Filling the Blank Page: How to Move through Creative Blocks

Being a writer involves lots of looking at a blank page and wondering: How do I begin? Luckily, there are proven ways to get writing—you don’t need to wait for inspiration to strike, and you don’t need to feel blocked in the meantime.

As a writer, I don’t believe in “writer’s block”; I believe we encounter creative barriers when we approach a project from the wrong mindset. Together, we will identify the root causes of mental blocks that make writing difficult, such as fear, procrastination, and distractions. You’ll get an array of practical tools and strategies to shift your perspectives and patterns around writing in order to create more meaningful and consistent writing habits.

About the Instructor: Shelby Hinte

Shelby Hinte has led writing workshops at San Francisco State University, The Writing Salon, and in the community, including teaching creative writing to incarcerated adults and to youth on juvenile probation. She is the Associate Editor of Write or Die Magazine and a prose reader for No Contact. She has volunteered and interned with various presses including ZYZZYVA and Split/Lip. Her writing has been featured in BOMB, The Rumpus, ZYZZYVA, SmokeLong Quarterly, and elsewhere. She lives in Northern California.