When I hit writer’s block, the best way I’ve found to get past it is to just start writing.

Yesterday, I wrote a terrible essay to keep the streak going. It was one of those days where nothing felt right, but I pushed through anyway. I’ve been facing bad writer’s block for about a week now, and it feels like every idea I try to develop falls flat. But I know that if I don’t keep writing, even when it’s bad, I’ll risk stopping entirely.

It sounds simple, but it works. The trick for me is to stop worrying about making it perfect and just get something down. One method that really helps is texting a friend about the essay I want to write. I’ll send them a message like, “I want to write an essay about XYZ,” and then explain the idea or the premise as though I’m having a conversation. The key is that as I’m writing the message, I’m already editing it. I’m thinking about the narrative, conciseness, brevity, and logic—all while typing.

I’ll reorder my ideas to make the message flow better, sometimes even removing unnecessary parts that don’t serve the main point. By the time I’ve finished, the message has already been refined, which means I’ve done a lot of the work before I’ve even written the first draft.

What’s even better is that I get feedback from my friend before I’ve even started writing the actual essay. They might point out something I hadn’t considered, suggest an alternative angle, or help me clarify my main point. This feedback allows me to tweak the structure or add new ideas into the mix before I even sit down to write the essay. It’s like getting a rough draft version of the essay before I’ve even started writing it.

Afterward, I star that message and leave it there. When I come back to it later, it’s almost like I’ve already done the heavy lifting. That text becomes my rough first draft or, at the very least, an outline for the essay.

When I’m ready to write the essay, I already have something to work with. The ideas are there, the structure is clearer, and I’ve already begun the editing process. It’s no longer a blank page staring back at me. I can just dive straight in, refine what’s already been started, and make it into something more polished.

Writer’s block often feels like a giant wall, but I’ve learned that the best way to get around it is not by forcing perfection, but by allowing myself to just write, even if it’s imperfect or unfinished. Sometimes, all it takes is a quick message to a friend to turn a blank page into something worth working with.