Why Writer’s Block Feels Different for Every Writer
(And How Understanding Your Inner World Can Change Everything)
Have you ever wondered why writer’s block feels so different for every writer?
For some, it shows up as fog — like the images just won’t come.
For others, it sounds like loud self-doubt or an inner critic that won’t switch off.
And for many, it’s felt deeply in the body as heaviness, resistance, or emotional overwhelm.
For years, writers have been told that writer’s block is about discipline, motivation, or pushing harder.
But in truth, writer’s block is often trying to tell you something far more personal.
👉 It’s communicating through your inner world — through the way your mind and nervous system naturally process creativity.
When the Story Isn’t the Problem
In Episode 2 of the Write the Darn Book podcast, we explored how writer’s block can sometimes be a signal that the story itself is off course — that the direction you’re taking isn’t aligned with where the story wants to go.
But what happens when you pause…
look at the story…
and still feel stuck?
What if the block doesn’t feel like a story issue at all?
What if it feels more like:
- Doubt
- Fear of getting it wrong
- Overthinking
- Emotional resistance
That’s where Episode 3 takes us.
Because when the block isn’t about the outer direction of the story, it’s almost always about the inner world of the writer.
You’re Not Broken — You’re Wired a Certain Way
Here’s the most important reframe:
Writer’s block is not a flaw.
It’s information.
And the way you experience that information depends on how your brain processes imagination, emotion, intuition, and meaning — especially under pressure.
This is where modalities come in.
What Are Modalities?
In NLP and neuroscience-informed coaching, modalities describe the primary way your brain takes in and processes information — including creativity.
There are four main modalities:
- Visual — images, scenes, mental pictures
- Auditory — sound, dialogue, inner voice
- Kinaesthetic — emotion, sensation, felt experience
- Auditory Digital — thinking, logic, internal analysis
Most writers use all four, but usually have one dominant modality, with one or two strong secondary ones.
Under stress, deadlines, or self-doubt, your dominant modality becomes even more pronounced.
And this explains something many writers have never been taught:
✨ You have a modality — the block does not.
✨ The block is simply experienced through you.
If you’d like to discover your dominant modality, you can take my free quiz here:
👉 maddisonmichaels.com/quiz
How Different Writers Experience Writer’s Block
Visual Writers
If you’re a visual processor, your imagination works in pictures and mental movies.
When you’re in flow, you can see the story clearly.
When doubt or fear appears, the block often shows up as fog, blankness, or scenes that won’t play.
This doesn’t mean the story is broken.
It usually means your visual system doesn’t yet have a clear picture it feels safe to move forward with.
Visual writers regain flow by revisiting earlier scenes, sketching, mapping, or writing purely visual description until clarity returns.
Auditory Writers
Auditory writers process creativity through sound, dialogue, rhythm, and inner voice.
When fear enters, writer’s block often sounds like loud self-criticism, competing thoughts, or constant mental chatter.
This isn’t a confidence problem — it’s usually too many voices speaking at once.
Auditory writers regain flow by speaking scenes aloud, dictating, recording voice notes, or writing dialogue-only drafts until the true voice emerges.
Kinesthetic Writers
Kinaesthetic writers experience creativity through emotion and sensation.
When something feels off, they don’t just think it — they feel it.
Writer’s block may show up as heaviness, fatigue, tension, or emotional overwhelm. This is often a nervous system response, not a lack of motivation.
Kinaesthetic writers regain flow by grounding, regulating their nervous system, moving the body, and writing from sensation and feeling first.
Auditory Digital Writers
Auditory digital writers process creativity through thinking, logic, and analysis.
When fear appears, they often overthink, over-plan, or wait until they feel certain before writing.
This isn’t procrastination — it’s the mind trying to create safety through control.
Auditory digital writers regain flow by setting time limits, freewriting without editing, and giving themselves permission to write imperfectly.
Why Honouring Your Modality Changes Everything
Your modality isn’t something to overcome.
It’s something to honour.
When you stop trying to write like someone else and start supporting the way you naturally process creativity, resistance often softens — without force.
Sometimes, five minutes of aligned support is enough to shift everything.
Using Affirmations to Support the Subconscious Mind
In Episode 3 of the Write the Darn Book podcast, I share modality-based affirmations instead of a guided meditation.
Affirmations work by gently influencing the subconscious mind — the part of the brain that governs habits, emotional safety, and self-belief. When repeated consistently, especially first thing in the morning and right before sleep, affirmations help strengthen new neural pathways and create a sense of safety around writing.
The key isn’t intensity — it’s repetition.
If you’re not sure which modality is most natural for you, you can take the free quiz here:
👉 maddisonmichaels.com/quiz
Otherwise, simply choose the affirmation that resonates most deeply with you.
Write it down.
Place it where you’ll see it often — on your bathroom mirror, beside your bed, near your desk.
Read it aloud to yourself each morning… and again each night before sleep.
This is how the subconscious integrates change.
🎥 Visual Writer Affirmation
I trust the images that arise within me.
My story reveals itself clearly and in its own time.
Use this if your writer’s block tends to show up as fog, blankness, or difficulty “seeing” the next scene.
🔊 Auditory Writer Affirmation
I trust my inner voice.
The right words and conversations flow to me with ease.
Use this if your writer’s block sounds like self-doubt, inner criticism, or mental noise.
💛 Kinesthetic Writer Affirmation
I am safe to feel as I write.
My body and emotions guide me with wisdom.
Use this if your writer’s block feels heavy, emotional, or physically resistant.
🧩 Auditory Digital Writer Affirmation
I release the need to figure everything out.
I allow my story to unfold through imperfect action.
Use this if your writer’s block shows up as overthinking, analysing, or needing certainty before you write.
A Gentle Reminder
You don’t need to use all of these.
Choose one affirmation — the one that feels most supportive right now — and let it become a daily anchor.
Small, consistent reinforcement is what creates lasting change.
Final Thoughts
Writer’s block is not evidence that you’re failing.
It’s a sign that your inner world is asking to be respected.
And when you honour how you are wired, writing becomes a relationship again — not a battle.
🎧 Listen to the Podcast Episode
This blog post is based on Episode 3 of the Write the Darn Book podcast.
You can listen to the full episode here on Apple Podcasts:
👉 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/write-the-darn-book-beat-writers-block/id1858775581
✨ Ready for Deeper Support?
If today’s post resonated with you and stirred up something inside you… and you’re ready for deeper support to break through your blocks and finally write the book you’re meant to write… I currently have a few spots left for 1:1 coaching.
If you feel called to explore having me as your writing coach, head to
👉 https://maddisonmichaels.com/coaching
and reach out — we’ll chat and see whether we’re a fit for each other.
