What to Do When You’re Stuck: Fighting Writer’s Block, Burnout, and That Lurking Desire to Give Up

I once spent an entire afternoon staring at a single paragraph—an angry little block of text that refused to make sense, as if my characters had all gone on strike. Everything else in my manuscript felt like a muddy tangle, so of course my mind started whispering, “Just go back to page one and fix it all.” I seriously considered it. Anything felt better than wrestling with the scene at hand. But deep down, I knew that was a trap. Because the moment you turn around to “polish” an unfinished draft, you risk never completing the story at all. It’s like stepping back on a tightrope mid-walk: you lose momentum and possibly plummet into the ravine of eternal half-finished projects.

There’s a moment in every writer’s life when the words just stop coming.

Maybe you were flying through the first few chapters, feeling unstoppable. Maybe you had a brilliant opening, an exciting inciting incident, even a solid first act. And then—somewhere around the midpoint—everything slows down. The excitement fades. The momentum dies. The scenes that felt clear in your head now feel like wading through wet cement.

This is where so many books die.

Not at the beginning, when you’re brimming with inspiration. Not at the end, when the finish line is finally in sight. But right here, in the murky middle, where doubt creeps in, motivation evaporates, and suddenly, cleaning your kitchen feels more urgent than writing another sentence.

So how do you push through? How do you keep going when you’re convinced that everything you’ve written is garbage and none of it is worth finishing?

The real question isn’t why you’re stuck—it’s how to get unstuck. Because writing a book isn’t about waiting for inspiration. It’s about pushing through the slow, frustrating, soul-crushing moments until you find the magic again.

Why Do Writers Get Stuck? (And Why It’s Not Your Fault)

Writer’s block doesn’t happen because you’re lazy. It happens because something isn’t working.

There are three main reasons writers hit a wall:

1. You don’t know what happens next.
   • You’ve written yourself into a corner.
   • Your story has lost momentum, and you’re unsure where to go.
2. You’ve lost confidence in your writing.
   • Doubt has crept in, and now everything feels like trash.
   • You’re rereading old chapters and cringing instead of moving forward.
3. You’re creatively drained.
   • You’ve been pushing too hard, and your brain is shutting down.
   • Writing has started to feel like a chore instead of an escape.

Each of these problems has a different solution. So before you panic, let’s figure out what’s actually stopping you.

Each of these issues has a different solution. For more on reigniting momentum, check out The Inciting Incident: How to Create an Unforgettable Call to Adventure.

If You’re Stuck Because You Don’t Know What Happens Next…

This is the most common reason writers get blocked. You’ve written yourself into a corner, or your story has lost momentum, and now you don’t know where to go.

How to Fix It:

• Zoom out. Look at your story structure. Where are you in the big picture? What’s the next major turning point? (If you don’t know, go back to your outline—or create one if you haven’t.)
• Ask: What’s the worst thing that could happen? If your story feels like it’s dragging, you probably need to raise the stakes. What would make things worse for your protagonist? What’s the most interesting direction the story could take?
• Go back to the last big decision. Did your protagonist make a choice? If not, that’s the problem—stories move forward through choices. Make them act.
• Write the next scene as badly as possible. Seriously—just force yourself to write something, even if it’s garbage. Momentum matters more than perfection.

Zoom Out: Step back from the scene and recall your story’s skeleton. Where do you want your hero by the end of Act Two? If you can’t see the direct path, try brainstorming a few “worst-case scenarios” that might strike your protagonist right now. Throw one at them. Let them scramble.
Write a Placeholder Scene: Sometimes I literally label a scene “Filler—Hero learns important clue from bizarre encounter” and just draft a barebones version. Momentum matters more than finesse at this stage. You can fill in details later.

If You’re Stuck Because You’ve Lost Confidence in Your Writing…

This one is brutal.

You’re writing, but everything feels bad. Maybe you’re rereading old chapters and cringing. Maybe every sentence feels forced. You start thinking, Why am I even doing this?

Welcome to the middle of the book—where self-doubt thrives.

How to Fix It:

• Stop editing as you write. Perfectionism is the enemy of progress. If you’re constantly going back to fix things, you’re never moving forward. Write first. Edit later.
• Revisit what made you excited about this story. Go back to your original notes. What got you hooked on this idea? What was the spark?
• Remind yourself that first drafts are meant to be bad. No one writes a perfect first draft. No one. The only way to get to something good is by pushing through the rough parts.
• Change your environment. Writing in the same place every day can kill creativity. Try writing in a coffee shop, a park, or even just in a different room.
• Take a break (but set a deadline). If you’re truly burned out, step away—but don’t let it turn into permanent procrastination. Tell yourself: I’m taking three days off, then I’m getting back to work.

Stop Self-Censoring: First drafts are supposed to be a bit of a hot mess. If you spend energy making each sentence perfect, you’re draining yourself. Let sloppy wording stand; your future self can fix it in revision.
Return to Your Original Spark: Remind yourself why you cared about this story in the first place. Was there a theme or an image that lit you up? Rekindle that.
Take a Micro-Break: Not an entire week of Netflix, but maybe a 30-minute walk or a random journaling session about something unrelated. Guilt-free, but time-limited.

If You’re Stuck Because You’re Creatively Burned Out…

Burnout is different from writer’s block. This isn’t about not knowing what to write—it’s about having nothing left to give.

Burnout happens when:

• You’ve been writing nonstop with no breaks.
• You’re pushing yourself too hard.
• Writing has started to feel like a chore instead of a creative outlet.

How to Fix It:

• Refill the creative well. Read a book. Watch a great movie. Listen to music. Do something that inspires you. Creativity needs input to generate output.
• Step away from the computer. Go for a walk. Do something physical. Movement helps shake loose creative blocks.
• Write something different. If you’re stuck on your main project, try writing something fun—a short story, a weird scene, a rant about why you hate commas.
• Lower your expectations. You don’t have to write 2,000 words a day. Some days, 200 words is a win.

Refill the Well: Read a chapter of a favorite author, watch a film scene that resonates with your story’s tone. Let someone else’s creativity recharge yours.
Write Something Sillier or Smaller: Instead of pressing on the main novel, dash off a micro-scene or silly dialogue with your characters in a random setting. Zero pressure, all fun.
Try Physical Movement: A run, a yoga session, or even scrubbing the kitchen floor can jolt you out of mental fatigue and reset your brain for writing.

For more creative inspiration, you might also like Storytelling Is a Science (And Here’s How to Hack It).

How to Trick Your Brain Into Writing (Even When You Don’t Want To)

Still can’t get the words flowing? Try these sneaky brain hacks:

1. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Tell yourself you only have to write for ten minutes. Once you start, you’ll usually keep going.
2. Write the scene as a letter to a friend. Explain what happens in the scene as if you’re telling someone a story. It takes the pressure off and helps you see the big picture.
3. Start with dialogue. If writing description feels overwhelming, skip it. Just write what the characters are saying. You can fill in the rest later.
4. Write in a different format. If typing isn’t working, try writing by hand. If that’s not working, try dictating into a voice recorder. Shake up your routine.
5. End every writing session in the middle of a sentence. This makes it easier to pick up where you left off—your brain hates unfinished thoughts.

How to Keep Momentum Once You Get It Back

Once you start writing again, protect that momentum. Here’s how:

✅ Set a writing schedule. Even if it’s just 15 minutes a day, consistency matters more than word count. You don't actually even have to be writing; just put yourself into the headspace of the scene you're wrestling with and let your mind wander.

✅ Create a “next steps” note before stopping. Before you finish writing for the day, jot down what happens next. Future you will thank you.

✅ Leave Notes for Yourself. Jot down a quick bullet list: “Next scene: Hero confronts Rival in the courtyard; mention the broken amulet.” Future you will appreciate the guidance.

✅ Stop while you still have ideas. If you finish a writing session with more to say, don’t burn yourself out—leave something in the tank.

✅ Keep a “stuck” journal. If you feel blocked, write down why. Often, just acknowledging the problem will help you solve it.

✅ Reward Yourself with Micro-Goals. Decide on a daily or weekly word count. Celebrate small wins—like a short walk or a fancy latte—because momentum feeds on positive reinforcement.

✅ Trust Your Draft to Evolve
If you realize a subplot isn’t working, don’t scrap it mid-way. Add a note (“REWRITE THIS LATER”) and keep going. Revisions exist for a reason.

Don’t Just Peer at the Obstacle—Dive Into It

Sometimes we think stepping back will help us see the big picture and unravel the knot. But it’s often the opposite: you discover the solution only once you’re knee-deep in the scene. You have to watch your characters flail, voice half-baked lines, attempt solutions that might fail. And in the midst of that chaos—maybe during a shower, maybe while rummaging for cereal—your brain will spark the key to bridging the gap. But if you never wade into the scene (and keep tinkering with earlier chapters instead), you’ll never gain that vantage point.

It reminds me of those times I’ve stared at a puzzle from three feet away, convinced I can’t see how the pieces align. Only when I crouch right next to it, ignoring everything else, do I notice an odd pattern or shape that clicks. In writing, that’s exactly how it works: the missing link reveals itself once you push forward. Not before.

The Shower Epiphany (Or: Why We Keep Notebooks by Our Pillow)

We all know the classic tale: you’re about to drift off to sleep when your brain whispers the perfect solution to a gaping plot hole. It’s infuriating and magical. The reason is that once you’ve immersed yourself in the writing (even if you’re stuck), your subconscious keeps processing it behind the scenes. That’s why having a small notebook (or your phone’s note app) is gold—catching those fleeting sparks before they vanish.

But none of that mental magic happens if you haven’t tried writing the troublesome scene yet. Your subconscious can’t fix a problem you haven’t confronted. So face the scene, wrestle it a bit, then step away. That’s how your mind knows there’s a puzzle to solve.

The Tightrope Metaphor: Reaching the End Before You Look Down

Imagine you’re crossing a canyon on a precarious wire. If you keep pausing to rebuild the wire behind you every ten steps, you’ll probably lose balance and fall. But if you push through—relying on each new step to propel you forward—you can secure the far side first. Then, once you’re anchored at the end, you can backtrack to reinforce or replace sections more safely. This is the difference between finishing a rough (even ugly) first draft and polishing your opening forever.

In short: If you can make it to The End, no matter how shaky the in-between is, you now own a complete story skeleton. Everything else is fixable. But if you turn around at 30k words to edit for perfection, you risk never building that final anchor. You stay in mid-air, rewriting early chapters that might not even survive the ultimate revision. The best approach is to keep laying that wire until it touches the opposite cliff. The rest is optional artistry.

Remember You’re Not Alone in This Nonsense

Every writer hits a wall. Tolkien got stuck, King got stuck, Atwood presumably got stuck. The difference is they kept writing (or took short breaks and then resumed) rather than letting the block define them. You don’t need to believe your first draft is brilliant—you just need to believe it’s necessary. A stepping stone to something that might eventually be brilliant, after revising.

When in doubt:

• Grab your phone or laptop.
• Set an impossibly small goal (like “I’ll just write 100 words”).
• Dismiss every impulse to fix old mistakes.
• Plunge into the scene you’d rather avoid.

Odds are, once you begin, the scene won’t be quite as terrible as you feared. Or maybe it will, but at least you’ll have forward momentum. And forward momentum is priceless.

The Only Way Out Is Through

If the midpoint is the big shift for your protagonist, consider this post-midpoint lull the big shift for you, the writer. You can either spiral into writer’s block and self-doubt or commit to finishing the story you started—even if it’s messy. That’s the real solution to writer’s block, burnout, and lost momentum: forging ahead anyway, letting the rough draft exist in its ugly infancy.

Then you can take a shower, or do the dishes, or wake up at 3 AM to scribble the revelation you needed. By the time you finally type “The End,” you’ll have a complete structure that can be revised and refined, a workable tightrope anchored on both ends. That’s the ultimate goal: making it across the abyss with a messy, glorious first draft. Everything else is scaffolding.

Ready to break through writer’s block and keep your story moving? Try Sudowrite now!