How to Get Over Writer’s Block for Film Scripts

Face it, every screenwriter has a time in their career where they just can’t seem to get past writer’s block. Figuring out how to get over writer’s block for film scripts is something that every screenwriter has to just face head on and deal with at some point in their career. So if you’ve found yourself staring at the computer screen for an hour without a single word on the page, or you’ve spent all day avoiding the task of writing because you just don’t know what to say, you’re not alone!

Writer’s block inconveniences all of us at one point or another, but there are ways to overcome writer’s block. In fact, you really don’t have to let writer’s block get the best of you! There are a lot of different ways that you can move past writer’s block and start writing again. 

Ready. Set. GO!

What is Writer’s Block? 

Before we can provide any truly valuable “cure” or solution for the problem, we’ve got to  define the actual problem. So, what is writer’s block? It may look a little bit different for every script or screenwriter.

For you, it might look like sitting in front of a blank page for several hours at a time. Or, it could look like writing the scene several times over and simply not being able to move the story forward. For me, it often looks like avoidance and procrastination.

Doing Anything Else

When I’m struggling to get the words out, I avoid the task all together. So instead of working through the writer’s block like I know I should, you’ll find me scrolling through social media. Working on another project.

Or just otherwise doing whatever I can to avoid the situation at hand. (Anyone want to binge watch Netflix?)

While I know that this will not help to get rid of writer’s block, and procrastination is not “technically” writer’s block…It’s quite common for writer’s block to lead to avoidance, procrastination, or some of these other things. 

From Personal Experience

Writer’s block is the inability for an author to come up with new content. It’s almost as if a big Stop Sign is held in front of the writer. Preventing them from managing to put any valuable words on the page. It’s quite possible that words are being written.

But if they are, it’s highly likely they are not really meaning anything. Creativity has been stifled, the writer has lost their ability to produce meaningful work. And as a result, for me anyway, that means walking away, doing something else, losing focus entirely.

Writer’s block may not look like this for everyone, it certainly doesn’t always appear like procrastination for me, but it frequently leads to procrastination.

Procrastination is a byproduct, a coping mechanism for the writer’s block that halts my creativity, but it’s definitely not the best way to overcome it!

We Must Overcome

Learning how to get over writer’s block for film scripts is a necessity for any screenwriter. And sometimes the things we do to avoid dealing with writer’s block. Like distracting ourselves from the task, procrastinating.

Or otherwise avoiding the situation can actually cause writer’s block or make it worse. Thus, it’s absolutely vital that steps be taken to overcome it.

How to Get Over Writer’s Block

The first step to getting over writer’s block for film scripts is to shift your focus. If you’re finding that you can’t get the words on the page, perhaps it’s the angle that you’re looking at the project from? Are you worried about a deadline? This could be distracting you from the task at hand.

Are you trying to write a script that begins with a particular opening scene or story? Consider working backwards or instead of starting there, why not work for a while on your character development?

If you’re finding that you can’t focus or can’t seem to write whatever it is that you are “supposed” to be writing right now, you might be able to get over your writer’s block by shifting the focus to another element of the task.

Not all tasks must be handled in an “A, B, C” order. Consider shifting your focus to something that you’re more comfortable with right now.

Consider the following:

• Shift focus, start something new.
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• Jump around. Not like “jumping jacks” but as in, try writing a different section of your script and coming back to what you are stuck with.
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• Move around. As in, if you’re sitting at a desk, try taking your work outside. If you’re sitting on your bed, try moving to another room. 
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• Eliminate the distractions. Turn off your phone & put it in another room. Disable notifications and use a distraction free browser. 

Not a One-Size-Fits-All

These are just a few of the ways that you can immediately figure out how to get over writer’s block for film scripts that you’re currently working on. But there are literally hundreds of ways to “cure” this problem and it really depends on what works best for you.

Tips for Screenwriter’s to Overcome Writer’s Block

While the tips above can work for just about anyone that is struggling with writer’s block, as a screenwriter you’re looking for ways that directly relate to your situation.

Figuring out how to get over writer’s block for film scripts is something that every screenwriter has to learn and it just might feel like an uphill battle at times. Don’t let writer’s block torture you! That’s the most important consideration. 

If you’re feeling like a deadline is looming over or you just can’t seem to get past a particular point of a screenplay you’re working on, or if you have noticed that every time you sit to begin working on a particular screenplay you’re instantly uninspired.

Consider the following:

• Watch a movie with intent. Don’t just watch it, analyze it. Think about your analysis for the entire film as you watch. Consider how you could apply elements that you’re seeing to your own screenwriting.
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• Be your own audience. Think about yourself as an audience. What would you like to see? What would you expect in a story?
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• Set a goal for your writing and do whatever it takes to achieve it. If you’re really struggling with writer’s block, just set a goal to write 1 meaningful scene or page. Increase your goal as you go.
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• Practice mindfulness meditation for at least 5 minutes per day. This might be difficult to achieve at first so you might start with 1 minute and increase in 1 minute increments as you achieve success.
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• Exercise outdoors! Take some time to examine the world around you. Your next screenplay might be right around the corner – literally.
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• Get back to basics. If you’re struggling to write an entire screenplay, try an outline or a scene, or just creating a character.
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• Seek some support from a forum, your team, another screenwriter or a friend. Talking about your writer’s block might help you overcome it.

In Essence

Figuring out how to get over writer’s block for film scripts is really all about you learning yourself and what it is that makes you tic. If you’re struggling with creativity, you might just need to take a break, to do something creative in another way.

Such as to paint or to sing a song or play an instrument, or to look at the task from another angle. It’s important that you find a distraction free workplace and that you disconnect from things like your smartphone, social media, and all those notifications that come through.

It’s not always easy, but you can get over writer’s block and keep chugging along with your screenplay.