Writer’s block… stuck and frustrated. As writers, we’ve all been there.

You sit down to write only to be greeted by a blank, white screen that’s metaphorically mocking you. You’ve had a story swirling around in your head for the past month or year, and you just want to translate it through your fingers onto the page so you can share it with the world. But you’re stuck! You’re stuck in the minutia; you’re filled with angst and your feeling frustrated because the words just won’t come.

Writer’s block is an affliction that can happen at any point in your writing process; either when you’re in your flow, churning out content, or when you’ve taken a necessary break from your writing without any intention of returning. The STUCK is an evil place. Your brain feels overwhelmed, your body feels tired, and you just want to push the whole project aside erasing it from your brain. It feels crippling.

Don’t get discouraged. Writer’s block is a rite of passage. It happens to every writer, seasoned or aspiring. And, while it’s maddening, utilizing some tools can help you overcome the overwhelm to find your way back to writing confidently.

1. Step Away – Take a walk or read something unrelated to your project. Give yourself space to gain a new perspective, to explore something creative and thoughtful, and to think about something other than writing.

2. Limit Time – Limit the time you write. Give yourself 30 minutes of uninterrupted writing time without distractions. Allow yourself to write uninhibited, detaching from the results to write freely.

3. Mix it Up – Use a pen and paper to write. Studies show that writing with a pen to paper slows down your thinking, activating a different part of your brain to focus more intently and to brainstorm spontaneously.

Staying stuck in your writing only leads to more stuck and more frustration. Know that you are a writer! Give yourself permission to write bravely and fearlessly, without self-judgment or criticism, allowing the words to flow easily through your fingers.

By Rhonda Salvestrini

About Rhonda Salestrini:
As a communications expert and writing coach, Rhonda Salvestrini is on a mission to help writers overcome the overwhelm that writing creates, find confidence in their voice as an authority, be inspired to write bravely and fearlessly, and connect with their audience through authenticity. With 25 years’ experience as a professional writer, she’s helped aspiring writers publish their story, longtime authors complete their memoir, entrepreneurs reach new clients, and TEDx speakers bring the audience to its feet. Through one-on-one coaching, she guides writers through the stuck, frustration, and self-doubt, transforming their messy and disorganized content into beautifully written stories that resonate with audiences.