Oh, the joy it must feel like to write your story with no complications, no hesitation, and no invisible wall to block all your creative juices from flowing out of your little head, but writing fiction is never as easy as it seems.

There is planning that goes into it that can be meticulous and take up a lot of time. There needs to be character development. They need to have a background, an origin story. You need to know their favorite color, how they celebrated their 6th birthday, and even their favorite workout song. And this isn’t just for the main character. This is for every character in the story. Then, you need to establish the setting. After that, you need conflict, plot, and so many more nuances to really set up your story.

But what happens when you’re a writer and you face the biggest blockage?

Writer’s block is no joke. Sometimes you completely drain yourself of the emotional and physical energy it takes to write, and you can never truly explain what it’s like to simply have no idea what to write. There is an emptiness in your head that feels like there is something there but you can’t quite see it. It’s on the tip of your tongue, but you just can’t say it. It’s right there in front of you, but you can’t reach it.

Writer’s block can be hell, trust me.

I have been writing for about 5 years, and the amount of times I’ve had writer’s block is out of this world. I can remember so many times when I have sat in front of my computer, fingers spread across the keys, and I just sit there. No thoughts are running through my head. Any idea I get is either not good enough or simply the next worst piece of writing, so I don’t even bother typing it out.

Now, I will say that writer’s block is not permanent. If anything, it is extremely temporary, and I think knowing that is what helps me out of my funk every time. With writer’s block, there is a certain insecure mindset that enters a writer’s mind. We doubt ourselves. We doubt our work. We doubt our talent. We are so quick to deem our writing unworthy when everything we do is deserving of praise. Once you can release yourself from thinking that way, that invisible wall will crumble.

It will destroy itself and free your thoughts to run wild in your head and, eventually, on paper. My piece of advice for writer’s experiencing this is to read your past work. Remind yourself of the art you once produced and see the things that only you have created. Look at your creations. Breathe in your past emotions and relish in them, in hopes of creating something new. My method is always to look at the past to see the future.

To the writer reading this, I hope you overcome your own blockade and march through to the finish line. I promise there is a great story waiting for you there.