You're staring at a blank page.
You know you want to write.
You might even know what you want to write about.
But nothing is coming out.
This is writer's block, and one of the fastest ways through it is surprisingly simple:
Stop trying to write something good.
Just start writing something.
Why the Blank Page Feels So Difficult
A blank page contains unlimited possibilities.
That sounds wonderful until you have to choose one.
You start wondering:
- What's the best opening?
- Is this idea good enough?
- What if I can't finish it?
- What if the writing is terrible?
- What will people think?
You've barely written a word and you're already editing, judging, predicting and worrying.
The problem isn't always that you have nothing to say.
Sometimes you're simply asking too much of the first sentence.
The Fastest Way to Beat Writer's Block
Make the first sentence disposable.
Write something you know you won't keep.
You could start with:
I have no idea how to start this, so I'm just going to write until I figure out what I'm trying to say.
Then keep going.
Don't worry about introductions.
Don't worry about structure.
Don't worry about whether any of it belongs in the finished piece.
Your first job is not to write well.
Your first job is to get moving.
Use Freewriting to Break the Block
Freewriting is particularly useful when you're stuck because it temporarily removes the requirement to produce good writing.
Set a timer for 10 minutes.
Then write continuously until the timer finishes.
During those 10 minutes:
- Don't edit
- Don't delete
- Don't fix spelling
- Don't search for the perfect word
- Don't worry about staying on topic
- Don't stop writing
You are trying to create momentum, not literature.
What If You Still Can't Think of Anything?
Write about being stuck.
It might feel ridiculous, but it works because it gets words onto the page.
I don't know what to write. I don't know why I'm stuck. Maybe I'm trying too hard to make this good. What I'm actually trying to say is...
That last sentence is often where something useful begins.
What I'm actually trying to say is...
Try finishing that sentence.
Start in the Middle
You don't have to write the beginning first.
This is one of the easiest traps to fall into.
You sit there trying to create the perfect introduction before you've even discovered what the piece is really about.
Forget the introduction.
Write the part you can see clearly.
If you know the story you want to tell, write the story.
If you know your main argument, write that.
If you have one interesting observation, begin there.
You can write the opening later.
Lower the Stakes
Writer's block often gets worse when the writing feels important.
This has to be good.
This has to impress people.
This could become something big.
Maybe.
But none of that matters while you're drafting.
Tell yourself you're only making notes.
You're experimenting.
You're exploring.
You're creating raw material.
You can decide what it is later.
Separate Writing From Editing
Trying to write and edit at the same time is like trying to drive with one foot on the accelerator and one on the brake.
You move, but not very well.
Writing creates.
Editing improves.
They are different jobs.
Let the writer go first.
Let the editor clean things up afterward.
A 10-Minute Writer's Block Exercise
Step 1: Open a Blank Page
Don't research.
Don't organise.
Just open the page.
Step 2: Set a Timer for 10 Minutes
Ten minutes is short enough that there isn't much to lose.
Step 3: Write the Worst Opening You Can
Deliberately remove the pressure.
This is probably a terrible way to start this article, but...
Then continue.
Step 4: Keep Moving
If you get stuck, write:
What I'm really trying to say is...
Then answer yourself.
Step 5: Don't Edit Until the Timer Ends
Leave the mistakes alone.
You can fix them later.
Writer's Block Doesn't Always Mean Stop
Feeling stuck doesn't necessarily mean you need more inspiration.
Sometimes it means you need less pressure.
You don't have to know exactly where the writing is going.
You don't have to produce something brilliant immediately.
And you definitely don't need the perfect first sentence.
You just need something on the page that gives you somewhere to go next.
So when the blank page is staring back at you, don't try to defeat it with brilliance.
Defeat it with words.
Any words.
Start badly.
Keep going.
Then make it good later.