How do I get through a writing slump?
Plan, draft, edit and pitch the same book in one project.
Start writing free- Writing slumps are common and usually temporary.
- They often have a cause: burnout, fear, life stress, or boredom.
- Self-criticism deepens a slump; self-kindness helps.
- Small, low-pressure steps rebuild momentum.
- Rest and refilling the well are legitimate responses.
Get through a writing slump by first being kind to yourself — slumps are normal and self-criticism only deepens them — then looking for the cause: burnout, fear about the project, life stress, or boredom with the work. Address what you find (rest for burnout, a smaller step for fear, patience for life). Rebuild momentum with low-pressure actions: tiny word goals, a different project, or filling the creative well by reading and resting. Forcing or quitting both tend to backfire; gentle, steady re-entry works.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Every writer hits slumps, and how you respond matters more than the slump itself. Harsh self-judgment and forcing through can turn a temporary dip into a long block, while quitting abandons the work. Understanding slumps as common and usually caused by something addressable — and responding with self-kindness and small steps — is what gets writers moving again. Treating yourself well during a slump protects both your output and your wellbeing, which a spiral of self-criticism would erode.
Chapter ii·What to include
- Self-kindness instead of self-criticism.
- A look for the underlying cause.
- Rest for burnout; a smaller step for fear.
- Low-pressure actions to rebuild momentum.
- Refilling the creative well by reading and resting.
- Patience — slumps are usually temporary.
Chapter iii·Example
An author stuck in a slump stops berating herself and looks for why — she is burned out after a launch. Instead of forcing pages, she rests, reads for pleasure to refill the well, and sets a tiny one-sentence daily goal to ease back in. Within weeks the momentum returns, gently rebuilt rather than forced.
In WriteLoom
Somewhere to actually put the words
WriteLoom keeps your project ready and your small goals visible, so easing back from a slump is low-pressure.
Not ready for a workspace yet? Get the free six-part series on winning the writing game: finishing drafts, editing in the right order, querying with real math, and launching on a runway.
Chapter iv·Related questions