How Your Core Desires Can Help You Overcome Writer’s Block

Writer’s block isn’t just a lack of inspiration—it’s often a misalignment between your natural motivational desires and your writing process. Instead of brute-forcing your way through frustration, the key is identifying what’s holding you back and adjusting your approach accordingly.

Using the 16 Basic Desires (Reiss Motivational Desires), we can diagnose the underlying cause of writer’s block and apply a tailored solution to get words flowing again.

Step 1: Identify Your Core Desires

Each writer is driven by different intrinsic motivations. Some crave structure, others thrive in chaos. Some need external engagement, while others do best in solitude. If your current writing approach clashes with your strongest desires, writer’s block is almost inevitable.

Ask Yourself:

• Do I feel overwhelmed by too many possibilities? (High Order, High Tranquility)

• Am I bored because I already know what happens? (High Curiosity, High Independence)

• Do I feel stuck because I’m afraid of making mistakes? (High Acceptance, High Power)

• Am I unmotivated because I’m writing alone? (High Social Contact)

Once you recognize your primary driver, you can modify your process to align with it.

Step 2: Diagnose the Type of Writer’s Block

Let’s break down common causes of writer’s block based on the 16 Basic Desires and how to fix them.

1. Lack of Structure (Common in High-Order, High-Tranquility Writers)

Symptoms:

• Feeling lost, overwhelmed, or unsure of where the story is going.

• Constantly second-guessing ideas, leading to hesitation.

Solution:

• Create an outline—even a loose one—to establish direction.

• Use story beats, character profiles, or scene summaries to guide you.

Quick Fix: Write a one-paragraph summary for your next scene to provide clarity before diving in.

2. Feeling Stifled or Bored (Common in High-Independence, High-Curiosity Writers)

Symptoms:

• Writing feels like a chore rather than an adventure.

• The story is predictable and lacks excitement.

Solution:

• Ditch rigid outlines and allow more discovery writing.

• Give yourself permission to explore and change directions.

Quick Fix: Jump ahead. Skip to the most exciting scene and write that first.

3. Emotional Burnout (Common in High-Tranquility, High-Honor Writers)

Symptoms:

• Writing feels exhausting and mentally draining.

• Avoiding the project due to stress or perfectionism.

Solution:

• Step back and reconnect with what excites you about the story.

• Give yourself permission to write badly in the first draft.

Quick Fix: Write a letter to yourself about why this story matters and what excites you about it.

4. Perfectionism and Fear of Failure (Common in High-Acceptance, High-Power Writers)

Symptoms:

• Obsessing over making each sentence perfect before moving forward.

• Fear of judgment or failure stopping progress.

Solution:

• Shift focus from quality to progress—first drafts are meant to be messy.

• Force yourself to write without editing by using timed sprints.

Quick Fix: Set a 10-minute timer and write as much as possible without stopping.

5. Lack of External Motivation (Common in High-Social Contact Writers)

Symptoms:

• Struggling to stay engaged while writing alone.

• Loss of motivation without external feedback.

Solution:

• Join a writing group, participate in writing sprints, or share snippets with friends.

• Set external deadlines for accountability.

Quick Fix: Post a daily writing goal publicly (Twitter, Discord, writing forums) to create accountability.

6. Resistance to Constraints (Common in High-Vengeance, High-Idealism Writers)

Symptoms:

• Feeling rebellious against traditional story structures or expectations.

• Struggling to force yourself to write because it feels like an obligation.

Solution:

• Reframe writing as a challenge to conquer instead of a chore.

• Introduce controlled chaos, such as random writing prompts or genre shifts.

Quick Fix: Try writing a scene in a different genre to shake things up (e.g., turn your mystery scene into a horror version, just for fun).

Step 3: Find Your Personalized Anti-Block Strategy

Use this table to identify the best solution based on your core desires quickly.

High Desire	Risk for Writer’s Block	Best Fix
Order	Feeling lost, overwhelmed	Create an outline
Curiosity	Losing interest, feeling uninspired	Allow more discovery-writing
Saving	Hoarding ideas but not executing	Set a deadline to use stored ideas
Power	Fear of losing control over the story	Outline the major beats for clarity
Honor	Sticking too rigidly to a plan	Give yourself permission to change things
Tranquility	Anxiety about writing quality	Write a bad first draft intentionally
Acceptance	Fear of criticism or rejection	Share work-in-progress drafts for feedback
Independence	Resisting structure, feeling boxed in	Write out of order, skip to an exciting part
Social Contact	Feeling isolated or unmotivated	Join a writing group or participate in challenges
Vengeance	Hating constraints, resisting outlines	Introduce controlled chaos (random writing prompts)
Romance	Struggling with emotional engagement	Reconnect with characters’ relationships
Idealism	Feeling disillusioned or unmotivated	Focus on the deeper meaning of your story

Final Thoughts: Work With Your Natural Strengths

Writer’s block isn’t a lack of ideas—it’s often a sign that your writing process is clashing with your core desires. Instead of fighting against your natural tendencies, use them to your advantage:

• If structure helps you, embrace outlining.

• If freedom fuels you, lean into discovery-writing.

• If external motivation drives you, engage with writing communities.

• If you resist rules, turn your writing into a challenge or experiment.

The key to overcoming writer’s block isn’t forcing creativity—it’s aligning your writing habits with what actually motivates you. When your process supports your intrinsic desires, words will flow naturally, and writing will feel exciting again.