There Is No Writer’s Block, Part 1: The Lie We Keep Telling Ourselves

In Part 1 of this two-part episode, I dissect the modern notion of “writer’s block” and argue that the term itself functions as a linguistic alibi, one that falsely implies an external impediment to a fundamentally solitary act. Writing does not happen in crowds, and nothing outside the writer can prevent the sentence from being written.

This episode separates real psychological and physical hardship, including fatigue, burnout, grief, depression, and illness, from what is more often an indulgent and socially reinforced avoidance of the work itself. I examine how the idea of writer’s block is normalized within creative communities, how deadlines become a substitute for discipline, and how resistance to writing is mischaracterized as incapacity rather than a confrontation with the subconscious.

Drawing from philosophy, neuroscience, and the lived practices of writers throughout history, Part 1 diagnoses the lie and prepares the ground for a harder question. If writers facing poverty, illness, addiction, and despair could still produce great work, what exactly is stopping you?