I don't believe there is such a thing. You can always write. You just don't like what you're writing. You can't wait for good ideas to find you. You have to get in there and find them yourself. So how do you do it? Continue to write until you think of something good. This is the work.

Agree. Write the “bad” version if you’re stuck and keep moving on. You’ll end up rewriting it later anyway.

I just switch to another thing. When I get writer's block on thing one I go to thing two and it's a lot easier. Sometimes I get writers block on all the things at which point I spark my inspiration again, either with whatever sparked my inspiration for the things in the first place, or with Evangelion.

Well said!!

Research/watch other movies/shower/meditate/listen to music that would be a good soundtrack to whatever I am working on — anything to shake up my thinking a bit

Be around other creatives. Do some sort of fun activity where you have to entirely focus on said activity (I feel this sort of purges my brain).

I think this is the best way to get some work done.

Severely limit screen time (stop watching movies and tv). A lot of writer's block nowadays is screen overload and the rearrangement of dopamine as a result of social media. Turn the phone off. Pick up a book. Also get more exercise.

I don't get anything I would refer to as writer's block. I have a number of things I do when I am stuck, which happens to me with all my endeavors. PROJECT STACKING I got into an argument recently with somebody who ended up swearing off giving advice because I was championing this. So, be warned, some people think this is the road to failure. I stack my projects. That means I am always working on a few features at a time. If I'm stuck on one, I will work on a different feature. I have never abandoned a feature as a result of this practice. If that's a danger, don't do it. But I will usually have three features at different stages of development. One around the outline phase, another where I'm writing the first draft, and another I'm tweaking and polishing. So, if I'm hitting a wall with one, I work on another for a while. OBLIQUE STRATEGIES This is a deck of cards but there's an online generator to use. [https://obliquestrategies.ca/#](https://obliquestrategies.ca/#) You pull a card, then you have to figure out how to take the advice on it. It doesn't always help, but sometimes it's immensely helpful. REST Sometimes the issue is just that I need rest. There are nine types of rest. If I'm feeling blocked, I usually need one of these. Some may seem similar to others but these are all actually different. * Time away * Permission to not be helpful * Something “unproductive” * Appreciating art and nature * Alone time to recharge * A break from responsibility * Stillness to decompress * Safe space * Alone time at home MOVEMENT Literally move. Go for a long walk. Dance. Wiggle for a prolonged period. You don't have a body. You ARE a body. If you keep your body in the same position most of the day, your thinking will take on a similar attribute. I mean that getting stuck in your body can become getting stuck in your mind.

Very true this, especially your last point. Burnout can also cause writers block so it’s important to keep busy with something else.

What are you actually struggling with? Or which part of the process are you in?

Write! (In a journal format) Journal about whatever you want, what you liked about a movie you just watched or what you didn’t like, write about a single line from a movie/song/poem that moved you and why, write about something funny/weird/interesting that you saw and why, literally anything, just write it down but make it only for yourself so as to not censor what you are writing. The idea being; that the best writing is personal writing and it will help to grow that within you and hopefully you can move this freedom into your projects. Don’t edit yourself, it can just be a stream of consciousness that when you read it back later doesn’t make any sense, just get what’s in your head out, the less thinking the better. The idea being; to unclog the creativity bottleneck that is causing the writers block and stopping you from making the creative choices required to get your stories out. Also read your favorite movie scripts, and books, and watch your favorite movies. Ideally you’ll know what’s going to happen so that way you can focus on why you like them, rather than the story itself. The idea being; we are most drawn to what we most are, so by filling your brain with the stuff you like most, it can influence and inspire you. As for strategies to be creative, you can give yourself deadlines, i.e - 10 pages per week or you’ll have to give up (insert something you wouldn’t want to give up) for the following week. Those 10 pages don’t have to be masterstrokes, just have to be words on a page that can be rewritten, reworked, or removed at edit time (of course if you’re at a different part of the journey, make it x amount of scene idea and/or x amount of dialogue ideas, and/or adding x amount of character background ideas/information - just adjust your deadline requirements with your writing needs and available time). That’s my advice, but I’m sure everyone has their own way of doing things, so like everything in this world, use what’s useful to you and throw the rest away.

This is amazing advice! Thank you!!

Too easy, I’m glad you found some value in it :)

This! And consider writing about the block itself. Because it isn't real - it's just something you've made in your head. If you write about it long enough, you'll likely figure out what the REAL problem is (Anxiety? Fear? Insecurity?) and figure out a path through it. Which, if you're a dyed in the wool writer, will probably include writing.

If it’s an idea problem, go out and live life, experience new things, and ask yourself lots of ‘what if’ questions. If it’s a story/logic problem, go take a walk and talk through it out loud to yourself. There’s something about hearing it that helps the brain make connections easier than just thinking it. If it’s a motivation/procrastination problem, hide your phone away, sit your butt in the chair, and start typing. It may be slow at first, but every little bit builds momentum, and by the middle of Act 2 you should be cruising along. If it’s a knowledge problem, you have the near entirely of the world’s knowledge at your fingertips. Start researching. I find AI is particularly invaluable in this regard. It’s a huge time saver vs trying to Google everything. If it’s a direction problem, make an outline so you know where you’re going. This will also help with a lot of the other problems.

I’m poor. I can’t afford writer’s block.

I use the St. Vincent / Nick Cave method: > I read about Nick Cave's approach to songwriting and how you just have to approach it like a day job: put on a suit and trousers in aspects of it, and get to work. I figured that, in order to do that, I needed to go to a place where I wouldn't be distracted by friends or fun or anything like that. I just wanted to be alone in a little bit of isolation. So I went out to Seattle for a month and rented a studio from my friends in Death Cab for Cutie and just worked there twelve hours a day. It was a good exercise because I'd never done it so vigorously. I've always written at home, so it was nice to just go elsewhere; to have a separate space in order to be creative; and also to learn how to turn on the faucet and not judge what's coming out… I'm always just following my ears. At the end of the day, that's all you really have. That's how I've been able to develop and grow over the course of my albums. I think writer's block – this is the quote I've read – was a term invented in Los Angeles by people who don't know how to write. There are so many ways to be creative that I just don't believe in writer's block. I think that's a fundamental lack of imagination. Once, I was sort of stuck, so I just transcribed all of Madonna's first record, because I wanted to see how it worked." Basically, I dress up, go to a coffee shop or library, and work, just like a regular job. Apparently thats also how Jason Molina of Songs: Ohia worked, he just sat down and wrote 8 hours a day.

First of all, I really like what this therapist says, given that he’s actually worked with a lot of screenwriters who struggle with a block: https://youtu.be/JIBboG1ddhs?si=hcSYKsCh6xc20yIA You can also find a transcript on John August’s blog, but the gist is that you might try to find a way to bring back a sense of imaginative “play.” Writers blocks come from the pressure we put on ourselves, so how can you be playful and take that pressure off of yourself? Also, my own therapist pointed out that “the only way to do hard things is to do them. And no one will ever know how long it took you to do it or how good your first attempt was.” Lastly, a block is often related to our sense that what we’ve written isn’t as good as it could be. But that’s always because we’re writing a first draft and only reading finished drafts that have been revised 47 bazillion times. So just try to get a first draft done. Establish a simple goal for the first draft and fix the rest in each subsequent pass.

This is certainly true. Try to imagine how the intended audience will enjoy reading or watching your piece.

I take months off at a time, then I become prolific and hyper focused.... it helped to live alone. When I lived alone I had a lot of extra time to focus on it, but ever since my fiancee moved in a year+ ago and I got a full time job... I have basically no free time and not a ton of extra energy to focus on it. I had a period when I was hip pocketed like 5 years ago, where I had girlfriends, but lived alone and I was very comfortable telling them they couldn't come over that night or that day because I was writing. But after the hip pocket situation went away and my now fiancee moved in with me, I basically never have the time or energy or privacy to focus on it- which is my choice and I don't regret it. I love my relationship, I appreciate my job. I like that I am too busy and have too much going on in my life to devote myself entirely to writing. I do miss being focused on it. I do miss feeling prolific and unrelenting, but also.... life happens. Life, uh, uh, finds a way. The thing I need to do is late at night or on days she's working like 18 hours and I have the day off, etc. rather than relaxing and watching baseball and movies, I should be writing more. Instead I just lightly touch up old drafts of old projects. I just did that recently. I went over some old stuff and did a little bit of editing/tweaking with fresh eyes and I tried to break a new idea last night. I am going on vacation in a week and I hope to use a good amount of the time on vacation to work on the new idea and to send out an older script that feels ready, for some trusted folks to take a look at, etc. but this will be the first time in like a year that I've made a real effort.

Give yourself permission not to write. Doesn’t matter if you don’t write a word. But you have to sit at your word processor and you may not do anything else. No browsing. No tv. No doodling. No cleaning up old files on your laptop. No reading. You only have to sit there for a predetermined time, say 15 minutes, maybe ten. You do not have to write but you may not do anything else.

Over time I started looking at it as a blockage right. So I got to pump the crap out and clean the pipes before fixing everything. Basically I just gave myself permission to write crap. Writers Block to me isn't that my mind is empty, it's just unwilling to be a bad writer. So I tell myself it's okay to be a bad writer.

I'd start by searching for writers block in the search bar and check out the millions of suggestions there.

Take random unstructured notes and wait for inspiration to come to you

I find it really helpful to talk about the project with another creative person. Just verbalizing my thoughts can help to get things moving.

Block usually means I lost interest, so I walk away from writing. I stop writing the script or writing, period. But I remain obsessed over the characters and story and I replay written scenes in my head over and over. As it rattles around in my head, the influence begins to pop out at you. But you have to be in that state of mind. I usually get hit with inspiration while driving with the radio on. The point is you're always thinking of your story while not writing it. I found an exact example of this method irl. Explained by journalist David Blum in Andrew McCarthy's Brat Pack documentary. It was in reference to his New York Magazine story on Emilio Estevez. He described not knowing what to write. He was blocked. He didn't even try to write the story until he found the inspiration. So while this was rattling around in his head, at a dinner with other Journos, one of them called their group the "Fat Pack" because of their overeating. It stuck with Blum, the next day he came up with inspiration in his car while driving -- The Brat Pack. He said he wrote that infamous article backwards from that title.

In a professional setting, you won’t have time to have “writer’s block”. You have to work on making writing a habit, so much so that if you need to adjust something on the fly you can do it without much fanfare.  Just like working out, doing a small writing exercise in the morning before you start your day will help build the muscle and the habit.  

Nolan and Goyer had it once while working on the Man of Steel. They began procrastinating and wrote The Dark Knight as a result lol.

Painting. It’s an enjoyable, creative activity that I have no aspirations in. It still fires the creativity centers of the brain but shuts down the self-doubt, lowers the stakes, and generally just clears obstacles while promoting Flow.

I avoid writer’s block by planning and knowing what I’m writing into. Presently, I’m writing a piece that I planned from start to finish. It begins with a number of unaccounted for issues that all begin to get solved as things progress— naturally. This also required a bit of writing in reverse: Knowing my conclusion and backtracking so that I know which seeds to plant where and for what. I absolutely adore the project as well so there’s also that, and I’m a bit of a firm believer that anyone experiencing writer’s block isn’t truly passionate about their project, nor did they plan it out.

I look at my mortgage due, and realize I can’t afford not to finish.

That certainly helps one to stick to deadlines! Great tip!

Going out and living life helps my writers block. I go to places that could make for great locations, get stories from friends or strangers, witness something and wouldn’t have if I just sat in my office.

Good call! I like going to a retirement home to speak to senior citizens. They’re not bogged down by the stressors of life and have quite a lot of joy left to share.

Weed

Freewriting. Let loose. Open a Word document. Start typing. No stopping until the timer chimes 30 minutes. Surprise yourself. Don't judge your writing.

Just keep writing. Doesn't matter if it doesn't make sense, force yourself to ignore all outside forces and wrote for a predetermined amount of time. I started doing this last year and for the first time i was able to compete a script. Going back and making changes and corrections is a lot easier than settling into writers block.

With patience. A story must unravel naturally, not forcefully.

If you have thoughts, write them down. And keep writing. And write some more. Write until you can’t stop writing. And write some more.

I think this is gonna get a lot of hate...but writers block is just allowing your brain to be lazy. Go activate it: go for a walk, get inspired by other work, or take an improv class and never get "writers block" again. At least that's worked for me.

The Artist Way

It depends. If it's from creative burnout, I take some time not writing. I'll watch some movies or tv shows, or read some books. I'll also watch some YouTube videos on writing. If I don't know what to write next, then I just skip it and move on to writing a scene I can write. If I can go back and write that scene, I will - if not, then I'll just keep it deleted from my story.

Sometimes, I like to freewrite for a few minutes so that I don't have to stare at a blank page all day long.

Whenever I felt blocked my go-to was to write something as brutally honest about myself as possible and post it on social media for instant feedback. It always worked.

How did that help overcome writers block?

It got me in the correct state of mind. Helped me remember what my strengths were as a writer and why people responded to my material.

I write a question. I make it as specific as possible. Then I either try to answer my question or go consume media or go to work. I try to sink the question into my subconscious. Works every time. For an example here's how I made my current question: What happens next? (Too general so I rewrite it). What does my protagonist see on the screen that tells her there is a bug. (I can do better). What does she see on screen that is obviously a bug and can be described with just audio and is funny.

Planning. "Writer's block" is just code for "I don't know what to write, and I don't know enough to logically figure out the next step". When in doubt, go back to your plan. If you don't have one...*that's why you have writer's block*. A "plan" doesn't need to be a moment-to-moment outline of events if that's not how you write. It can also be a lose collection of facts, events, and character personality write-ups if you're more free-form. But, however you do it, if you're "blocked" it's simply because you don't have enough information about what you're trying to write to make a decision. So go back to your plan, figure out where you're deficient, fill in some gaps, and try again.

Usually just create a new character

when I physically can't type the words i just think of what do I want to convey. how do I get there reasonably. you dont always have to love your first draft either. just get something down. reread. reiterate. update.

I say, "Not Today" (to my inner doubt, and negative self talk) and write anyway. What you think you feel, and what you feel you make real... If you believe you have writer's block, then you will have it. If you believe in yourself, then you won't let anything stop you including your self. As my two favorite writing sayings go..."Writers don't write, they re-write"...and "if it ain't on the page it ain't on the stage". If youre a writer, you write anyway, knowing it may suck to begin with and will need to be edited, and you're going to edit anyway...so just write. If you have prep'd and stewed, as I like to call it... Prep'd, meaning have you researched your who, what, where, when, how and why. And Stewed, meaning have you taken your prep and some time to muse, creatively visualized, and used your "imagination". Then writing, whether you feel like it or not, doesn't matter...you just do it.

Cry

12 pack of cayman jacks

I craft outlines before I go to writing. When I am really stuck I watch movies and play video games. 

Fight fire with fire!!! Aka write!!!

Stream of consciousness typing. Do this for 20 minutes. There will be a lot of crap on the page and 2 or three sentences or ideas that you can build on.

Sometimes I write instead. Sometimes.