Having written for eons, I don’t believe in writer’s block. As I often tell students: if you feel blocked it’s because you’re not writing, period. Sometimes perfectionism is the problem. Sometimes confidence is the issue. You see? It’s not about the writing itself. Herewith, 25 ways to help you leap past the fear of writing badly.

Advice for Beating Writer’s Block

• 1. Write for 30 minutes every day, no matter what.
• 2. Write by hand and keep the pen moving.
• 3. Make writing a sacred ritual, like candle-lit full moon bubble baths.
• 4. Visualized your ideal reader and know that she’s hungry for what you have to say.
• 5. Think of your writing time as playtime in your favorite sandbox.
• 6. Relax. They’re only words on a page, not a life-threatening condition.
• 7. Your writing may take you to places you can’t predict, so let go of expectations.
• 8. Sometimes writing is easy. Sometimes it’s hard. Forgive yourself for being human.
• 9. Reward yourself for every page you write.
• 10. Find an accountability partner and keep each other honest.
• 11. Don’t let anyone read your pages while they are still raw. Keep them safe from well-meaning interference.
• 12. If what you’re writing is uncomfortable, stick with it. You may be on to something.
• 13. Always be reading something that inspires you to be a better writer.
• 14. If you get stuck, don’t struggle against the quicksand; float and let it teach you something you didn’t already know.
• 15. Copy –by hand—one page of prose you admire. Let it inform your understanding of the craft.
• 16. Write without a filter. Tell the truth.  
• 17. Don’t apologize, don’t judge, don’t complain. Just write.
• 18. If you write one good sentence in 30 minutes, consider it a victory.
• 19. Forget perfection; it isn’t real. Write what is real.
• 20. Surrender to the process and trust. It’s all you can really do.
• 21. Do not read yesterday’s pages before you write today. Start fresh.
• 22. Start with one true sentence and then keep going.
• 23. Write Jackson Pollock style: throw everything you’ve got at the page. Don’t hold back.
• 24. Pierce your tender heart and let it bleed into your prose.