
so, in order of importance:
1. are you sure you're not just burnt out?
this can happen when you have been working hard in any area of your life and can affect your writing even if you haven't burnt yourself out with writing.
if you're burnt out, the cure is time and giving yourself grace. it's ok, you'll get your spark back. i recommend consuming a lot of media you love to get your charge back.
2. are you physically taking care of yourself?
sometimes we get to the keyboard and we are exhausted, hungry, dehydrated, etc without even realizing it (especially if you're neurodivergent like i am and can disconnect from your body pretty easily!! y'all, don't procrastinate eating and drinking and going to the bathroom. don't do that).
take care of those issues before you try writing. i highly recommend youfeellikeshit.com, which guides you through a questionnaire to help you figure out why you feel gross.
3. do you have a regular writing practice?
sometimes you can be not burnt out and physically fine and you just can't seem to write anything when you get a spare moment to.
i highly recommend setting a super super low goal (50-100 words) to hit daily, whether it's for a single project or just overall for whatever you're writing (i do the second one) and then making sure you get to your notebook or your computer or your typewriter or your phone or whatever you use to write and making it happen.
brains are silly and sometimes need training. finding a routine that words for you can do wonders for opening the word floodgates.
4. are you excited about the project you're trying to work on?
simple question. easy answer. sometimes we get caught up writing what we feel like we're "supposed" to be writing. enough with that bullshit. write what you love. write about something that makes you so excited it distracts you from your real life on occasion. write about the thing you daydream about. you can worry about marketability and all that later. this is just about getting the words out of your head and somewhere you can look at them.
yes, this is permission to write that super self indulgent thing. i wrote an extremely self indulgent book and it's being published by a big 5 publisher so like. do it.
5. have you tried writing something unrelated just to get words flowing?
you've made it through the questionnaire and you still draw a blank when you get to your desk/couch/bed/ground/haunted cave/office. it's time to wiggle your pencil. it's time to write literally everything that crosses your brain until you are typing or writing words and making them happen. they don't have to make sense. they don't have to be remotely related to your project. they are just words to get your word-making muscles working. it sounds stupid. try it tho
that's about it for my advice! one note that is essential, though:
if you are ill in any way, mentally or physically, do not beat yourself up if writing doesn't happen. it can be really discouraging to try and write through chronic pain or mental illness, but just know that you are not alone.
it's okay if it's not happening right now. you'll get there. you will have good days. putting pressure on yourself to write isn't going to help you.
remember that writing is fun and unless it is your job/career, you are under no obligation to anyone but yourself, and you're also the only one who can give yourself grace and permission to just be.
for all writers struggling with mental/physical illness and seasonal depression as we approach fall (and the dreaded month of november that is usually either horribly overwhelming or full of FOMO), reach out to your other writer friends. chances are, somebody else gets it. it's always easier to go through it with somebody who understands.
