Someone asked me anonymously about writer’s block.

I often experience writer’s block, and I’m not sure what to do about it.. I mean, I get this really awesome idea and start writing, but then I get stuck :/

Does the same thing sometimes happen to you, and if so what would you usually do about it?

I think every writer regularly has that problem. Ironically enough there are whole books on “writer’s block.”

Sometimes I have great ideas and don’t know how to write them, sometimes I forget the idea I wanted to write while writing, and sometimes I just have no idea at all but still want to write.

For me writer’s block has the same cause as most of procrastination, maybe it is even a form of procrastination: I want to write something and I want it to be interesting and engaging and completely novel and fresh.

The problem is that this just doesn’t happen. You might have ideas in your head - but they will never look the same way on paper. The idea in your head will always transform - sometimes for worse, but usually for the better - when you write it. But every time it transforms it will feel worse because it is different from what you expected. Perfection is unachievable.

So how do you break through writer’s block? I think the best way is to start writing. You might think that you need to have a full story in your head or that everything needs to be planned out, but the reality is this:

Either you write a story or you don’t. There is nothing in between. And the worst story on paper is still better than the best story in your head. The story in your head will eventually fade away to make room for other thoughts and ideas. But the story on paper (or coded in bits and bytes) stays. And the written story has a magical property that improves it the longer it exists. The magic is called “revision.”

When I’m utterly uninspired, or when I have an idea but don’t know how to write it out - I literally sit down and force myself to write. I write whatever comes to my mind, no matter how strange or stupid it may seem. Make a full sentence, then add another and another and at some point you find the flow.

Often I think that what I write is bad. Even while writing I will think this is horrible, I should never write anything again. But I continue writing, I force myself to continue because I know that a story is better than no story. I will finish it (the short story or the chapter) in one sitting, or at least as soon as possible - no matter how bad the ending. I sometimes take short breaks for the bathroom or to get something to drink - but I never make those more than five minutes.

Then, when I can finally say “this is finished” I take a break. I have a sandwich; make tea; take a shower. I do things that are relaxing but that don’t bombard me wiht other people’s thoughts and ideas (TV, radio, online news or funny pictures don’t work for me).

During those minutes away from my writing my mind feels light and free. An idea is out, there is new, fresh breathing space in my brain. And while I am busy distributing cheese on bread or staring at a kettle, my mind keeps churning but in a different, more creative mode. Without any conscious effort ideas jump in my head - what to change, how to add a twist, how to make the beginning more interesting, or just how to make the character(s) more flavorful. Sometimes even whole new stories.

So, this is what I do when I don’t know what to write: I write. Then I take a break. And then I sit down and look at whatever I wrote. If it’s bad I save it and let it disappear in my Dropbox or Google Drive; and then I usually write something else to make up for my first “failure”. If I feel it’s good enough to share - I throw it out into the world.

Oh, one last thing: Always have something to take notes with. I always carry a notebook around and my phone has several different note taking apps.

When you write a story sometimes you will find yourself hours or days later, while walking towards the supermarket, or while trying to fall asleep and one of those great, shiny-bright flashes jumps into your head. But if you don’t jot it down straight away it will be gone forever. That’s how I get my best ideas for improvement - and whole new stories.