How to Write, Lesson 8: Beating Writer’s Block & Finding Endless Inspo

Wow, our last lesson. You’ve committed to something for the past eight weeks in a row, and that in and of itself is an achievement worth celebrating.

You’ve also completed writing an astutely angled, well-researched, unique, and polished short-form piece that’s destined to be published in print (complete with sidebar ideas!), digital (check out your competitive edge!), or in your journal.

That is also worth celebrating.

But once the last drop of champagne has been sipped tonight, where do you go from here?

And, as your “teacher,” where do I go from here?!

If I’m being honest, I’m kind of relieved this How to Write series is coming to an end. I poured my heart and soul into it. It was a ton of work—more than I anticipated when I cooked up the idea a few months ago—and it took a lot out of me. At times, I felt stupid for positioning myself as an expert when there are plenty of more prolific writers and editors out there who can teach you how to write. Other times, the crickets in our Subscriber Chat were deafening. “You should quit,” they’d chant. “Pack it up,” chirp chirp.

During these past eight weeks, I also missed being able to write freely about the things happening in my life, like I normally do.

I went to my twenty-year high school reunion.

I hosted family pool parties and went to LBI with friends.

I took a romantic trip with Tim to Newport, RI.

I debated taking beta-blockers for my newfound social anxiety…

Still, I couldn’t interrupt the flow of this masterclass. If one person, only one person, learned something new, then following through has been 100% worth it.

How to Beat Writer’s Block

Therein lies your answer to how to beat writer’s block. Seasoned writers will tell you that you have to push straight on through it, even if the last thing you want to do is put pen to paper.

“I deal with writer’s block by lowering my expectations. I think the trouble starts when you sit down to write and imagine that you will achieve something magical and magnificent — and when you don’t, panic sets in. The solution is never to sit down and imagine that you will achieve something magical and magnificent. I write a little bit, almost every day, and if it results in two or three or (on a good day) four good paragraphs, I consider myself a lucky man. Never try to be the hare. All hail the tortoise.” — Malcolm Gladwell

Use what you learned in Lesson 3 and lean on your outline to prop you up and give you the strength to keep writing. Or, yes, you can ask AI for a brainstorming assist (you’re going to hate what it spits out and want to rewrite it anyway).

If you really can’t write another word, get out in the real world. Go for a walk or meet a friend for a drink. Have dinner with your parents or go see a show. Do anything that will make you feel alive so you can bring it back to the page.

“I don’t believe in writer’s block. I’ve been very vocal about that. I think writer’s block is the luxury of time. I actually think back to my days at Princeton. You had writer’s block, you couldn’t write that essay that was due, until miraculously, it always cleared up the night before it was due, right? Suddenly, you were able to produce a draft.

I started writing professionally when I had a newborn, and then very quickly, two more kids. I was the primary caregiver and I was a novelist, and I would write anytime they were napping, or at nursery school, or not hitting each other over the head with a sippy cup. I got to the point where, honestly, I wrote in 15-minute bursts, because that was all I had.” — Jodi Picoult

At the same time, I’ll also be blunt about it: If writing about a given topic feels truly painful, like pulling teeth with every line, maybe it’s not for you. The reader will pick up on that vibe, and in the end, you’ll be doing them and yourself a disservice. In those cases, drop the act—and the assignment—and find something that triggers the words to flow more freely out of you.

Finding Endless Inspo

The Texas floods rocked me. I kept picturing those little girls in their cabins, snuggled up in their pajamas hugging their stuffed animals in bed—where they’d been told they’re whole lives that they were safe and warm—and how that couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

I read article after article about the heroes and victims across Hill Country. The older man who clung onto a pole for two hours as the currents that had just stolen his wife continued to rage against him.

How did he hold on?

How do you move on?

How do you process the loss and the grief?

One way is to write—whether you want to share your own thoughts, opinions, and feelings, or share other people’s stories that deserve to be told.

Sharing the human experience is what unites us.

Life—your mere existence on this spinning rock—and all the good and bad things that happen to you during it, deserve to be captured.

Writing is a tool that helps preserve those memories. It also helps others learn, grow, evolve, and process their own experiences.

Look around you and you will find inspiration everywhere, whether it’s the latest news, something your partner said, or yes, your twenty-year high school reunion.

Whatever moves you, pisses you off, lights you up, or baffles you can be your next angle.

Just remember: your story is always worth telling… It’s your audience that will dictate where it should live.

THANK YOU for joining me in How to Write. You have officially completed this masterclass !! 🌟🌟🌟

As your final writing prompt, I’m arming you with the know-how to pitch your short-form piece to a publication. Bet on yourself and send it to your favorite magazine or site, and you could be looking at your very first published piece.

Writing Prompt #8: