I'm Lynn, and today we're tackling one of the most common challenges I hear about from writers: the dreaded writer's block. While I rarely experience this myself (thanks to my brain being wired for ideation), I've helped countless clients break through these mental barriers, and I want to share what actually works.
The Two Types of Writer's Block (And How to Beat Each One)
Type 1: Can't Get Started. You sit down to write, and your mind goes completely blank. You stare at the cursor blinking on an empty page, and nothing comes.
Type 2: Mid-Stream Shutdown
You're writing along fine, maybe a few hundred words in, then suddenly hit a wall and can't figure out what comes next.
Both are frustrating, but they require different approaches to overcome.
When You Can't Get Started: Research Your Way In
If you're stuck at the very beginning, turn to external inspiration. Here's my go-to process:
Use Google Trends to see what topics are trending in your industry. Sometimes seeing what others are discussing can spark your own unique angle on a subject.
Ask AI for topic suggestions, but be specific. Don't just say "give me writing ideas." Instead, try: "What are people in [your industry] currently discussing that I could write about from my perspective as [your role and expertise]?"
Browse what others are creating in your space—YouTube videos, blog posts, social media discussions. You're not copying; you're looking for inspiration to create something entirely your own, in your own voice that supports the messaging on your platform.
The Brain Dump Method That Changes Everything
Here's where most people get writer's block worse: they try to edit while they write. Stop doing this immediately.
Instead, ask yourself: "If I could write about anything on this topic, what would it be?" Then, brain dump everything onto paper—and I do mean paper, not your computer.
Why handwriting beats typing for idea generation: We evolved writing by hand over tens of thousands of years. Our brains are literally wired to unload information more effectively when we physically write with a pencil on paper. When you type, you don't get the same neural connection that empties your conscious mind and lets your subconscious ideas flow forward.
That being said, you can brain dump your thoughts onto an electronic document if that’s what works best for you. You’ll still benefit from the process, but you’ll get more with old school pencil and paper.
Once you get those initial ideas out of what I call the "front storage area" of your brain, all the good stuff from your subconscious can come forward to be realized.
The Relaxation Revolution: Why Your Best Ideas Come When You're Not Trying
This is where it gets interesting. The activities that beat writer's block aren't writing activities at all—they're relaxation activities that put your brain in a receptive state.
Take a shower. I know it sounds silly, but showers consistently generate ideas because you're in a relaxed state with no mental demands. Your conscious mind stops churning, and your creative subconscious can finally speak up.
Go for a drive. Keep it short—you don't need a road trip. Just get in the car and drive around your neighborhood. Keep your phone handy to record ideas (safely pulled over, of course), or ask your phone AI to text yourself notes while you’re driving.
Try the midnight method. I keep a note on my phone called "Nighttime Ideas" because I almost always wake up with new thoughts. It’s best to keep a notebook and pencil on hand, as screen lighting can wake you up, but that didn’t work out for me. Definitely give it a try to see if it works for you! If you're not a middle-of-the-night waker, this won't help you, but for those who are, it's gold.
Take a leisurely walk. It doesn't have to be in a scenic park—around your block works fine. Sunny days are even better for clearing mental fog.
Run (or jog and walk). You don't need to go far. A half-mile run followed by a half-mile walk can unlock ideas that hours of desk-sitting couldn't produce.
Soak in a bathtub. Like showers, baths create that relaxed mental state where ideas can surface. Some of my best content concepts have come to me while soaking.
Summertime bonus: Sit in a pool or even a kiddie pool. Any activity that's relaxing and requires little to no mental effort helps clear your head.
Why I Don't Get Writer's Block (And What You Can Learn From It)
I took the Clifton Assessment, which measures your natural strengths, and "ideation" ranks in my top three. This means generating ideas comes naturally to me—I can write up to 10,000 words a day when I sit and focus on writing, especially when I have a fantastic instrumental soundtrack to write by.
But here's what trips up even natural ideators: stress and timing. When I'm dealing with high stress, my creativity shuts down completely. I can't even paint on weekends when I'm stressed. And my creative brain consistently turns off around 9 PM, so I've learned to work with my natural rhythms instead of fighting them.
The lesson? Pay attention to when your brain works best and what kills your creativity, then plan accordingly.
What Actually Stops the Flow of Writing
Editing while writing is the creativity killer. Get comfortable with messy first drafts. Your job in the initial stage is to get ideas out, not to make them perfect.
Putting pressure on yourself creates the exact mental state that blocks ideas. If you're beating yourself up about writer's block, you're making it worse by adding stress.
Ignoring your natural rhythms. Some people are morning writers, others are night owls. Some people need complete silence, while others require background noise. Stop fighting your preferences and work with them.
Join My Upcoming Ideation Workshop
If you're struggling with generating ideas consistently, I'm partnering with Jay from Audivita for a free ideation workshop on August 19th. While it's designed for podcasters, the methods work for any creative content—writing, video, social media, you name it!
I'll be sharing the free tools and methods I use to never run out of ideas. (Seriously, I always have more ideas than time to execute them.) We'll cover techniques that work across all industries and verticals, so whether you're in tech, finance, or medicine, you'll leave with actionable strategies to come up with new ideas and execute them.
The goal isn't just to inspire you—it's to give you practical tools to turn inspiration into actual content. While feeling motivated is great, it's knowing how to consistently generate and execute ideas that truly builds a sustainable creative practice.
Your Next Steps
Try the relaxation methods this week when you hit a writing wall. Keep a notebook or phone handy during showers, drives, and walks. Most importantly, give yourself permission to write badly first—you can always edit later, but you can't polish a blank page.
Remember, writer's block isn't a character flaw or a sign you're not meant to write. It's just your brain needing a different approach to access its natural creativity. The ideas are there; you just need the right key to unlock them.
🎙️ Creatives: Tired of asking yourself "What's my next episode, book, or blog going to be about?"
The Idea Generator Workshop has your back!
📅 Aug 19, 8AM PST/12PM EST
→ 5 free ideation tools
→ Systems that podcasting ideas into content
→ No more creative burnout
You're not out of ideas—you just need the right process!
Register 👇 #PodcastWorkshop #ContentCreation
https://write-for-you-ghostwriting.kit.com/idea-generator-for-podcasters
Have your own methods for beating writer's block? I'd love to hear them in the comments below. And if you're interested in the ideation workshop, watch for the signup link coming soon!
