How Do Writers Get Unblocked?

 

 

You want to say something great, but the words elude you. You feel the need to be seen and heard, but the substance of your message fails to form. You start to convey a viewpoint, share a feeling, or tell a story but you realize that as you read your writings you are failing to do your thoughts justice. You are in a writer’s purgatory, caught between aspirations of being a genius who writes life-altering, world-changing books and a commercial hack who just wants to slop together something that sounds good enough to sell.  

What could you do in that situation?

* Pack it in and revisit your laptop when the inspiration strikes again?

* Stick with it and force yourself to write past your blockage, like someone trying to punch through a wall?

* Change your plans for what you were going to write about and try to write something else?

* Give up on the idea of writing a book?

* Take a writing course or attend a writer’s conference

Most authors will either:

* Escape to the comforts of their addictions — porn, drugs, gamble, eat, booze, sex.

* Work out, take a hike, go for a swim, walk, or play a sport.

* Go shopping to make themselves feel better

* Go on a retreat, visit a spa, or undergo a change of scenery.

What will you do?  

I find that getting more input of content helps: Go see a play, watch a movie, read a book, hit a museum. Inspiration could come from the arts.  

But you will decide what works for you. I can assure you that you will move on and genius will return to you. It happens to everyone. Something will click and then it will pour out of you like a gushing stream, so fast and furious that you will explode with ideas and words.  

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Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 5,000,000 page views. With 5,400+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum