How to overcome writer’s block?

[LilythGeist]

First, I have a complete outline for my story that includes every major twist, the main antagonist, and even details about when the main characters' loved ones will die.

Second, what frustrates me is that I feel stuck. It’s not that my writing skills aren’t improving; it's more that I struggle to express myself clearly. As I mentioned earlier--

That is a problem because, ultimately, writing is a form of expression, which can also be an art, similar to dancing, singing, drawing, and speaking. This phase is not permanent; it will pass. Thank you for these questions! ?

Have you considered you may, in fact, be a "pantser"? Rather than sticking to a strict outline try going with the flow and incorporate your overall ideas along the way.

In the past I have tried multiple times to stick with a set structure only for it to fall apart due to a writer's block. So... I stopped bothering and hey 1.1k pages later I am still writing.

 

[LeilaniOtter]

First, I have a complete outline for my story that includes every major twist, the main antagonist, and even details about when the main characters' loved ones will die.

Second, what frustrates me is that I feel stuck. It’s not that my writing skills aren’t improving; it's more that I struggle to express myself clearly. As I mentioned earlier--

Well, could you give me an example when you say that you don't express yourself clearly sometimes...? That's very vague to me. ?

 

[A_veil_of_red_ink]

Well, could you give me an example when you say that you don't express yourself clearly sometimes...? That's very vague to me. ?

Well, it's a fight scene from Chapter 6.

Spoiler

Arkam narrowed his eyes,
Bang, he shot.

Kashan ducked and pulled his gun.
Arkam took one step forward—
—and vanished.

Kashan shocked his gaze, searching for Arkam.
Arkam reappeared behind Kashan, his eyes wide open.

Arkam punched him in the ribs. He flew.
—crashing into a wall.
He stood up, gasping for air, “Son of a bitch,” he thought.

Kashan glanced around, but no one was there.
He looked at the entrance to the room beyond, filled with many crates.


Arkam stood at the far end, bathed in red light.
He raised his right hand—
and curled a finger.
A silent command: “Come.”

Kashan clenched his jaw, then grinned. He tightened his grip on the guns.
He headed toward Arkam, exiting the room he was in.

Six pillars stood in the room, with Arkam in the middle of them.
When the light flickered—
He vanished again.

But Kashan, still and calm, stood.
Arkam lunged from the side—
Kashan ducked and hit Arkam with the gun's butt.
Arkam recoiled, his nose bleeding.
He pulled his knives out and lunged toward Kashan again.

I hate it; this whole sequence is so bad. Well, it's all rigid and awkward, like someone trying to tell a story but just can't. For this scene, your opinion will be different, but after this chapter, I just stopped.

 

[LeilaniOtter]

Well, it's a fight scene from Chapter 6.

[/SPOILER]

I hate it; this whole sequence is so bad. Well, it's all rigid and awkward, like someone trying to tell a story but just can't. For this scene, your opinion will be different, but after this chapter, I just stopped.

Fight scenes are a MESS. I have such trouble with those myself. Okay, so that's just one scene. But as I said, you could go to a new scene and leave this one behind for a while, while you work on another section of the book, right? I thought I read this before and told you that you were doing fine, you just needed to present more details, expressions, mood, etc. ?

 

[LilythGeist]

Your fight lacks flow to it. It is closer to an old JRPG than an actual battle. The more... grizzly way to write the beginning sequence would be like this:

Arkan narrowed his eyes and pulled the trigger. Kashan dove aside at the last moment, painfully breaking his fall with his arm. Cursing, he drew his own gun with the other only to see Arkan take a step and vanish.
His opponent appeared behind him and kicked Kashan in the back, sending him sprawling and gasping from pain.

You have characters moving around. Their actions having clear consequences. Desperately dodging a bullet would not be a "step aside".

To give you an example from a recent fight from my bullshit.

Spoiler: RR screenshot

 

[ACertainPassingUser]

Give yourself a small self reward for writing just one more paragraph.

Chocolate, candy, mars skittles, gummy bear, pizza slice, sweet drink, etc.

You will be addicted to those things after you write some amount of words, as you've pavloved yourself.

But you're now undoubtedly write a lot as long you've had those rewards.

 

[ChrisLensman]

Write something else. Doesn't matter what. Can be something completely hackneyed. Just keep writing that, force it out, a chapter at a time, set yourself a deadline even. By the time you're done writing your burnout book, if you have any ambition whatsoever you'll read over this, think "I can do so much better than this!" and go back to your original story with renewed vigor.
At least, that's how I did it.

 

[Xcalibur_Xc]

Hey, brother.
It's been a while, hasn’t it? (If you remember, I think you don't remember.) I appreciate the solid advice, but the issue has already been resolved(I stopped for a while), and now I want to write, but I just can't seem to do it.

Well, I hope you’re doing well.

Oh yeah. I remember you?. You deleted my old comment. Well, as I said before you gotta learn basic English and how to write proper sentences and at least read other books and see how to write. Like, if you don't know the language, then how the heck are you planning on writing? Remember what you said to me? 'I don't need to learn'. And look at you now, you are facing block. So, yeah. It looks like you decided to stick with your ego and look where that got you today. Good luck. Don't reply. Please.

 

[Fox-Trot-9]

Sigh, I don't know what to do about my inconsistency. I've written six chapters in two and a half months—what even is that?!
It's not that I need rest or that the story I'm writing is bad; I have the whole thing in my mind, but it just doesn't flow. It seems to vanish whenever I try to write.

What the heck? This is my dream project, and I really want to continue it, but it just doesn't click. Maybe it’s that I can’t find the right words or that I struggle to express what I want to convey on paper. I've battled through many writer's blocks in these past 2.5 months of writing, and I plan to fight this one too.

If you have any solutions, please help!

6 chapters in 2.5 months isn't bad. I only wrote 4 chapters in that time, but that's b/c life has been crazy, and the part of the story I was writing over that time is the start of a new section of the story, which can be difficult to start writing. I'm in the same boat as you. Been blocked lately. Writing funks suck, but they will pass.

Anyway, I'm guessing that you're writing in chronological order, but novels don't necessarily need to be written in order. They can also be written out of order. I've tried, and it works. It's just a matter of accumulating more story/content that'll build up more momentum as the story connections become more apparent.

You can pick wherever in the plot of the story catches your interest and write that instead of staying stuck on the current chapter. Write whatever comes to mind (a sentence, a paragraph, maybe a few words of something) just to get the ball rolling. Do that over different parts of your story, and it'll accumulate. You can always change it later. And sometimes this will jumpstart ideas for your current chapter, and then you're off to writing more of it. Try it and see what happens. Hope this helps.

 

[CarburetorThompson]

There is only one way to get over writers block and that is to find inspiration.

The real question is what exactly inspires you and your writing. This is something unique to every individual, which is also why it is inherently difficult to give a definite answer on how to over come writer’s block.

 

[S.TrujilloL.]

Hey — just want to say, your frustration is valid. That tension between loving your story and feeling like you can’t get it out? It’s more common than you think — especially with dream projects. Why? Because you care. And when we care, we don’t just want to write — we want to do it justice.

Here are a few thoughts that might help:​

1. Your pace isn’t bad. It’s human.
Six chapters in 2.5 months? That’s not failure. That’s progress. In fact, that’s resistance with intent. Even dragging your words into existence counts.

2. Try this reframe:
If the story is already alive in your mind, maybe you’re not “stuck” — maybe you’re pregnant with meaning, and what you need is translation, not force.

3. Use micro-sessions.
Instead of sitting to write a scene, try one image. One sensation. One line of dialogue. Collect them without worrying about structure. Then, later, you stitch them into flow. That’s what I do when I write The Story of Nemi — sometimes it’s not a chapter that comes out… it’s just a heartbeat. And that’s enough for the day.

4. Let music or silence guide your tone.
Try building a playlist that feels like the chapter (not sounds like — feels like). Or go full silence and let the images emerge. The mind speaks differently when there’s no noise.

5. You don’t have to write “well”. You have to write “true”.
If a sentence is ugly but emotionally honest? Keep it. That rawness is often more powerful than perfect phrasing.

You got this.​

The fact that you’re still here — asking, reflecting, fighting — already makes you the kind of writer who finishes things.
You're not broken. You're becoming.

 

[OokamiKasumi]

[Tutorial] Fixing WRITER'S BLOCK < -- Link! ​

 

[A_veil_of_red_ink]

[Tutorial] Fixing WRITER'S BLOCK < -- Link! ​

Somehow, you always help me.
And I already read it.

Well, thank you.

 

[OokamiKasumi]

Somehow, you always help me.
And I already read it.

Well, thank you.

I'm always glad to help.
-- Because I remember when I just starting out as a writer, and how much I desperately wanted help to make my stories Good.

 

[Context5812]

Write a story that you really can't wait to see what happens next. Cliffhangers, conflict, drama, desire.