Writer’s block is a common experience for any wordsmith, but it doesn’t have to last forever.

Take it from me: I went from writing 131,723 words between December 2020 and December 2023 (which is better than none, don’t get me wrong), to writing 102,359 words in the past 90 days alone.

While nothing is more fun than rushing to the keyboard after a sudden spark of inspiration, the unfortunate truth is that motivation is earned, not given.

The best way to push through writer's block is to sit down and write.

That being said, this drastic shift in my writing routine did not come easy.

While the age-old advice of “If you want to write, write!” earns the merit of its timeless value, here are six strategies that have improved my creativity and efficiency as a writer:

1. Encouraging Myself To Write Poorly

Writers dream of their carefully constructed sentences to be absorbed and revered by readers across the globe, so it is against every instinct to allow ourselves to write poorly, let alone encourage that seemingly time-wasting behavior.

What I’ve found, however, is that forcing words onto the page puts water into the stream until the story begins to flow like a river.

Sometimes I look back and can barely decipher the intentions behind my writing, while other times I’m pleasantly surprised at the sentences I constructed.

Either way, I’m glad to have written and moved forward in my story, even if that means I have to edit or rewrite later.

As they say, you can’t edit a blank page.

2. Changing My Writing Medium

I was a Microsoft Word girl growing up, ever since I was writing stories during my one-hour slot using the family desktop in the “computer room” (it seems crazy how different the world is now for that to have been my childhood).

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I switched over to Scrivener when I had a larger project idea, a fantasy novel, and wanted to use software that would allow me to keep all of my notes organized and also move my scenes around freely.

I recently realized I’m also quite a fan of Google Docs when I was called to use this platform to write a miscellaneous scene upon being hit with a new story idea.

It seems less serious when I don’t have a grand Scrivener file for a project.

It’s just a silly little Google Doc. I don’t have to worry about the quality of my words.

Sometimes I even write in the Notes app. As long as the words are being written, that’s all that matters.

No matter what your preferred writing medium is, if you’re looking to spice up your creative routine, switching to another platform even temporarily is a great way to trick your brain into getting past the brain block.

3. Flexing My Writing Muscle Daily

Writing consistently makes it easier to write in general, including the times I feel like I have nothing to say or feel uninspired.

Even if I am struggling to come up with ideas for my main work in progress, I make sure to write at least 1000 words every day in any type of creative writing project.

That means sometimes I write 1000 words or more of my WIP, which is ideal, but other times I shift my attention to other projects for part or all of my daily writing.

I’m strict about writing daily but flexible about what I write, and that has helped me cure my writer's block as I’m constantly excited about whatever I’m working on.

4. Lowering My Daily Word Count Goal

Lowering my daily word count goal to 1,000 words has helped me develop a routine where I can consistently show up for myself and feel like I am making progress.

In the past, I always felt that 50,000 words a month should be the word count goal to strive for, but no matter how many times I tried to maintain that 1,667 daily goal, I would inevitably fall out of my schedule after 10 days or so and ultimately give up altogether.

That is until I inevitably attempt to go from 0 to 50k words in a month the next time NaNoWriMo rolls around.

When I released the expectation of writing a full 1667 words every day and lowered that goal to what I found to be a much more attainable 1000 words every day, I started writing more consistently than I ever have before.

While I struggled to go from 0 daily words to 1,667 daily words, my confidence in my routine of writing 1,000 daily words means I probably am equipped to attempt a 50,000-word month.

5. Dedicating Time To Brainstorming

What I determine to be the #1 reason I struggled to find writing inspiration while I was a university student and almost abandoned my dream of being an author was that I simply wasn’t prioritizing brainstorming.

While there were times in between studying and adventures when I wanted to write, I never knew what to work on because I hadn’t been prioritizing time to contemplate creative ideas.

This year, I made the goal of dedicating 30 minutes each day to brainstorming my work in progress, whether that involves jotting ideas down in my journal, going for a long walk, or talking through my ideas out loud as I do the dishes.

Not only do I come up with ideas that I never would have before, but it also makes me excited to open my Scrivener file and dive into the scene I was just brainstorming.

6. Romanticizing The Writing Process

Another drastic contribution to my writing inspiration over the past several months is my dedication to romanticizing my daily writing routine.

Rather than groan about my self-appointed daily task of getting my 1,000 words in, I started to implement small actions to get myself excited about sitting down to write.

Some tips for romanticizing the writing process include:

Cleaning your desk before sitting down to write
Lighting a scented candle or incense
Filming a writing vlog
Inviting your furry companion to join you (my cats Ivy and Aster love writing time)
Enjoying a fun beverage, like tea or coffee - I’ve been loving decaf at night!
Packing a bag and writing at your favorite coffee shop

By putting in a little extra effort to make my writing process more enjoyable, I find myself more focused on my work and inspired to stay locked in my imagined world.

These six strategies to overcome writer’s block have changed my life as a creative individual who has long struggled to remain dedicated to achieving my writing goals.

For the first time in my life, I have trust in myself that I will show up and get the work done, ensuring I am moving at least 1,000 words closer to my dream career as a published author every day.

Not only have I made significant progress on my novel over the past three months, but I have finally established a writing routine that is sustainable.

I hope these tips will help you make progress on your writing projects and cure any resistance in your creativity you’ve been struggling with.

Overcoming Writer’s Block: From 131,723 Words in 3 Years to 102,359 Words in 3 Months