Nicole Bianchi

Writing, Copywriting, & Marketing Strategies

  • Home
  • About
  • Stories & Essays
  • Blog
  • Courses
  • Contact

5 Famous Authors’ Strategies for Conquering Writer’s Block

Published February 5, 2016 | Last Updated May 21, 2020 By Nicole Bianchi 22 Comments

open notebook on table next to cup of coffee

Has this ever happened to you?

You sit down at your computer to begin writing, but instead you find yourself having a stare down with the blank screen.

You may type a few lines, but after several minutes you delete everything. You just can’t seem to find the right words to continue.

It’s as if your inspiration inkwell has suddenly dried up.

If you are suffering from writer’s block (or have suffered in the past), you are not alone!

Even famous writers have struggled with creative blocks at some point in their careers. Thankfully, many of these writers have also shared their methods for how they overcame these dry periods and became successful writers.

Read on for the different strategies five famous authors have used to overcome writer’s block and keep typing away.

1. Maya Angelou’s “Just Write” Strategy

Writing is like any art or sport. Practice makes perfect. Inspiration will only come if you push yourself to keep putting pen to paper.

Maya Angelou, author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, believed that when you are suffering from writer’s block, you should force yourself to continue writing every day, no matter if you’re pleased with the final product or not.

She explained:

What I try to do is write. I may write for two weeks ‘the cat sat on the mat, that is that, not a rat.’ And it might be just the most boring and awful stuff. But I try. When I’m writing, I write. And then it’s as if the muse is convinced that I’m serious and says, ‘Okay. Okay. I’ll come.’

2. Neil Gaiman’s Hibernation Strategy

What happens when you’ve been chugging happily along on your novel, but suddenly you have absolutely no idea how the story should end? Or you’ve been working on a blog post, but you can’t figure out how to write the conclusion?

Neil Gaiman, the award-winning graphic novelist and children’s author, offers this advice:

Put it [your writing] aside for a few days, or longer, do other things, try not to think about it. Then sit down and read it (printouts are best I find, but that’s just me) as if you’ve never seen it before. Start at the beginning. Scribble on the manuscript as you go if you see anything you want to change. And often, when you get to the end you’ll be both enthusiastic about it and know what the next few words are. And you do it all one word at a time.

3. Mark Twain’s Outlining Strategy

Back in grade school, your writing teacher probably told you a hundred times, “Outline, outline, outline!”

That was famed American author Mark Twain’s strategy too: “The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”

This strategy attempts to outmaneuver writer’s block. If you already have your writing project broken down into manageable steps, you don’t have to worry each day about what to write or how to find inspiration since you already know exactly where you are going.

4. Ernest Hemingway’s Hoarding Strategy

If you’ve suffered from writer’s block, but suddenly find all of that inspiration flooding into you again, don’t exhaust your resources! Always make sure to keep some inspiration in reserve.

Nobel Prize winner Ernest Hemingway explained,

The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day … you will never be stuck. Always stop while you are going good and don’t think about it or worry about it until you start to write the next day. That way your subconscious will work on it all the time. But if you think about it consciously or worry about it you will kill it and your brain will be tired before you start.

5. Hilary Mantel’s “Get Away From Your Desk” Strategy

Sometimes the best way to conquer writer’s block is to clear your mind. Writer’s block often happens because your mind is overwhelmed by all of the thoughts about your daily life that are crowding your brain.

You need to create a space for your inspiration to fill.

Award-winning British writer Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall, offers this advice,

If you get stuck, get away from your desk. Take a walk, take a bath, go to sleep, make a pie, draw, listen to ­music, meditate, exercise; whatever you do, don’t just stick there scowling at the problem. But don’t make telephone calls or go to a party; if you do, other people’s words will pour in where your lost words should be. Open a gap for them, create a space. Be patient.

The Takeaway: How to Avoid Writer’s Block 

Writer’s block can be quite discouraging, but the bottom line is to not give up. Look for creative ways to inspire yourself out of the doldrums. When you finally do start writing, don’t judge yourself too harshly. Just let your creative juices start flowing.

Once you’ve found your lost inspiration, make sure you examine your creative process to see why you had run into writer’s block in the first place. Make changes to your writing process if you have to. This will help you avoid writer’s block in the future.

Have you used any of these authors’ strategies for fighting writer’s block? Or maybe you have your own tried and true method that you would like to share? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. 

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Did you enjoy this post? Get the free eBook!

Join the mailing list, and as a special welcome gift, I'll send you a free copy of my eBook "Famous Writers' Productivity Hacks". You will also get my latest posts about how to hone your craft (+ more writing inspiration not shared on the blog) delivered straight to your inbox.

A confirmation email is on its way!

Your data is collected, used, and protected according to the Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe at any time.

Filed Under: creativity, inspiration, writing

Comments

  1. Readers Magnet says

    May 21, 2020 at 7:29 pm

    Great article, thank you! All writers experience writer’s block moments when one simply struggles to put ideas into words.

    Please read my blog on How to Beat Writer’s Block

    Reply
  2. Richard Morasci says

    September 23, 2018 at 1:38 pm

    I teach composition to ESL students in college. Whenever I refer to the concept of Writer’s Block, they are blown away. However, when they read that famous writers have also experienced this, they feel relieved. They suddenly realize that it doesn’t happen just to them, and now they have a name for it. The choice of writers and methods you present here is very helpful.

    Reply
  3. Swastish Pandey says

    May 9, 2018 at 8:13 am

    The strategy I emphasize on is that, I begin writing from the ending.
    i.e.Write your novel /play /story…
    Backwards and I promise you won’t ever face this fishy block ?

    Reply
  4. Lynne says

    February 16, 2016 at 11:08 pm

    Ugh! Writer’s block. Thanks for the encouragement and practical tips from the best of the best.

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      March 20, 2016 at 7:57 pm

      Hope they help you when writer’s block strikes!

      Reply
  5. John says

    February 15, 2016 at 1:07 pm

    Hi Nicole. Thanks for the insightful post. I think Maya Angelou’s advice helps me the most. When I get stuck on what ideas to come up with for a new blog post, I try journaling instead. This helps me to start writing again and somehow inspires me to come up with new ideas.

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      February 15, 2016 at 8:15 pm

      Thank you for your comment! That’s a great method: to switch to a different writing project when you begin to face writer’s block. It’s so important not to give up and to just keep writing. I love journaling too because I can write whatever is on my mind and flesh out my ideas before I start writing a blog post.

      Reply
  6. Jodi Heisz says

    February 6, 2016 at 2:29 pm

    Great article and informative!

    I will take a break and do something else. This clears my mind and lets my subconscious do its work. When I return to writing, usually the ideas start flowing again. The key is to not beat yourself up as this inhibits creativity. Accept that there will be times of blockage and it’s perfectly normal. You always find a way to get through it.

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      February 6, 2016 at 11:29 pm

      Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, Jodi! I am glad you enjoyed the article. Yes, often it is best to just take a break from the computer. I find that sometimes I end up facing writer’s block because I haven’t spent enough time thinking through the article I am about to write. At those times, going for a walk and letting myself brainstorm new ideas is a sure way to overcome writer’s block.

      Reply
  7. Alana says

    February 4, 2016 at 6:16 pm

    I’ve learned, from a yearly event called NaNoWriMo (writing 50,000 words in 30 days), to just write – just put words on paper, no worries about editing, topic or anything else. It really does work.

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      February 4, 2016 at 9:11 pm

      I love NaNoWriMo! I’ve participated each November for several years now. It really does help with overcoming writer’s block. In the end, there’s no time to think about writer’s block because you’re too busy trying to meet your daily quota of words.

      Reply
  8. Ram says

    February 4, 2016 at 10:06 am

    I liked Hemingway’s approach. Leave some creativity in reserve. Stop when you know what is going to happen next, not when you don’t know what is going to happen next. Great words…

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      February 4, 2016 at 9:10 pm

      Yes, I’ve been trying to take that advice to heart too. When I get into a flow with my writing, I want to just keep typing and typing. I need to make sure I don’t use up all my creativity.

      Reply
  9. Roy A. Ackerman, PhD, EA @ Cerebrations.biz says

    February 4, 2016 at 9:02 am

    I find the best idea is to keep on keeping on. Disallow the “backspace” or “cut and [not] paste” buttons to function.
    When I’m done, then I can use my talents (or not) to clean it up for use. Or, to send it back into the ether.
    Because, I’ve clearly maintained my cerebral functions.
    There’s always tomorrow!

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      February 4, 2016 at 9:08 pm

      So true! I absolutely agree. It can be difficult to save the editing for afterwards, but it really is important to just get the words on the page.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. How Do I Navigate Writer’s Block says:
    December 31, 2021 at 7:04 am

    […] discuss some methods and actions you can try to rectify the writer’s block. And, even the most successful writers have experienced writers’ block, so it is not a strange […]

    Reply
  2. 5 movies that could help you overcome writer’s block - Heart Internet Blog - Focusing on all aspects of the web says:
    June 18, 2020 at 8:21 am

    […] Lesson to be learned: You’ll never overcome writer’s block by refusing to write until you have a coffee. American poet Maya Angelou is reported as having once said the following about overcoming writer’s block: […]

    Reply
  3. How to (Actually) Cure Writer’s Block - P.S. Hoffman says:
    June 6, 2020 at 1:38 pm

    […] world-renowned Authors get […]

    Reply
  4. Four Powerful Creative Writing Exercises From Famous Authors - Nicole Bianchi says:
    May 30, 2020 at 1:51 pm

    […] blog posts to short stories. I share more strategies for fighting writer’s block in my article here, and I share tips for getting ideas for new blog posts in my article […]

    Reply
  5. How to (Actually) Cure Writer’s Block - P. S. Hoffman's Writing Blog says:
    May 5, 2020 at 1:56 am

    […] world-renowned Authors get […]

    Reply
  6. Overcoming Writer’s Block | Dog Eared Pages says:
    January 12, 2020 at 10:20 am

    […] me crudely paraphrasing the great Maya Angelou. Although she didn’t recognise ‘block’ as something she suffered from, in part because by label… However, she did say that she would sometimes go through phases where the words were harder to […]

    Reply
  7. Oh, That’s so Meta – Write From The Hip says:
    September 30, 2019 at 9:27 am

    […] is for them to think in theoretical frameworks that papers so often demand. So, the writer pauses. They clear their head. They fix a comma. What now?  Are they ready to come back to their writing? How do they know when […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi, I’m Nicole! I help creatives, business owners, and writers take their writing and copywriting to the next level and grow their online audience. I’m also a published writer of essays and short stories. As a Christian, I seek to follow in the tradition of artists like Johann Sebastian Bach, dedicating all my work Soli Deo gloria.
Find out more about me here.
•••
“My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.”
– Psalm 45:1

___________________

AS SEEN ON:

Support the Blog!

Let’s Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Medium
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Amazon Associates Disclosure

Nicole Bianchi is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Copyright © 2023 Nicole Bianchi Creative LLC · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Psalm 45:1