Franky
New member
I hit a wall at 25,000 words. For four weeks, I sat down every morning and wrote nothing. Stared at the screen. Checked email. Made coffee. Came back. Nothing. Writer's block was real and it was winning. Then I learned what writer's block actually is—it's not a lack of ideas, it's usually fear, perfectionism, or overwhelm in disguise . For me, it was pressure. I'd built up this book so much in my mind that every sentence felt like it had to be brilliant.
What finally worked was freewriting . I set a timer for 20 minutes and wrote without stopping, without editing, without judging. Complete garbage. But somewhere in that garbage, a scene emerged. A conversation between characters I hadn't planned. Suddenly I had something to work with. I also tried jumping ahead . Instead of forcing the scene I was stuck on, I wrote a later scene I was excited about. That gave me momentum and clarity about what needed to happen earlier.
Another trick: change your environment. I moved from my desk to a coffee shop, then to a park bench. New surroundings shook loose new thoughts .
If you're blocked, don't just wait. Try something—anything. The block isn't permanent. You just need to find your way around it .
What finally worked was freewriting . I set a timer for 20 minutes and wrote without stopping, without editing, without judging. Complete garbage. But somewhere in that garbage, a scene emerged. A conversation between characters I hadn't planned. Suddenly I had something to work with. I also tried jumping ahead . Instead of forcing the scene I was stuck on, I wrote a later scene I was excited about. That gave me momentum and clarity about what needed to happen earlier.
Another trick: change your environment. I moved from my desk to a coffee shop, then to a park bench. New surroundings shook loose new thoughts .
If you're blocked, don't just wait. Try something—anything. The block isn't permanent. You just need to find your way around it .