What if Writer’s Block Isn’t Your Enemy?

May 28

If you’ve ever stared at a blinking cursor until your coffee went cold, you know the soul-deep frustration of writer’s block. Most advice out there will tell you to do “cutesy” things to “bust through it!” Advice like: go for a walk, set a writing timer, or choose a different font might work if you’re a little stuck. If you’re stuck enough to be searching for online advice, those basic af suggestions only serve to frustrate you. Chances are you’ve already tried taking a walk, and you still can’t write.

I’m here to give you a new approach to writer’s block.

What if your writer’s block isn’t your enemy?

What if it’s just a part that’s trying to protect you?

Rethinking Writer’s Block

In my work as a book coach and former Resident in Counseling, I’ve learned that our minds are made up of “parts.” You can think of these parts like a cast of characters living in your head. If you’ve ever seen the movie Inside Out, it’s sorta like that.

In Internal Family Systems, a psychological framework developed by Richard Schwartz, PhD, some parts are called Protectors. These often manifest as an Inner Critic, a Perfectionist, a Procrastinator, a Logician, and a Performer, among others. All of these Protectors are working hard to manage your life and keep you safe. But what are they protecting? Usually, it’s your most vulnerable parts—what Internal Family Systems (IFS) calls Exiles.

Exiles carry the pain of your past. The sting of rejection, the memory of abandonment, the shame of “not being enough.” They hold everything you’ve tried to push down so you can function. They carry the words you can’t forget, things people have said about you or done to you. Most people tend to ignore these parts and are happy to let their Protectors run the show.

However, writing, by its very nature, stirs those Exiles up. Our Writer part travels to the land of Exiles to mine our deepest wounds for stories. Then it infuses them into our characters, who wrestle with the things we fear most. We layer our drafts with themes that have shown up in our own lives. Things like the sting of unrequited love, loss of a close family member, betrayal, or longing. It’s what makes writing so powerful, but it can also feel like poking an old bruise over and over again.

This is one way writer’s block manifests in our lives. When those tender places start to ache, your Protectors jump in. They throw up a wall of procrastination, perfectionism, or numbing distraction. Not because they hate your creativity, but because they think stopping you from writing is the only way to keep you safe from pain.

Another way writer’s block can occur is when your Protectors try to do the writing for you. The Perfectionist drives you to work long hours, forsaking basic needs like eating and using the bathroom, in order to have the “perfect” manuscript. The Inner Critic can hurl a litany of insults at you, shaming you until you’re nearly in tears, staring at your manuscript. The Logician can tell you that writing is a waste of time and that you’ll never make any money selling books. Better to cut your losses and run. The Performer might convince you to scrap this draft and write something more “to market.” While the Procrastinator throws up the peace sign and says, “screw this noise, let’s scroll social media for hours.”

This is when imposter syndrome and creative burnout, caused by our overfunctioning parts, cause writer’s block. Because it’s not those parts' natural role to write stories, that’s the job of the Writer Part.

However, the Writer Part is very susceptible to internal and external criticism.

The Writer Part

The Writer Part is one of the most tender parts in your internal system. It’s the part that dares to dream, dares to imagine, and dares to put those dreams into words where others can see them. But because of that very vulnerability, it is also one of the easiest parts to wound.

When the Writer Part brings you an idea, it feels like holding out something precious in cupped hands. A glowing ember; a piece of your heart. The moment it’s met with harshness, whether that’s from an external critic (an editor, a teacher, a reviewer) or from your own internal parts (your Critic, your Logician), it flinches. It retreats. And sometimes it goes completely quiet.

This is why feedback can feel so personal, because it is personal. The Writer Part doesn’t just create stories; it brings forward pieces of your inner world. When those pieces are rejected or mocked, the pain cuts deep. And your Protectors take notice. They step in to shield the Writer Part from being hurt again, sometimes by walling it off so completely that you can’t access it. This is the point where many writers say they feel “blocked,” “burned out,” or like “the words just won’t come.”

The truth is, the words want to come, but the Writer Part no longer feels safe enough to share them.

Self-Led Writing

So how do you coax the Writer Part back out of hiding? By writing from Self.

In Internal Family Systems, Self is the steady, compassionate core of who you are. It’s not a part of you, but a whole. Sometimes called Spirit, Soul, Inner Knowing, Universal Intelligence, etc. Self isn’t afraid of criticism or rejection because it knows that your worth doesn’t hang on one draft or one scene. Where the parts see shame and fear, Self only sees love. When you write from Self, you create a safe environment for the Writer Part to do what it does best: play, imagine, and create.

A Self-led writer embodies these five qualities:

Playfulness – Approaching writing with a sense of curiosity and fun, letting drafts be messy, trying new things without fear.
Confidence – A quiet, unshakable trust that “no matter what happens, I’ll be okay,” which allows you to finish and share your work.
Compassion – Meeting shame, fear, or fatigue with care rather than criticism, and offering yourself the same kindness you’d offer a friend.
Patience – Respecting the natural ebb and flow of creativity, honoring your own journey and development as a writer.
Clarity – Staying rooted in your true “why” and writing for your real audience (not just to appease your Critic or impress others).

When these qualities lead the way, your Writer Part feels safe enough to take risks again. This doesn’t mean you’ll never feel fear or doubt — but you’ll be able to hold those feelings with curiosity instead of letting them stop you.

Want to learn more? Download my free printables on beginning to know your parts here.

If you’re ready to take a more in-depth look at your parts, I wrote a book titled No Bad Drafts: A Revolutionary Approach to Healing Writer’s Block and Freeing Your Voice and a companion workbook.

Let me know how it goes!

Ainsley James