27. Writer's Block & Overthinking: How to Stop Getting Stuck in Your Head and Start Writing Again

27. Writer's Block & Overthinking: How to Stop Getting Stuck in Your Head and Start Writing Again Have you ever sat down to write and found yourself trapped in your own head instead? Writer's block doesn't always feel like a lack of ideas. Sometimes it feels like overthinking everything — rewriting the same sentence, questioning every plot decision, analysing instead of creating. If that sounds familiar, this episode of Write the Darn Book is for you. Today we explore what's really happening in your brain and body when writing anxiety and overthinking take over — and how to shift your creative state quickly, practically, and without forcing productivity. This episode builds directly on Episode 26, where we explored NLP modalities and how your brain processes creativity. In Episode 27, we go deeper into the difference between a temporary creative state and a stable personality trait, the role of submodalities, and why your writing procrastination might have far less to do with discipline than you think. In this episode, you'll discover: ✨ Why overthinking while writing is a stress response — not a discipline problem or a sign you're not cut out for this ✨ The difference between a temporary creative state and a permanent personality trait — and why this matters for every writer ✨ How your physiology directly influences your ability to write, and how to use your body to get back to the page ✨ What submodalities are (bright/dim, loud/quiet, close/far, tight/loose) and how NLP for writers can help you shift creative blocks from the inside out ✨ How to use The 90-Second Creative Reset to move from self-protection back into imagination — whether you're writing your first book or your fifth The 90-Second Creative Reset — three steps you can use right now: Interrupt the body Regulate the breath (box breathing) Adjust your internal experience This is not about pushing through writer's block or forcing productivity. It's about reducing the intensity of writing anxiety so creativity becomes naturally accessible again. When the nervous system softens, your brain shifts out of protection and back into imagination — and the words begin to flow. If you've ever felt stuck in your head when trying to write, or if procrastination and self-doubt keep pulling you away from the book you're meant to finish, this episode gives you a grounded, practical reset you can use today.     Work With Maddison If this episode resonated and you're ready to stop circling your book and start making real progress — whether you're working through writer's block, procrastination, writing anxiety, or self-doubt — I'd love to support you through one-to-one writing coaching for both fiction and non-fiction writers at any stage. Together, we build a clear roadmap for your book, strengthen your structure and writing rhythm, and work through the mindset blocks that keep showing up along the way. I walk beside you through the process — but you are the one who writes the book. If you're ready to take the next step, head to: 👉 maddisonmichaels.com/coaching and book a Clarity Call.   Leave a Review 💗 ⭐️ If this episode helped you, I'd be so grateful if you took a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your review helps Write the Darn Book reach more writers who are ready to trust their creative process, work through what's been keeping them stuck, and finally finish the book they're meant to write. 💗