How I Deal With Writer’s Block: My Personal Rituals for Facing the Blank Page

I've been writing for most of my life. And like any writer out there, I've experienced writer's block more times than I can count, especially in the early stages of my journey. Writer's block is a nasty thing, and no one who has chosen a creative path is immune to it. In a way, it's part of the process—something inevitable, something we all, in a sense, have to go through. It happens for a reason, of course, but more on that later.

What Writer’s Block Feels Like?

It feels a lot like trying to speak with no voice or trying to run with your legs tied. You want to write. You sit down, open your notebook or laptop, and... nothing. Your thoughts feel disconnected from words you type and then delete on your screen. Anything you try to write feels awkward, forced, or wrong.

Sometimes it comes with an overwhelming pressure; your ideas crowd your mind but won't form into words. Other times, it comes with terrifying emptiness. There's nothing. No ideas. No inspiration. Just a compulsive thought that you should be writing, followed by guilt and frustration when you don't.

It can feel like failure. Like you've lost your gift. Like you're not a real writer after all. And worse, like you'll never write again.

I remember almost every single "block" I've experienced in my life because it always felt the same. My pen would simply stop writing. My muse would slip quietly into the night, leaving me alone and aching in the candlelight. Okay, fine, I didn't write by candlelight, but the light from my laptop felt a lot like a modern version of it, especially during my episodes of writer's block.

In those moments I felt abandoned. I felt unworthy—how can I ever be a writer if I can't write? And I felt utterly lost.

But that's a lie writer’s block tells us. The truth is, blocks are temporary. And if you’re willing to look at them from a different angle, you might begin to see that they’re not here to stop us from writing, but to shape us into better writers.

Why Writer’s Block Happens?

There are many reasons why writers get stuck. I’ve compiled a list of the ones I’ve encountered most often in myself and in others. Maybe not all of them will resonate with you but I’d be surprised if none of them do.

1. You're in the early stages of your creative journey.

When you’re just starting out, your voice hasn’t fully developed. You haven’t found your rhythm or your footing. You might still be in what I lovingly call the oblivious era, chasing a dream without yet knowing how to bring it down to earth but believing that nothing is impossible for you. There’s a reason they say ignorance is bliss. This stage of your journey is thrilling, yes, but also the perfect soil for creative paralysis. Because this time is meant to be about you finding your voice, not blindly chasing recognition.

2. Writing is still just a hobby.

I wrote my first “book” in high school. I wasn’t old enough—or even mentally ready—to treat writing as anything more than a fun escape. I wrote every night, sometimes even during class, completely caught up in the joy of inventing stories. But writing professionally requires more than dreaming on paper. It’s not enough to simply pour your ideas onto the page; you have to edit, develop, and polish them. That’s when writing stops being just a form of journaling about your imaginary people and starts becoming real work to bring your stories to life. This shift can feel overwhelming, and it’s often when writer’s block shows up most.

3. High expectations get in the way.

Most writers, at some point, dream of success (some sort of recognition). And while that dream should motivate us, it often becomes a block instead. We start thinking about success more than progress. We want to write the perfect book, not the next draft. We want applause before we’ve written a single line. That pressure? It kills the magic.

4. You haven’t found yourself in your writing yet.

It takes time to discover who you are in your work. It takes courage to write with honesty, without constantly looking over your shoulder to see what’s trending, what will sell, or what others might think. Until you find that sense of self, it’s easy to freeze up. You’re trying to create, but you’re also trying to please everyone else.

5. Feeling disconnected from your writing.

You might be forcing yourself to write something you’re not passionate about. Maybe you’ve outgrown the story, or you’re trying to write what you think others want. When there’s no emotional connection, writing can feel like a chore.

6. You're creatively transitioning.

Sometimes writer’s block means you’re evolving. You’re outgrowing old ways of writing but haven’t found your new voice yet. It’s a kind of creative limbo. It’s uncomfortable but necessary.

7. Your creativity is under outside pressure.

Deadlines, expectations, social media comparison, or people asking “how the book is going” can turn a creative act into a performance. Pressure like that has a way of stealing the joy from writing at all.

My Go-To Tricks for Beating Writer’s Block

But over the years, I’ve grown a thicker skin—or maybe just gotten better at tricking myself into writing again. I’ve picked up a few tools that help me face writer’s block head-on (or, better yet, avoid it altogether).

#1 Focus on finding your voice

Finding your literary voice is, by far, one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done. Not because it’s inherently difficult, but because it takes courage to be alone with yourself and trust that the inner voice—sometimes barely more than a whisper—will guide you. Every writer wants to be heard and read, but I believe that often it’s precisely the silence (when both we and our work remain invisible to the outside world) that allows us to grow as creatives and find our voice and solid footing in the literary realm.

#2 Don't stop writing

Never, ever stop writing, even if what you’re writing makes you feel sick.

The trick is this: even when you feel abandoned by your own craft, you have to learn not to abandon it. Keep pushing through the lows, and you will definitely find your highs.

Write, pour yourself out, and don’t stop.

#3 Embrace the cringe

I don’t remember where I first heard this idea, but it stuck with me:

Cringe is the price of authenticity and self-expression.

The sooner we, as creatives, find the strength to move through embarrassment—through critique, bad reviews, and truly terrible debuts—the bolder and more independent we become in both our work and our voice. And that’s exactly where the best work is born.

The truth is, if we don’t allow ourselves to be terrible from time to time, we won’t allow ourselves to be real at all. That’s why so many creatives hide behind procrastination, perfectionism, or self-doubt—not because they lack talent, but because they’re afraid to face the consequences of creating something and letting it be seen.

But everything in life has its consequences. Your inaction carries just as many consequences as your action. So I’d rather take the leap and see what happens than spend the rest of my life wondering what might have been.

Let people see the rawest parts of you—the unpolished, imperfect parts—and be okay with it. Release the burden of expectation.

Your worth isn’t tied to how others respond to your work. You are not worthy because. You are worthy in spite.

#4 Write what truly moves you

Write what you love to read—not what’s trendy.

I know it sounds simple, even cliché, but once we truly shed other people’s expectations and dive into what we, as creatives, genuinely want to make—and how we see it coming to life—we begin a journey filled with both discovery and difficulty. We’ll face all kinds of obstacles along the way, and sometimes we might even lose ourselves in it. But none of that really matters, because we carry a vision and a fire in our hearts.

That’s the true act of creative birth.

Final Thoughts + A Book Rec

I know writer's block can be rough, but it's not the enemy—it's the teacher.

It arrives not to punish you, but to pause you—to make you listen deeper, grow braver, and write more honestly. If you let it, it will guide you to the places in yourself you’ve avoided. And once you write from there—the raw, honest center of who you are—you'll not only unblock… you'll unlock something greater.

Don't wait for the muse to come back. Be the muse.

As I said, writer’s block isn’t here to stop us from writing, it’s here to shape us into better writers. And when we stop treating it as the enemy, we begin to see that it has a lot to teach us about becoming better creatives and staying true to the act of creation itself.

So, breathe. Write something messy. Write something true. And most importantly—keep going!

And finally, I want to share a book with you I often recommend to my fellow creatives or pretty much anyone seeking to connect with their creative self: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. I adore Elizabeth's philosophy about creativity, and this book has helped me—and some of my friends—see the creative life through a gentler, more inspiring lens. Maybe you’ll find something in it for yourself as well. (Spoiler: you definitely will!)

P.S. Before you go…
Did you know I’ve written a book? My debut didn’t go viral, didn’t break records, and honestly? It kind of flopped. (sad no sad face here.) But it’s mine—and I poured my heart into it. If you’re curious about the words that made it through countless bouts of writer’s block and creative crisis, you can check it out here. Maybe you’ll even like it.

Liked what you read? Hit that like button and let me know. It keeps me inspired to keep writing more.