Writer’s block is traditionally defined as a period where you can’t produce new work or your creativity takes a nosedive. This definition, however, is limited.
What if we view it instead as a natural part of the creative process during which ideas are brewing beneath the surface? It’s not a block; your inability to put words on paper can be a resting point, giving you time to recharge.
Taking a different tack can turn frustration into understanding and patience. Specifically, when you take small, manageable steps, you can unlock your creativity and productivity.
Understanding Our Energy Cycles
Our mental and creative energies fluctuate throughout the day. Recognizing your personal high-energy times is crucial to properly align your productivity. Maybe you’re most creative in the quiet of the early morning or you find late-night is when your best work gets done.
Conversely, you experience low-energy phases during the day as well. This is when you should engage in activities that refresh your imagination. Reading, taking a walk outside, grounding yourself to the earth in some way (I recommend stomping your bare feet in the grass, weather permitting), or practicing mindfulness gives you a much-needed break so your best work rises to the surface.
We are not machines; our energy levels ebb and flow throughout the day. Recognizing and respecting our natural cycles is critical for our personal and professional success.
The Power of Small Tasks
Sometimes we remain stuck despite taking a walk, grounding ourselves in nature, or practicing mindfulness. Choosing our smallest task and crossing it off can often move us forward when nothing else will.
Crossing off just one thing on your “to-do” list creates a sense of accomplishment and builds momentum. And there’s science to support this concept:
- The Zeigarnik effect describes how our brains remember uncompleted tasks in greater detail than it recalls what we actually complete. By leaving a sentence or idea unfinished, we create an unconscious prompt to return and complete the task.
- Psychological momentum is when we feel successful because we finish one task, then another, and then another, creating the energy we need to keep moving. You can read more about it with the National Institutes of Health.
When the words just won’t come, the idea of starting much less completing a book can squash your motivation. Breaking down the process into smaller goals lines up with the adage: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Whatever you tackle first, taking any step as the first of several small victories builds your confidence and creative momentum.
Harness Your Productivity
Few things are more frustrating than reading over your list of things to do and just not being able to get started, but there are some steps you can take to activate your creative flow.
- Set realistic goals: Instead of aiming to write a chapter, target a specific word count or a single scene. Small, realistic goals are less daunting and more achievable.
- Create a routine: Establish a writing routine that aligns with your energy cycles and is sustainable. I do best in the bright light of day, but I also have to force myself not to give into the second wind I invariably catch later in the evening. Think about when you do your best work and set that time aside to do it. No meetings. No walking the dog.
- Embrace downtime: Sometimes, stepping away from your desk can reignite creativity. I often do my best thinking when I take a break in the middle of the day for a short walk.
- Change your environment: A change of scenery can stimulate creativity. Try writing in a park, a coffee shop, or a different room.
- Set the stage: Create a space where you can write without interruption and that fuels your creativity. I recently re-arranged my office, and changing the location of my desk has made such a difference! I also regularly diffuse essential oils in combinations that energize me; peppermint and wild orange or eucalyptus and lime, for example.
- Connect with other writers: Sharing experiences with fellow writers can provide new perspectives and motivation.
- Structured flexibility: Have a writing routine but be flexible. If you’re stuck, change your environment or switch to a different aspect of your writing. An author in my writing program had a scene vividly in her mind, but not the action that would get her characters there. She was so relieved when I told her to write the scene in her head and build the bridge later.
- The Pomodoro Technique: Work in short bursts of 25 minutes and then take a short break. Your mind stays fresh and you avoid burnout.
- Expressive writing: Join my morning writing room and write in community. We spend about 30 minutes together starting between 8 and 8:15 a.m. CST, and it’s always the jump-start I need for my day. Register once and save the Zoom link to join us.
- Mind mapping: Visually laying out your ideas can unlock new connections and give you the fresh perspective you need to get to work.
- Physical exercise: Physical activity boosts brain function at the same time it does your body good.
Final thoughts
I’m not saying writer’s block isn’t real or can’t be discouraging because I’ve been there. I might be there today! But I also know that taking it in stride as a natural part of the creative process is key to moving past it. Starting with one small thing and completing it, then doing it again, and again, and again, still, establishes and builds the momentum you need to solve what feels like an impasse. It’s worth mentioning that every great journey begins with a single step, and every great book begins with a single word.