10 Types of Writer's Block (& how to fix them)

this video is about the various types of blocks you might encounter as a writer, plus immediate and long-term solutions to fix them!
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CHAPTERS
0:00 Perfectionism
3:06 Distracted
5:02 Lack of inspiration
6:43 Can't get started
7:32 No motivation
9:25 Fear
11:27 Self-judgement
12:56 Overwhelm
15:47 No time?
16:48 Lack of self-care
19:19 very important, watch this
📚 B O O K S
STARLIGHT: SHORT STORIES
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LITTLE BIRDS: SHORT STORIES
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[@HannahLeeKidder]

grab your no credit card, no commitment free trial of NovelPad!

[@TimbrrWolfe]

"Long term solutions are just practice and discipline, unfortunately" is a whole mood

[@DoctorJimalicious]

It's funny how "If the thing consumes your thoughts, fictionalizing it might help", lead me into writing around 100 poems and stories. In my effort to work through my issues, I got intuitively more engaging and articulate and, a HUGE personal plus, people that read my things, saw their struggles in my writing (duh I don't live on Venus, common struggles blahblah). Having people tell you "Hey, I feel the same way, sucks huh?" or "I'm so glad someone put it into coherent words!", is so soothing and motivating. Thank you for all the advice and helping us be the best we can!

[@willm1376]

Yup, I got the same theory about all of us writers being neurodivergent or mentally ill. Missed your videos. They're always helpful and you never fail to make me laugh.

[@Irrlichtwinter]

Adding on to the last point (self-care): as a chronically ill person, I've had to come to terms with the fact that sometimes I *can't* write. Sometimes, I will be in pain, or suffering strong brainfog, or be worried about my ongoing health to a point anxiety becomes all-consuming. Sometimes, life events become overwhelming, and I need all my action points per day to just... deal with life. My advice to fellow chronically ill writers is to find ways to stay engaged with your projects, and writing in general, even as writing itself (drafting, in depth editing, etc) is not an option. Even a small thing as doing a ten minute brainstorming/freewriting session daily on what you love about your projects, and what you are excited to get back to, can help mitigate feelings of guilt (over not writing) and keep passion for a project alife. Also, learn to set realistic goals. That's one I still struggle with myself - everytime I get out of bad health flare, I keep jumping in thinking "now I can do all the things!" And then I'll exhaust myself into the next flare up. Which is just... a bad time. tldr: Take good care of your body and mind, they are your most important tool for writing. Give yourself time to heal and recover, and practise self-compassion. Accept help when it is offered, and learn to ask for it if you need it. Your muses will thank you for taking care of yourself 💙

[@HannahLeeKidder]

Bruh, deeply felt. That is why I have been short on videos for a while haha. Personally, so much worse with pets. Like if you've got 5 things in you a day, they're gonna go to keeping the critters you're responsible for alive and happy. Then you can sit down until tomorrow or perhaps the day after. 😇 I like the idea of doing some small thing to keep connected with the project. I need to pick one to focus on bc I've got so many WIPs and don't finish many. 😩

[@abbierose2278]

I'm pretty sure Hannah is my favorite writing advice channel on all of KZbin ❤ it's like she's speaking to 15 year old me in the best way possible

[@HannahLeeKidder]

Oh shucks Abbie 🥹🥹

[@legendsofmia]

Hannah I know you said NovelPad was the sponsor for this video but it really feels like it was my therapist. This is all the advice she has given me as therapy homework in a video.

[@HannahLeeKidder]

Have you ever seen NovelPad and your therapist in the same room? 🤔🤔

[@andromeda1903]

i started writing a book just for myself. it's completely self-indulgent and who know if it's actually going anywhere. and i don't edit. i just write write write and i get some really good passages and some really bad ones, but in the end it's just a fun exercise!

[@omegaelement]

Fantastic video, and it's so great to hear Hannah's voice again.

[@samanthalaine8064]

Re 3:45, I almost exclusively write my first drafts by hand. Can confirm that at least one person does it for more than 10 minutes at a time!

[@HannahLeeKidder]

You're so much stronger than I

[@digvi6225]

hannah i came here (while procrastinating on writing obviously) and just don't look at your screen is so simple and so brilliant it nearly made me click out and go back to the word doc (I'll do it after the videos over pinky promise)

[@The_Open_Book]

The lack of self-care solution has worked for me in the past! I mean, it was a depressing slog to process my relationship traumas by writing about them, but I realized that it was that or write *nothing* because it was all-consuming on my mind sooo I had to choose to write ':)

[@HannahLeeKidder]

Kinda helps you confront it cReAtiVeLy

[@barrowc]

Great video, Hannah! I recognised some of these issues even just when I am writing emails at work, so there are definitely things I can try some of these suggestions on

[@HannahLeeKidder]

Thanks for watching, friend! 🫶

[@ItsRoseForYou]

What a great in-depth video! The way you split the advise up in short-term and long-term is very helpful!

[@tsulasthings]

these all called me out lmao i literally will not finish a one-shot for 6 months if i think im going to publish it, i will go back and edit things before I've even finished it and then i wont write for weeks or months

[@kittifire]

The Artists Way! I definitely am struggling to wake up earlier than my kids to do morning pages, but I chose a kids notebook with Ewan McGregor as Obi-wan on the cover and i feel like he forgives me.

[@HannahLeeKidder]

Obi wan understands

[@ran_braden]

I eventually learned to write a one sentence reminder for edits. I would continue writing from that point as if I had made the change already but I wouldn’t physically go back until I had written the words The End. I got around #9 by being partially paralyzed for three months where all I could do most of the time was lie in bed. After binging on kdramas and anime I did my best Paul Sheldon impression and cranked out the first draft.

[@yaelzivanartist]

This was so helpful!! Thank you! ❤❤❤

[@---ul9eq]

i’m a chronic deleter and i can’t stop. i’ve started filtering through the trash to find the parts i don’t think are too terrible and then transferring those bits to a doc, but i cannot stand to keep the whole thing. it’s just not gonna happen😭

[@j0rd33]

5:51 lmao thank you i needed that reminder bad🤣🤣

[@TimbrrWolfe]

Very helpful video! I am more aware than ever that I need to be medicated 😂 But until that happens I think I need to just start setting aside a regular time to devote to writing and let what happens happen during that time. I have or have had dozens of ideas for stories (or like. Vague concepts with no meat to them, most of the time), so if I have time where I'm either writing or doing nothing, I'm sure my brain will start churning on some ideas. I've had more than one night lately where I've just sat in my room and talked through certain topics with myself. I could either start jotting that down or pivot it into brainstorming for stories, at the very least.

[@paulidin]

I have not watched much youtube in the last many years because i started to find this whole website to be overwhelming and not enjoyable enough to experience this whole thing... but here I am and it was really lovely to see and hear you speaking about writing again after all this time. Did you make mudpies?! Ka-chow! "Deal with your issues! ...Sorry." made me laugh.

[@paulidin]

Also, i clicked the novelpad link and started a thing.

[@HannahLeeKidder]

Hi Paul! Haven't seen you around! Nice to hear from ya 😊

[@TimbrrWolfe]

"300 words of fiction in 10 minutes" it's still so wild to me that when it comes to writing sprints my words turn into air where they expand to fill the container. By which I mean that whether the sprint is 10 minutes or 30 minutes I /tend/ to end up with around 300 words written anyway. Obviously sometimes it's more but it's not usually less unless I'm either really stuck or not actually writing the whole time (which, of course, defeats the purpose of a sprint. But sometimes you gotta help bring in groceries or whatever). Honestly I've been thinking for a while now that writing sprints aren't /that/ helpful to me, personally, because I often get into a flow of writing and then the sprint's over and I have to stop and start back up. So I don't really get to hold momentum. That said, writing sprints /are/ good for actually making me sit down and do some writing because probably the majority of my problem is usually getting started instead of doing something else instead. So it's a mixed bag. When the adhd hit different.

[@JonnyRecaps]

I'm so glad I switched over to NP. I can't see myself ever using anything else. Great video as always (even if always means four times a year 😉👍).

[@KaraValmeyjar]

I can confirm that there are writers who use pen/pencil and paper on the regular, as I am one of them. The times I write "long form" as its called are usually my most productive, though it is a pain to put all of it on to a word doc after. Still worth it.

[@GrayOperative]

I'm (probably) weird. I like to write a rough draft out in paper, mark up the page, type it on the computer, print it out, then mark it up again, then retype it.

[@HannahLeeKidder]

Honestly sounds like a fun process but my hands would falllll offfff 😩😩

[@ChantelleArts]

This is fascinating ☺☺

[@TimbrrWolfe]

I don't have empirical data on this but I think millenials are in something of a sweet spot of "young enough to easily learn computer things" and "old enough to not primarily use cell phones for computering" so that we probably are the biggest group capable of touch typing. Or maybe it's just all us chronically online girlies. Could also be that.

[@HannahLeeKidder]

Using a phone feels so restrictiveeee. I have younger friends who will deadass do work projects on their phone or write essays and I'm like ??? Feels like working on a tamagotchi

[@TimbrrWolfe]

@@HannahLeeKidder Yeah I have no idea how they do it, let alone prefer to do it. I guess being able to turn on transcription and write by talking might be ok for some projects but I can't wrap my head around it even so. And I have trouble doing everything I want to on /Android/ phones, let alone iPhones that are apparently the majority in the US

[@DillyBlue]

@@HannahLeeKidder I feel this so hard! My laptop broke back in February and I had to wait a couple of weeks until I could get a new one and being restricted to my phone was a nightmare!

[@dandelionbush6176]

Missed your video ❤

[@HannahLeeKidder]

[@billyalarie929]

I paused at “let’s say you’re writing sisterhood of the traveling pants fanfic” so I could focus while making coffee, and when I came back it was to, “you can track the pants” and idk wtf it is bc I’m not into corny humor but that made me fuckin LAUGH

[@fireinateacup89]

My most paralyzing WB is the thought that no one reads anymore. How do we fix that?! 😬

[@HannahLeeKidder]

Many people read! 😊

[@Roma_eterna]

Right now, my biggest problem is, because I’m a history nerd and I’m writing a historical fiction, I seem to be hung up on historical accuracy or authenticity. in other words, would this character do x? Or did y event happen in this specific year? Since my novel is set in the Roman Empire in the first century, I know Roman history backwards and forwards, but translating it to a novel is a challenge, especially trying to avoid inserting modern viewpoints in an ancient setting. Most recently, for instance, I went down a rabbit hole while researching classical versus Vulgar Latin lol!

[@micahklassen7151]

How’d you know number 9 was me get out of my head

[@LuckyGoulash]

10/10 thumbnail. did u pose for it.

[@HannahLeeKidder]

I absolutely did goush I had it professionally taken and it was all very intentional thank u for asking

[@jettash0720]

I got distracted during the distracted segment and now I just feel bad, whoops ^_^;

[@HannahLeeKidder]

The universe is shaking your shoulder and pointing

[@billyalarie929]

“Babe wake up” etc.

[@jessicahawkins3024]

I am the weirdo who prefers writing by hand for more than ten minutes at a time! But then, I'm prolly close to twice your age, so I kinda grew up with it😅 I'm still trying to figure out what motivates me, tho...

[@HannahLeeKidder]

How do you do it??? My hand hurts immediately

[@Writingsabeast]

Not you calling me out with every issue

[@HannahLeeKidder]

lmaooo girl roll up, we'll get you some meds

[@Karma-back08]

Ok gimme ur skin care routine first of all 😂😂

[@TimbrrWolfe]

Not "NIckname: Panties" aldskfjlakdsjf💀

[@LuckyGoulash]

damn thanks for calling me out like six thousand times

[@HannahLeeKidder]

Adding @goush to the title

[@CriticalWriter]

Writer's block is a myth.

[@HannahLeeKidder]

Slay

[@thetcgkollector3421]

The only creative art that gives a name for being lazy.

[@LieingCostsYoursoulTellElders]

Love u. Not in a sexual way cannnot continue in the future to many broken laws