Your Writer's Block Breakthrough!

Struggling to overcome writer's block? Feeling stuck, discouraged, or like the words just won’t come no matter how hard you try?

In this episode of Anointed Scribe: Diary of a Christian Writer, we’re diving deep into a hidden struggle that many Christian writers face but rarely recognize for what it truly is.

What if the resistance you’re feeling has nothing to do with your creativity or ability—but everything to do with silencing the God-given message on your heart? Together, we’ll uncover what's really at play and explore how to approach your writing with renewed clarity, faith, and purpose.

Perfect for Christian authors, aspiring writers, and anyone called to create for God’s glory, this episode offers powerful encouragement and practical advice to help you break through and write boldly.

If you’re ready for a breakthrough that could transform the way you write, tune in. Your words matter, and the One who called you to this work has already secured your victory.

👉 Listen now for the breakthrough you've been waiting for!

✅ Subscribe or Follow so you don’t miss the next episode because I'll be sharing how I'm switching up my business plans and goal setting for the new year! It's going to blow your mind!

Transcript

What if I told you that the reason behind your writer's block has nothing to do with your imagination or ability?

What if it's something much deeper, Something hidden in the unseen? A resistance aimed at silencing the very message God placed on your heart?

That blank page staring back at you might feel like a personal failure. But what if it's actually the enemy's attempt to derail the work God wants to do through you?

Today, we're peeling back the layers of writer's block to reveal a truth that could change the way you approach your writing for good. Because in today's episode, we're uncovering a hidden struggle that many Christian writers face, but feel recognized for what it truly is.

If you've ever felt stuck, discouraged, or like the words won't come no matter how hard you try, then stay tuned. This might just be the breakthrough you've been waiting for.

Buckle up scribe. This is one powerful episode you won't want to miss, because your battle with words has already been won. This is episode six.

I'm Urcelia Teixeira, ex real estate agent turned award winning author of Christian fiction. It wasn't that long ago that I wrote my first novel on a bucket list whim, setting the course for a spiritual journey that transformed my life.

But the journey through self publishing hasn't been easy as I soon found myself obsessing over books, sales, rankings and getting to the top of the shelves, all the while trying to stay rooted in Christ and live out my purpose.

But God has graciously been teaching me how to navigate the spiritual pitfalls of the brutal book publishing industry, and now I'm sharing them with you. Welcome to the Anointed Scribe podcast, where each week I open my personal diary to share soul nourishing stories designed to inspire, uplift and equip you for your writing life.

If you're already a Christian author or one in the making trying to balance faith with business, you're in the right place. Because for such a time as this, you have been called to thrive as God's anointed scribe.

Are you ready? Let's get started.

Hey, it's your author friend, Urcelia. And if you're tuning in today, I'm so glad you're here because we are talking about something I know many writers, myself included, have struggled with at some point in our careers.

And unfortunately, it's not something that happens only once.

It often comes back to trip you up over and over again at those precise moments you least needed to, bringing with it anxiety, fear, doubt, and all the other uglies we don't ever want or need in our faith filled writing.

Yes, we're talking about writer's block today, but I'm not only referring to the creative kind, but the kind of writer's block that is a direct result from the spiritual battles we face as Christian writers.

Now don't tune out and think this is all woo woo stuff. The Bible teaches us that we never fight against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers and principalities. So this kind of writer's block is very real and it can be very destructive to your purpose and writing if you're not aware of it happening.

So in today's episode we're going to unpack how to recognize when writer's block is a spiritual battle, how to overcome it, and most importantly, how to keep writing even when it feels like a struggle and that you're losing the fight.

So if you're a regular listener, thank you for coming back. It's really awesome to spend this time with you again today. Or if this is your first time and you're new here, I want to officially welcome you to the Anointed Scribe Tribe.

You'll find all my previous episodes on my website website anointedscribe.com where you will also find a link to get free access to my entire resource library that has all sorts of downloadable writing tools and freebies to help you along on your faith led writing journey.

So dear friend, grab a cup of tea or coffee and find a comfy spot. But also pull out your Bible and notebook because I want you to always take what I'm sharing in my episodes to the foot of the cross and study the Scriptures and ask the Holy Spirit to show if this holds truth for you.

Because we're each in our own journey of growth and transformation and God's Word is alive and ready to reveal your own truth according to God's will for your author business.

So with that said, let's dive into today's episode.

Now whether you're writing Christian fiction or non fiction, or even songs or poetry, writing anything that God has called you to and that reflects his truth is no easy task.

And sometimes when we sit down to write, it can feel like the words just won't come.

But the harder you try, the worse it gets, right? It's as if there's an invisible force that's pushing back at you and you just can't break through it.

There's this deep sense of resistance, like something is actively stopping us from moving forward and oftentimes it can also manifest physically.

Perhaps it's depression or an arthritis flare up that hits you out of nowhere. Or, as was the case with me a few years ago, shingles that caused blindness in my one eye smack bang in the middle of my work in progress.

And this blindness stayed there all through the writing of that novel, right up until I wrote the end, when it then suddenly vanished almost overnight.

Another time, I had a severe sciatic nerve inflammation that also came out of nowhere, something I've never had in my entire life, and it kept me from being able to sit upright at my desk, so I had to instead write lying face down across the floor.

Now, I'm mentioning these instances because I never once had anything remotely close to this happening in the 18 months before I switched to writing Christian fiction. So just park that in the back of your mind for a moment.

Because the further along I went in my calling as a Christian writer, the more these events and conditions amped up and strangely threatened to come at me every time I started a new novel, manifesting not only physically but also mentally.

In fact, I often feel like the target on my back is bigger than ever, especially when I just know the book I'm working on has extra anointing behind it that God intends to do something special with that book.

And I'm not necessarily referring to it in the sense of money or worldly success.

More that there is something in your story that's aimed to set one or more readers free from something.

It's that gut feeling you get that God is doing something behind the scenes when the top of your head starts tingling and you feel the presence of God right there with you.

Have you ever felt this? I'm sure you have, and you know exactly what I mean. You just know what you know, right?

But I digress. So I'm going to circle back to these physical blocks in a bit as we start this conversation. Because you see, the world tells you that when your creative well dries up and your words stop flowing that it's a creative issue.

But in reality, what it actually feels like to us as believers on a mission is like we've hit a mental wall and can't seem to find a way through it.

And when the general advice out there does little to nothing to help you break down that wall we're left feeling stuck and like we're failing in our purpose. And sometimes we even feel like we're failing God, right?

But here's the thing, friend.

Here's why this general advice won't work on us, at least not in the long term.

Because we're not like the writers of the world. We are different. We're set apart for a godly mission and we're up against an enemy we can't fight off with just a walk in the park or binge watching a Netflix series.

For Christian writers, it goes much deeper than the act of writing.

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us of this.

It says, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.

This verse has been a game changer for me when it comes to understanding why I sometimes struggle with writer's block.

It's confirming and warning me to be watchful and to know that there's an enemy fighting hard against my purpose and that it's not necessarily a creative issue I'm trying to overcome, but that I'm in a spiritual battle.

The enemy doesn't want us to use our God given gifts to share God's truth and hope with the world. He doesn't want us to spend time with God and to hear his voice or to draw closer to Him.

He doesn't want us to spread the good news, to build the kingdom.

Actually, we're no different from missionaries doing the work in a faraway, desolate community. We're just doing our mission work from behind a desk.

The enemy tries to throw obstacles in our path, whether that's self doubt, fear, distraction, depression, or even just a deep sense of stress and overwhelm.

So here's what I learned and what I want to encourage you to do. If any of this resonates with you, and if you feel like you're stuck in your writing, take a moment to step back and pray.

Ask God if there's a spiritual resistance going on.

Ask him to show you and help you to identify exactly what this blockage is.

Is it spiritual or physical? Is there fear or guilt or something else stopping you from writing that book?

Even time or busyness can stop you from finishing your book, which is often how the enemy attacks me.

I have seasons where there's just never enough time in the day for me to write. And I'm kept busy with my kids schedules and running the household. And then I have to stop and recognize that the enemy is intentionally occupying me to stop me from writing.

So how exactly do we fight back if we know all this?

We fight the same way Jesus did.

By speaking the word of God and by earnestly praying.

The breakthrough comes when we first recognize that we're in a battle and then second, fight back with prayer and Scripture.

Prayer is our most powerful weapon.

Philippians 4: 6, 7 tells us, do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, that's our writing as well. By prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This last part is vitally important to us as writers because our creativity spills from these two places, our hearts and our minds, Right?

So this verse is telling us that through praying and speaking the word of God, we guard our hearts and minds against the enemy's attacks.

And so when I'm in any of these battles, I step back from my manuscript and withdraw into my desert to be still and connect with God, just like Jesus did.

I'll ask God to help me to protect my time, to help me to say no, even to supernaturally free up some time for me, which he almost always does.

Ask and you shall receive, right?

But just a side note on that, when God supernaturally frees up time for you, make very sure you then use that time for writing and not to go do something else that doesn't glorify God and has nothing to do with your mission.

Scripture says you get what you ask for if it is in his name. John 14:14.

So just look out for another distraction and take note of that.

In the previous episode, we discussed this in more detail, so do go back and listen to it if you missed it. But to recap in a nutshell, in order for us to be a vessel, an anointed scribe, our heart and God's heart need to be aligned so his words can flow through us.

And Philippians 4 reminds us to guard our hearts and our minds.

That's why I encourage you to pray over your writing session before you even start writing.

Personally, I ask God to remove distractions, to break down any strongholds of doubt or fear, and to give me the words he wants me to write.

I also pray over my mind and my heart, because remember, that's where the enemy likes to attack us first. Our words spill from our hearts and minds, Remember?

And so, to help you with your prayer, I asked one of my dear soul sisters, Jojo, who's a mighty, mighty prayer warrior, to write a prayer specifically for this purpose, which I've started to use also.

So I'm going to add it to the resource library for you to download. The link is in my descriptions for you to download for free. So please go ahead and download a copy.

You can print it out laminate it and keep it at your desk so it's handy whenever you feel you're under attack.

Because there's something powerful about praying with expectancy, trusting that God will show up and give you what you need.

Sometimes I even take a moment to put on worship music, like I mentioned in the last episode, and let it set the tone. It's amazing how peace flows into the room when we invite the Holy Spirit in.

Now, besides prayer, we have another powerful weapon in our author arsenal.

The Word of God. Of course. Hebrews 4:12 says, for the Word of God is alive and active.

Listen carefully. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. There it is again, the heart.

If you're feeling stuck, whether it's because of doubt, fear or lack of inspiration, go back to the Word of God.

There have been many times when I couldn't find the words to write. But then I opened my Bible and God spoke directly to me through Scripture.

His Word has a way of cutting through the fog and reminding us of the truth.

Sometimes it's a reminder that we're not writing for ourselves, but for his glory.

Other times it's the inspiration we need to move forward with a scene or character.

One verse that has helped me many times is Isaiah 55:11, and it says this.

So is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isn't that a beautiful promise, my friend?

When we're writing with God's purpose, He promises that His Word will accomplish what it's meant to do. You hear that?

That piece of writing?

Your manuscript. If you invite God to be part of your writing like we talked about in the previous episode, he promises that His Word will accomplish what it's meant to.

Claim that, own that, pray that promise over your writing right now, today and every day.

Now let's talk about something every writer faces at some point. Self doubt and fear.

Now, you might be wondering why I'm including these two things, why I'm putting them in the same camp as writer's block. But just stay with me for a second.

These are some of the enemy's favourite tools and they often show up in the form of thoughts like what if this isn't good enough? Or I should just give up and not make a fool of myself?

Or no one's going to like this book.

These are sentences I actually wrote down in my journal at one time. And this is what the Lord taught me when I had the sense to speak to God about it instead of feeling sorry for myself.

So pay careful attention to what I'm about to share with you.

When the enemy deposits doubt in your mind and you say things like, this book isn't good enough, or what if the reviews are bad?

What's actually happening here? Let that sit for a second because this blew my mind when the Holy Spirit revealed it to me.

I'm about to bust this wide open for you now. If you're asking these questions and anxiety and fear sends you into feelings of failure, then what you're really saying is that whatever you've been writing isn't good enough.

It's a flop, right?

So let me ask you this.

Is what you are writing your words or God's words?

Because if your heart was prepared to hear God's instruction on what to write, and you listened and obeyed, then whatever you're writing is God's words, right?

Why wouldn't they be good enough? See what I'm saying?

This is exactly why it's so important to make sure your heart is prepared and that you include God in every part of your writing with every writing session.

Because if you did and you know your heart is in tune with God's heart, then you will instantly recognize that these questions swirling around in your head, making you feel like a failure, are nothing but lies from the enemy.

A spiritual attack to breed self doubt to derail you from your mission, your purpose.

But when you see it for what it is, because you know God was in that chair next to you, then you have confidence in knowing that what you've written, that what you're writing is God breathed.

If you don't catch it and cut it off in time at least if you don't catch it and then cut it off in time, you'll get tripped up by Satan and his lies over and over again, which then quickly spirals into writer's block.

So in simple terms, writer's block, when recognized as a spiritual attack, is nothing other than a trap to stop you from doing what God needs you to do.

God is the ultimate creator. He created everything out of darkness merely by speaking a few words.

So if you let God's words flow through you, there will be no shortage of creativity in you, ever.

If you lack the creativity and run out of words to write, in other words, have writer's block, then I urge you to check your heart to see if perhaps you've disconnected from God along the way and reverted to writing in your own strength rather than God's strength, which honestly is quite easy to do because as writers, our stimulation comes from the world around us all the time.

So it's human to have this happen.

But it's important to remember that when you doubt yourself or your writing, you doubt God. You stop believing the promises that God made to you. You stop believing that he chose you, set you apart for this task, and that his supernatural power is capable of working in and through you.

And where doubt shows up, fear isn't far behind and it creeps in through those tiniest of cracks.

Fear is an emotion that strips your clarity, your security, your rooting in Christ, and blocks you from hearing God's voice.

But here's the truth that I hope will encourage you today.

God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called.

2 Corinthians 12:9 reminds us, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

You don't have to be the best writer in the world for God to use you.

You just have to be willing and open to his voice all the time.

You just have to show up, even if it means you only have one eye that's working or you have to write lying down.

Because it's when you're at your weakest that God's power is at work.

When self doubt creeps in, remind yourself of who you are in Christ.

You are his chosen vessel, anointed to write the stories he's placed in your heart.

And when fear tells you that you're not enough, stand on the truth of 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear.

God's perfect love will cast out the fear that's holding you back.

Lean into his love and let it guide you even when the path ahead feels uncertain.

Especially when the path feels uncertain.

Let God be your gps.

God called us to service for a reason and he's promised to do a good work in and through us.

Why would we ever doubt that, right?

So I feel like this was a lot, but I'm just so passionate to share the lessons I've learned with you so you don't give up on your writing.

I'm not one to mince my words, especially when the Holy Spirit put a specific message on my heart.

I love God with all my heart and I'm super dedicated and passionate about what he called me to do with this podcast. And so I know what God's having me say won't always feel comfortable for you to hear, but it's not meant to be comfortable when you're being shaped and equipped to get you to that place where you're ready for God to use you.

And so now I'm going to step off my soapbox. Since we covered the spiritual side of writer's block, and we're going to briefly look at some of the more practical things you can do to help you get back into creativity.

Number one is focus on your physical environment.

Sometimes a change of scenery is all you need. I love going to a coffee shop and often get my best writing done there. Or take a walk, sit outside, or go sit on your patio.

Or if you're one of the lucky ones, next to the pool.

Fresh air and movement can absolutely spark new ideas.

It's also in our alone time when we can call on God to refresh our minds again when we hear his whispers and see the beauty in his creation around us.

Perhaps it's in the park, or in my case, a coffee shop, where an idea for a character often takes the shape of someone who walked in and perhaps dressed in a particular way or had a scar somewhere on his face.

You'll be surprised just how much inspiration there is around you if you're just open to seeing it.

Point number two do what I call a spirit session.

Give yourself a set amount of time to write, maybe 20 minutes, and invite the Holy Spirit into your writing.

The goal for this exercise isn't perfection to practice tuning into God's voice. Again, write with your eyes closed if you can, and just let God's voice fill your mind and flow out onto the page or the screen.

We're not looking for a story or scene or anything that necessarily makes sense just for the Holy Spirit to pop words into your head. You'll eventually make sense of it afterwards when you read what you wrote, and then you'll know what to do with it.

The goal is to shift your focus back onto God's voice.

Tip number three Write something else. If you're stuck on one part of your story, try writing something else. Maybe a scene from a later book or even a completely different project.

Or how about a worship song or poem or a poem which taps into an entirely different part of your brain, which sometimes is exactly what helps to break the creative block.

And my final and most powerful tip, pray for creativity. Ask God. Remember, God is the Creator and we made in his image.

Ask him for a fresh dose of creativity and trust that he'll provide it. Keep your eyes open and your ears tuned to hear and see your next creative steps. Let your heart and mind be filled with his glory and I promise you it will spill over into your writing.

Here's the last bit of truth I want to leave with you today.

Whatever you do, do not give up.

Galatians 6:9 says, Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

I know writing can feel hard, especially when you're writing, when you're facing writer's block or spiritual opposition.

But if God has called you to write, he will give you the strength to keep going, stay faithful, keep showing up, even on the hard days.

Your words matter, your mission matters.

Push through the blocks and keep going. Even if you have to lie down to write, like I've had to do, keep writing.

Whether you're facing writer's block, self doubt or spiritual resistance, remember this.

God has already won the battle.

Stay rooted in his word. Fight back with prayer and trust that he will give you what you need to keep writing.

Friend, I hope that our conversation today made you feel encouraged and empowered to overcome whatever is blocking your writing today.

Use the tools God has freely given you to boldly continue your mission for his kingdom.

And while you're at it, please help me reach more people by rating this episode and my show on Apple and Spotify or wherever you're listening.

And if you have an author friend who is also fighting these battles, then share this episode with them and then meet up either in person or online to do a writing sprint.

Because where two or more are gathered in his name, God is present, right?

Then come back here next week for our next episode, which will be just after Christmas as this recording goes out, because I have a great episode lined up for us.

We're going to dig into our goals for 2025, creating vision boards and affirmations and everything geared towards setting up to start the year off with God. We're going to do it the Biblical way.

It's one of my favorite things to do in the week between Christmas and New Year's and I can't wait to do this with you.

So dear Anointed Scribe, as you celebrate Christmas, perhaps this coming week, if you listening to these shows live, let's give thanks and praise to the King of Kings whose very existence has given us our purpose and who came to set us free from writer's block, self doubt, fear, and all these other ugly things the Devil loves to stir up in us.

And remember for such a time as this, you have been called to thrive as God's Anointed Scribe. I'll see you next week.

Thanks for listening to today's episode of the Anointed Scribe Podcast. I hope you're leaving feeling inspired, encouraged and on fire to step boldly into your calling as a writer chosen and set apart to fulfill a unique purpose in God's plan.

If you found value and liked today's episode, would you stop right now and share this episode with someone else who's struggling to balance their faith with building their author career?

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And if you want more of the lessons I learned in my personal journey, good news because I drop new episodes and every Friday.

So go ahead and subscribe or follow this show so you don't miss the next one. Then head on over to anointedscribe.com for today's show notes and free access to my entire resource library to keep you rooted and on course.

There's also a link where you can shoot me a message or ask a question. Or if there's a specific topic you'd like me to talk about in a future episode, you can use the message link for that too.

I look forward to our next episode together, and remember, for such a time as this, you have been called to thrive as God's Anointed Scribe. I'll see you next time.