What to Do When Your Creative Writing Hits a Brick Wall
Has your creative writing ever hit a brick wall?
It happens to all of us: we’re a few pages in, the words are flowing, and we know what we’re going to write next — then all of a sudden we hit a brick wall. A moment ago, it seemed like we were coasting toward the end of the project, but now we’re lost somewhere in the middle with no idea what to do next.
Most writers know what it’s like to sit there, staring at the screen. The minutes tick by. Hours pass. Nothing happens.
We all know this can happen when we set out to start a project, but what about when we’re in the middle of a project? The weirdest thing about it is that we can have a pretty good idea about what’s supposed to happen. We might even be working off an outline. But for some reason, the words don’t come. What’s a writer to do?
Working Around a Creative Writing Block
Sometimes, it occurs at the word-and-sentence level; you know what you want to say but you can’t find the right words to explain it. Other times, it occurs on a much broader level; you lose your train of thought and the entire concept falls apart.
Here are some techniques you can use when you’re writing and run into a brick wall:
Push Through It: When I encounter a creative writing block, the first thing I usually do is try to push my way through it. Sometimes if you keep going over the last few sentences or if you review the assignment, the words will start to flow again. Sometimes reading the piece back from the beginning helps.
Skip Ahead: If it’s a longer project and you’re stuck on one particular spot, skip ahead. If you’re writing a book, jump to the next scene or chapter. If you’re working on an article or essay, jump to the next paragraph. When I skip ahead, I usually make a temporary note in the document and mark it with red text and all-caps. This makes it easy to find the spot and serves as a reminder to come back to it. I get the sense that when I skip ahead, the gears in the back of my mind keep working on the problem. Sometimes, I come back to the trouble spot a short time later to find that I know exactly how to handle it.
Do Some Research: Most of us have had to stop in the middle of a project to conduct research because we just don’t have the facts we need to get the writing done. But when we hit a creative writing block, pausing for research is a great way to stay on task and get some work done when we can’t do the actual writing.
Take a Side Trip: As with research, taking a side trip is a way to get work done without writing. This works best with bigger projects like long articles, essays, and books. If I get blocked while writing fiction, this is my first-choice solution. I work on character backstories, world-building, and other details ranging from themes and symbolism to naming characters and places.
Planning and Brainstorming: Sometimes we just run out of ideas in the middle of writing. The best way to build up more ideas is with a brainstorming session. You can also use mind-mapping. I usually get out colored markers and a big sheet of paper and just start jotting stuff down. I list various problems with the piece and then work out solutions. Sometimes, I’ll also write an outline of what I have written so far and brainstorm to figure out what needs to happen next.
Re-evaluate: The worst-case scenario is that you’re stuck because something is wrong with what you’ve already written. Sometimes, we need to stop and re-evaluate a project. Have we gone off on a tangent? Was that last scene out of character? If you’re stuck because you’ve taken a wrong turn, stop to re-examine what you’ve written so far and do a little revising.
Check Your Health: If you’re not physically or mentally up to writing, your body might tell you by erecting a road block that prevents you from writing. Are you hungry? Tired? Do you need to stretch or get a glass of water? This can also happen if we write for too long (I used to have a bad habit of forgetting to eat all day because I got too absorbed in my work). Your writing will be much stronger and smoother if you take good care of your health.
Be Disciplined and Don’t Make Excuses: If I’m working on an especially tedious project, I often use ten-minute breaks on Pinterest when I need respite. But I don’t ever turn to social media, games, and other distractions when I’m blocked. That leads to procrastination, which is something else altogether. If you haven’t written anything in weeks but you’ve managed to spend forty hours surfing the web or playing video games, then you don’t have writer’s block. Get back on task!
How Do You Break Through Creative Writing Blocks?
I want to know what you guys do when you’re in the middle of a creative writing project and suddenly find yourself at a loss for words. Do you take a break? Work on something else? Share your solutions by leaving a comment, and keep writing!
Melissa Donovan is a website designer and copywriter. She writes fiction and poetry and is the founder and editor of Writing Forward, a blog packed with creative writing tips and ideas.
All good advice. My added extra is to try not to panic. When the words don’t come it’s so easy to get flustered, and as soon as that happens you’re unlikely to get back on track. Best to keep calm and do one of the things you suggest.
Yes, keeping one’s emotions in check is paramount. It’s easy to panic or get frustrated, but doing so only seems to make the problem worse. Most of us write better when we’re calm and relaxed. Thanks for adding that, Iain!
Something that I’ve found particularly useful is to do something completely unrelated until you feel the ‘spark’ again. Writing is definitely 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, but when that 1% dries up it’s not always possible to push through, as a flat but functional piece could leave you uninspired to move on. When I find myself wheezing to a halt I get so frustrated that I often ‘lash out’ and do something a bit crazy that I haven’t thought through – try to dye a dress with hair colouring or have a screech on the violin, go for a walk to find old ruins or just knit like fury. After a few hours, or maybe even a few days, my brain’s ‘rebooted’ its creative centre and is ready to write again.
Yes, doing something completely unrelated can help. However, we sometimes take a break to go do something else and get distracted or the effort turns into sheer procrastination. A lot of writers I know are prone to taking a break when they just don’t feel like doing their work (and they’ll even call it “writer’s block”), but I would say that for disciplined writers who can discern between procrastinating and recharging, this is an excellent suggestion.
The one I overlook a lot is the “look ahead” piece. Sometimes I get so obsessed with breaking through the barrier where I am instead of allowing myself to take a break from that and working on a different area. Books are meant to be read linearly, they don’t need to be written that way…
Thank you for the tips!
I used to have a hard time with this because I felt like I had to write everything in the proper order, but what I’ve found is that jumping around actually strengthens the piece. If you know where you’re going, you can map a better route for getting there!
Such a timely post for me! This is my first week back at work after the holidays, and it’s been a struggle to keep up with my writing goals in the evening. That’s not quite the same as hitting a block, but your strategies will help nudge me back into my writing groove. The research suggestion is great. I find that immersing myself in a specific aspect of my work in progress does wonders to reignite the old excitement.
Another strategy that has worked for me is walking the dog. There’s nothing like a bit of fresh air, exercise and external stimuli to help untangle those creative snags.
Oh, it is so hard to get back into the groove after any kind of vacation. I like to read a lot of articles on the craft to keep me motivated but what really does the trick is reading an excellent piece of fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction. That is my single best motivator. Exercise and fresh air are essential too!
Great tips to help me as I struggle to write in a creative yet no-nonsense way. I am a beginner but have a story to tell and trying in my own strength brings me frustration and defeat. My most creative writing comes when I first commit my words and thoughts to the Lord and pray for His wisdom BEFORE I even begin. The times when I just jump into writing brings the struggle and frustrations I mentioned in the first sentence. Yet I need the tips you mentioned to continue the momentum for the time I invest in writing to please readers but most of to please the Lord Jesus.
Hi Kathy, I’m sure if you stick with it and have faith in yourself, you’ll be able to achieve your goals.
Leaving the computer and staring out the window for a couple of minutes, with some deep breathing, seems to reset my brain and gets me back to where I want to be. Always good stuff on writing forward. Thanks for your efforts.
Yes! Sometimes we just need to zone out for a minute. I have sat at my computer, frustrated and blocked, and then when I just wander off and zone out, something ignites and I get back on track. I wonder what’s going on in the brain when this happens. Thanks for mentioning it, Rich.
Your tips are very helpful, thank you.
Hitting that brick wall really sets me off, I haven’t been writing for long, but it really annoys me when I am in the middle of a sentence and BAM! Entire sentence/scene/dialogue/chapter is gone.
For me sitting outside with a glass of water helps, watching the trees sway and listening to my surroundings.
When I write I forget about everything, as everyone often do when they are emersed inside the words of another world. I find it great when you have another project to do that is not related to writing, like sewing or drawing. It’s weird but I also find washing the dishes by hand is very therapudic, I guess because there is nothing to really think about my mind can just wander.
I think anything to do with water is therapeutic and nurtures creativity, including washing the dishes. I think it has to do with being relaxed, just like when we’re swimming or showering. The same is true for being outdoors in a restful way. Nature is rejuvenating!