6 Tips for When You Feel Stuck in Your Writing

by Hadassah Treu

Every writer knows the feeling of being stuck while writing. You may get stuck in writing a piece or stuck in developing an outline or just stuck in generating fresh ideas. You may have the feeling that you are delivering the same message time in and time out, although in a different package. Stuck. Stuck. Stuck.

So what can you do? Here are six helpful tips to overcome the feeling of being stuck and get a fresh start today. 

1. Read through older writings you have written. These could be blog posts, unpublished book chapters, drafts, poems or whatever. Be on the lookout for ideas, phrases and sentences that may resonate with you and that you want to explore further. For example, I often take a paragraph of a blog post or an article I have written that is rich with messages and ideas and start writing and exploring these ideas further. In this way, I can turn a paragraph from an old post into a new fresh post or an article. 
2. Read through your journal. In case you are not journaling, it is a great time to do it. I often go through my entries to look for inspiration and fresh ideas. Usually, I take notes from my daily Bible study in my journal, and these notes are wonderful starting points to generate fresh content. 
3. Use social media. Social media can also be a great resource of inspiration if we use it wisely. Instead of mindlessly scrolling through our feeds, we can be attentive for messages that speak to our souls. We can meditate on these messages and see where this will take us. Also, listen carefully to the questions and comments your audience is making. Answering them can be very helpful in generating content. 
4. Use free writing. Just write or type whatever comes to your mind at that very moment. Pour out your feelings and thoughts on the paper. Let it roll. You can do this for a couple of minutes and then read what you have written. Perhaps a word, phrase or sentence will strike a chord and get you going. 
5. Try writing in a new format. For example, if you are stuck in writing a devotional, try writing a Bible study or a poem or a short story. Just change the format, and see if it will help you get unstuck.
6. Take a prayer walk. This one is my favorite. I am always surprised by how God refreshes my body, spirit and mind when I take a prayer walk. Usually, I am trying to be observant and focus my attention on the surrounding things while walking — a tree, a flower, the color of the sky. Talking to God in prayer and letting Him untangle my thoughts and worries is extremely beneficial to get unstuck in my writing too

As writers, there will be times we feel stuck in our writing, and this is normal. We need to remember that we are God’s vessels and let Him make us rest, refresh and refill with new insights and messages, and fresh ideas and words. He is our primary source of inspiration, and He provides the strength to persevere in our creative callings. Additionally, we can also try these practical tips to push through and keep writing. 

Blessings,

Hadassah Treu

Have you tried some of these tips? Which ones? Share your tips to get unstuck in your writing in the comments. 

Hadassah Treu

Hadassah Treu is an award-winning Christian blogger, author, poet, speaker, and winner of the Encouraging Blogger Award from Fluxing Well for 2020. She loves to encourage and motivate people to stand firm in their faith and grow spiritually by applying biblical truths to their lives. Hadassah is a contributing author to several faith-based platforms, and devotional and poetry anthologies. She is also a COMPEL Training Freelancing Community Group leader and Blogger Voices Network contributor. Hadassah has been featured on (in)courage, Proverbs 31 Ministries, Living by Design Ministries, Her View From Home, Thoughts About God, Today’s Christian Living, and other popular sites. You can find her online by visiting her blog at onthewaybg.com.

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