4 Things to Remember About Writer’s Block (Guest Post by Laura Boone)

Hi, Visionaries! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week! I'm so excited to have a guest by Laura Boone today! I met Laura on Instagram and have loved getting to know her a little and just enjoying her encouraging writing content!

So, today she's sharing some of that encouragement with you guys!

You know what panic feels like, right?

Of course, you do. You’re a writer and you get writer’s block. 

You’ve felt the growing dread that comes when inspiration seems to have deserted you, and your deadline has not. But while discouragement at such a time is entirely understandable, there are multiple reasons why it doesn’t have to rule. The negative might sound the most convincing in the moment, but if you believe the truth about your writing, you’ll prove discouragement wrong every time. 

1) Writer’s block doesn’t define you

While experiencing writers’ block, it’s easy to believe that you are lacking as a writer, just because inspiration isn't flowing. You may feel that if a writer is supposed to write, then not writing or writing slowly means that you aren’t a good writer, or not a writer at all. 

But think about it: you can’t have writer’s block unless you’re writing, you can’t be aware of your lack of inspiration unless you have a need for inspiration, and you can’t feel a lack of progress unless you’re seeking that progress. You can’t hit a wall unless you’re moving. Writer’s block is just a sign that you’re putting in the work.

Writer’s block doesn’t mean anything bad about you. It means that you may have to put in effort to get past it, but you don’t have to identify yourself with the difficulty. 

Dealing with writer’s block—getting unstuck, working through creative weariness, forcing yourself to try things until you find the right idea—is just part of the writing process. It has nothing to do with your skill or value as a writer. 

The amount of effort and time you put into working through a block doesn’t define you. The difficulty that writer’s block causes doesn't prove a lack of skill or competency in you—it proves that you’re authentic. 

Writers’ block doesn’t have anything to do with your skill as a writer. Don’t assume that just because you’re facing difficulty you’re not a good writer. Writer’s block actually means the opposite. It means you can be proud of yourself because you’re putting in the work, and because you took enough action to get past the part where writing is just fun.

2) Writer’s block doesn’t mean failure

Along with feeling like writer’s block reflects your skill as a writer, it’s easy to feel that it also reflects your success. It makes sense: a writer who’s supposed to be writing, isn’t. Doesn’t that mean that they’re failing? Actually—no. 

Just because you’re in a figurative valley in the writing process right now, doesn’t mean your journey is doomed. Just because you’re going slowly, having to pick your way over a rocky trail, doesn’t mean you’ve stopped making progress. You’re still on your way to the top of the mountain. You’re still on your way to success. 

The only way writer’s block can mean failure is if you allow it to stop you. If you stop writing when you hit a block, and start believing that you’re not a good writer and that you’ll never reach your version of success, then yes, writers’ block means failure. But even then, you can always start writing again. 

Writing even though it’s hard isn’t failing, spending hours trying out a succession of bad ideas until you find the right one isn’t failing, and writing slower than you usually do isn’t failing; don’t let discouragement convince you it is. 

3) Writer’s block is a chance to grow

Not only does writer’s block not mean that you’re failing, it means that you have a chance to grow and to improve as a writer. Working through writers’ block requires strength. 

When you’re experiencing writer’s block, you can either just feel the difficulty, or you can let the difficulty strengthen you. The whole time that you’re pushing through, trying out ideas, and getting words down, you are strengthening a writer’s most crucial muscle: perseverance. 

Perseverance is priceless to a writer! It means that lack of ideas, motivation, or energy doesn’t stop them. It means that even if it feels like they’ve hit a wall in their project, they don’t stop. The more perseverance a writer has, the more they are able to power through difficulty. 

Every time you work through writer’s block—and don’t stop writing—you’re learning how to become unstoppable. 

4) Writer’s block will pass

Writer’s block, despite the fact that it’s an opportunity to grow, isn’t fun. When you don’t feel like remembering the positive parts of writer’s block, remember this: it will pass. No matter how permanent it may seem, it will pass. 

You will not lack inspiration forever. 

The words will not always just trickle onto the page.

Writing will feel fun again. 

Just because you’re experiencing extra difficulty right now doesn’t mean those moments won’t be back soon. 

But you have to keep writing, keep trying, keep digging deep, until you get to the other side. Because you will get to the other side, but you have to go there. You can’t just sit still in the midst of writer’s block and expect the difficulty to walk away. You have to do the walking. 

And don’t despair if you’ve been walking for a long time and you’re tired and you don’t see the end yet. You can’t keep writing and not get to the end of writer’s block. You may not see the end, but that doesn’t mean it’s not right around the corner. Inspiration is coming, dear writer. Be there to enjoy it when it shows up. 

Your breakthrough is coming 

Don’t stop writing when you hear the voice of discouragement telling you that writer’s block means that you’re not making progress, that you’re a failure, that it’s only possible to feel difficulty, or that inspiration will never come. Keep going, and you’ll find that the voice of discouragement was wrong and that you really were making progress, you actually weren’t a failure, you grew even when writing felt the hardest, and that the block eventually did pass. 

But you’ll never find that the voice of discouragement was wrong unless you prove it wrong. So keep writing; your breakthrough is coming! 

About the Author:

Laura Ann is a child of God, a writer, the oldest of nine siblings, a musician and much more! She loves playing her guitar, cooking and baking, gardening, and spending time with family and friends.

Laura believes that it is possible for young writers to create fearlessly, without letting fear hinder them and take their joy. She thinks that the writing journey can be a lot more fun, satisfying, and joyful than we think. You can find her on her blog, Fearless Lane, on Instagram, and on her email list!

How do you deal with writer's block? Was this post encouraging to you? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Bless!

Kaytlin (Kayti) Phillips