Thoughts You Have When Writer's Block Strikes

You sit down, determined to put down a serious chunk of words on the page, and nothing comes out. The curse known as writer's block is totally real and relatable. Sometimes you just can't get there, you know?

This sucky state produces a lot of desperate thoughts to please become inspired by something, anything. Especially if you're a work-at-home writer and you rely on your writing to be a successful adult. (You kinda like eating and having things in your apartment and want to keep it that way.)

In addition to feeling stuck and frustrated, writer's block is also dreadful because most of us don't like wasting time. If you're like me, you like things to be perfect (or somewhere near perfect) on the first try — writing a "sh*tty first draft" really doesn't sound all that appealing. You have all this kick-ass free time during the summer to really work on that novel or short story idea, so you definitely want to keep writing and not waste any of that precious time being stuck in the pit of despair known as writer's block. I hear ya.

If you've ever had writer's block at some point, you might relate to these thoughts:

OK, Before I Get Started, Let Me Clean EVERYTHING

You can't be productive if your space isn't in order, right?

I Need Coffee First to Get the Creative Juices Flowing

Plus, there's the added benefit of people watching!

I Just Have to Get Organized

Luckily, there's an app for that. Helpful tools like The Brainstormer and Writers App were created solely for moments like these.

Gym Break!

Isn't that what elliptical machines are for? Just for other people also procrastinating?

I'll Reread My Favorite Short Story for Ideas

But how does Amy Hempel balance funny and sad like that? It's some kind of sorcery.

Google All the Inspirational Quotes!

Other writers love to say things like, "Give yourself permission to suck." OK, done. What's next?

Wow, There Are a Lot of Books Out There to Help Struggling Artists

You're not alone!

Lemme Read All Those #amwriting Tweets

Nothing like a healthy dose of jealously to get the old wheels turning!

Shower Time. That's When Inspiration Hits The Most, Right?

Lather in a really deep conditioning treatment and let your mind work on its own.

Can't I Just Use a Random Plot Generator?

Sites like The Writer's Den plot generator clearly understand the struggle. It's not cheating, right? There are only like, six plot lines that exist, anyway.

How Did I Write That Piece Last Year That Was So Good?

I actually sounded like a real writer then.

I Will Never Write Anything Good Again

Have I peaked? Is this the end? Should I just give up and open Netflix?

It's Not My Fault. Writer's Block Happens to the Best Writers. I Shouldn't Be Ashamed

Plenty of writers deal with an inner critic that prevents anything from being written. That's comforting, at least?

Just Write SOMETHING

There you go. OK, yes, it was garbage, but at least it was an attempt!

OK, I Wrote a Paragraph. I Don't Hate It. Maybe I'm Cured

You have to admit it's true: just writing anything down can actually help. It's like preheating an oven. Now on to the good stuff!

Images: Chiarashine, Jayvando707, Rod Waddington, Jacob Fricke, Melodramababs/Flickr; Giphy (11)