Writer’s block is the worst. While there really is no “convenient” time for it, it often seems to come at the most inconvenient times—when you’re up against a work deadline, when you set a goal date, and it’s about to pass, or when you finally actually have time to sit down and write and…nothing. 

Like most writers, I’ve faced this battle more times than I’d like. The bad part is that it was a pain, got in the way of things, knicked at my confidence as a writer, and led to having to work double time to meet deadlines. The good part is that over time, I’ve become quite strategic in breaking through writer’s block. I’m sharing ten ways I’ve successfully overcome writer’s block on different occasions—and I hope they can help another writer out!

Set a timer. To finish my most recent novel (still in the querying stage), I set a daily timer for 15 minutes 30 days. And I wrote. It wasn’t always great. Sometimes, it was only 15 minutes, and sometimes, it was an hour. But it moved me so much closer to the finish line, and more often than not, I found myself inspired after the first few minutes.

Change your environment. If you’re inside, go outside. If you’re at home, go to a coffee shop. If you’re at work, step into a different office or area. Sometimes, a change in environment can spark new ideas or remove distractions you’re struggling with. 

Take a break. Timed or untimed. Use that time to do whatever you’d like—stare at the ceiling, make a cup of coffee, take a walk, do yoga, etc. Personally, I find my mushroom coffee breaks beneficial. I like to get creative with my process, use homemade chocolate sauce and dark chocolate shavings, and take way too many Instagram photos of it. 

Switch it up. I’ve faced writer’s block for a specific writing task before because my mind was focused elsewhere — usually on a fiction piece. By taking a break from the assigned task and getting some fiction writing off my mind, I accomplished two things: defeating writer’s block and progressing in a story or novel. 

Writing prompts. Writing prompts are a quick way to get your creative neurons firing for fiction and nonfiction. Check out this list of 40 Writing Prompts I recently published on the blog. You can also do a Google search for writing prompts for more specific topics or explore journals specific to writing.

Keep a running idea log. For as long as I can remember, I have kept a running idea log. Currently, I keep it on my Notes app and store it on the Cloud so I can access it on any device and add to it as needed. I also have a good old-fashioned notepad and pen in my car at all times. 

Read. In my most recent nonfiction/copywriting drought, I began reading again: articles, essays, LinkedIn posts, and the like. This helped spark something inside that led me back to the keyboard and kickstarting this blog! 

Complete a task. Do your laundry or dishes. Vacuum your house. Run an errand. Take a shower. Do a small task that helps you feel accomplished and refreshed. Bonus: even if it doesn’t help, you’ll still knock something off your to-do list. 

Take a writer’s course. This isn’t a quick way to overcome writer’s block, but some courses can be completed in a day or two and can encourage you while building your resume or portfolio. Coursera, EdX, and LinkedIn Learning are all great resources.

Listen to music. For fiction, I keep playlists specific to each story that I tune into while writing or editing. For nonfiction, I love using pre-made playlists on Spotify or YouTube, specifically for writing, writer’s block, productivity, or work. 

These are my go-to resources for kicking writer’s block to the curb and jumping back into your project or assignment. Sometimes I have to try a few over a few days, but almost always find success.

Do you have a tried-and-true way to work around writer’s block? Share it in the comments!