You sit down to write. Nothing worthwhile happens.
You sit back and stare at your screen. Still nothing.
You tell yourself you have writer’s block. However, that’s like saying you feel sick. Which kind of sick? Headache? Stomachache? Fever? Different problems need different solutions.
Writer’s block works the same way. Furthermore, knowing exactly which type you’re facing is the first step toward breaking through it.
Here’s the good news: AI can help you identify your specific block. Then it can help you fix it. Let’s explore the seven most common types and exactly how AI solves each one.
Why “Writer’s Block” Isn’t One Thing
Most writers treat all creative blocks the same way. They step away, wait for inspiration, and hope the problem solves itself.
Sometimes that works. Often it doesn’t.
In fact, writer’s block isn’t a single problem. It’s a category containing different creative challenges. Each type has different causes. Therefore, each needs different solutions.
Think of it like car trouble. Your car won’t start. The problem could be the battery, the fuel, the starter, or something else entirely. A mechanic doesn’t just say “car broken” and give up. Instead, they diagnose the specific issue.
You can do the same with your writing blocks. What’s more, AI makes this diagnosis much faster than figuring it out alone.
Type 1: Opening Scene Block
What it feels like: You know your story. You know your characters. However, you can’t figure out how to start. Every opening feels wrong.
Why it happens: You’re overwhelmed by choices. Stories can begin anywhere. Consequently, you freeze trying to pick the “perfect” opening.
How AI fixes it: AI (I use Claude AI) can suggest multiple opening options based on your story’s needs. Then you can choose what feels right instead of inventing everything from scratch.
Try this prompt:
“I’m writing a mystery about a retired detective who discovers her neighbor is murdered. I can’t figure out how to open the story. Should I start with discovering the body, with ordinary life before the murder, or somewhere else? Suggest three different opening approaches with different tones and impacts.”
AI will show you concrete options. Pick the one that seems best and start writing. You can always revise later. Nevertheless, you can’t revise a blank page.
Type 2: Plot Block
What it feels like: You know where your story starts. You know where it ends. However, the middle path is completely unclear.
Why it happens: You’re missing logical connections. Your character needs to get from point A to point C. Unfortunately, point B is invisible to you.
How AI fixes it: AI excels at cause-and-effect chains. It can suggest the missing links between your plot points.
Try this prompt:
“My protagonist starts out trusting her business partner completely. By the end, she discovers he’s been embezzling money. I need realistic middle steps that create this journey from trust to suspicion. What small incidents or discoveries could gradually change her perception?”
AI will suggest a progression of events. Choose the ones that fit the vision for your story. Then you have a roadmap forward.
Type 3: Character Block
What it feels like: Your characters feel flat. He’s too predictable. Moreover, you’re unsure how he’d react in different situations.
Why it happens: You haven’t explored his psychological depth. Surface traits aren’t enough to guide authentic behavior.
How AI fixes it: AI can help you develop character psychology, contradictions, and motivations. These create depth that makes behavior clear.
Try this prompt:
“My protagonist is a bookstore owner who seems nice and accommodating. However, she feels boring. What contradictions or unexpected traits could make her more interesting while still fitting someone who runs a small-town bookstore?”
AI will suggest complexity you hadn’t considered. Furthermore, these suggestions often spark your own ideas about the character.
Type 4: Dialogue Block
What it feels like: Conversations sound stilted. Unnatural. What’s worse, every character speaks the same way.
Why it happens: You’re writing how people “should” talk instead of how they actually talk. Real dialogue has interruptions, subtext, and personality.
How AI fixes it: AI can demonstrate different dialogue approaches. It can show how subtext, conflict, and character traits affect speech patterns.
Try this prompt:
“I need dialogue between two sisters arguing about their mother’s care. One wants to hire help. The other insists on family doing it. However, my dialogue feels like a debate, not a real argument between people who love each other despite disagreeing. Show me how this conversation might actually sound with emotion and subtext.”
AI provides examples you can adapt. It can show you what realistic dialogue sounds like for your specific story.
Type 5: Description Block
What it feels like: Your scenes lack atmosphere. Settings feel generic. And you struggle to make physical spaces come alive.
Why it happens: You’re listing features instead of creating sensory experience. Readers need to feel the space, not just see a catalog of objects.
How AI fixes it: AI can suggest sensory details (hear, see, smell, and touch) that bring settings to life. It can show you how to weave description into the action rather than stopping the story short to describe something.
Try this prompt:
“My detective enters a victim’s apartment for the first time. I want readers to sense that something feels wrong there even before obvious clues appear. However, I don’t want a list of furniture. How can I describe this space to create subtle unease?”
AI will suggest atmospheric details. These create mood while advancing the story. Additionally, you learn techniques to apply in other scenes.
Type 6: Transition Block
What it feels like: You know what happens in Scene A. You know what happens in Scene B. However, you can’t figure out how to move between them smoothly.
Why it happens: You’re trying to account for every moment. Real stories don’t show everything. Instead, they skip the boring parts.
How AI fixes it: AI can suggest transition techniques that bridge scenes naturally. It can show you what to skip and what to emphasize.
Try this prompt:
“Scene A ends with my character discovering an important clue at midnight. Scene B needs to start with her confronting the suspect the next afternoon. I’m stuck on the transition. Do I show the morning? Jump straight to the confrontation? Something else?”
AI will suggest several approaches. Pick the one that maintains your story’s momentum. You may discover additional details you want included during that transition time.
Type 7: Revision Block
What it feels like: You’ve finished a draft. However, you feel overwhelmed looking at it. You don’t know where to start fixing problems.
Why it happens: Revision requires seeing your work objectively. That’s nearly impossible when you wrote it. Sometimes, everything seems to need fixing at once.
How AI fixes it: AI can help you prioritize revision tasks. It can identify patterns in your writing that need attention. Furthermore, it can suggest specific improvements.
Try this prompt:
“I’ve finished my mystery novel’s first draft. I know it needs work but I’m overwhelmed. Help me create a revision plan. What should I tackle first? What order makes sense for different types of edits?”
AI will break the revision process into manageable phases. Then you can tackle one issue at a time instead of feeling paralyzed by the whole manuscript.
How to Use AI to Identify Your Block Type
Sometimes your block type is obvious. Other times, it’s unclear what’s actually stopping you.
Use AI to help diagnose the problem:
Try this prompt:
“I’m stuck writing my novel. Here are my symptoms: [describe exactly what you’re experiencing, where you stopped, what you’ve tried, how it feels]. What type of writer’s block does this sound like to you?”
AI will analyze your situation. Then it can suggest which techniques might help. Sometimes just explaining your block to AI reveals the solution.
Matching Block Type to AI Solution
Here’s a quick reference for which AI technique works best for each block type:
Opening Scene Block: Use AI to generate multiple opening options
Plot Block: Ask AI for cause-and-effect chains and logical progressions
Character Block: Request character development prompts and psychological exploration
Dialogue Block : Get AI to demonstrate realistic conversation patterns
Description Block: Ask for sensory details and atmospheric suggestions
Transition Block: Request transition techniques, samples, and pacing advice
Revision Block: Instruct AI to create prioritized revision plans
However, don’t feel limited by these matches. Sometimes one block hides another. For instance, what looks like a plot block might actually be a character block. Your plot won’t move forward because you haven’t developed character motivations clearly.
In addition, AI can help you discover hidden connections. Therefore, don’t hesitate to explore multiple angles.
When Blocks Overlap
Real writing rarely fits into neat categories. You might experience multiple block types simultaneously. For example, you’re stuck on an opening scene that also involves tricky dialogue.
That’s fine. AI can help with layered problems too.
Try this prompt:
“I’m experiencing multiple blocks. First, I can’t figure out how to open my story. Second, the opening involves a difficult conversation between estranged siblings. Third, I need to establish setting and mood simultaneously. Can you help me tackle these challenges?”
AI can address multiple issues in one response. Alternatively, it might suggest which problem to solve first. Often, fixing one block automatically resolves others.
The Power of Specificity
Here’s what makes AI especially valuable for writer’s block: specificity. Generic advice rarely helps. “Just write” doesn’t solve actual problems.
Instead, AI can address your exact situation, specific character issue, and a particular plot tangle—even if your unique creative challenge is hard to describe.
The more specific your prompt, the better AI’s help becomes.
Compare these two prompts:
Vague: “I have writer’s block. Help me.”
Specific: “I’m writing a cozy mystery where my protagonist must confront her best friend about suspicious behavior. I’ve tried writing this scene several times. Each version feels too dramatic or not dramatic enough. The friendship matters to both characters. The confrontation needs to feel fraught but loving. I’m especially stuck on the opening lines of their conversation.”
The second prompt gives AI enough information to provide targeted help. Therefore, always include relevant context about your story, characters, and specific challenge.
If the AI doesn’t solve your issue, let it know what’s off and explain the problem further.
Taking Action After Diagnosis
Identifying your block type is valuable. However, identification alone doesn’t break the block. You need to take action on AI’s suggestions.
Here’s your action plan:
First, identify which block type you’re experiencing. Describe what’s goin on if you’re unsure.
Second, choose the appropriate AI technique. Use the prompts provided or adapt them to your situation.
Third, engage in back-and-forth dialogue with AI. One prompt rarely solves everything. Instead, refine suggestions through back-and-forth conversations.
Fourth, start writing immediately after finding a solution. Don’t wait for perfect conditions. Write while the breakthrough feels fresh.
Finally, remember that “good enough” is better than nothing at all. Create an imperfect draft first. Then revise it later.
When AI Doesn’t Immediately Help
Sometimes AI’s first suggestions don’t break through your block. That’s normal. So, don’t give up.
Try these adjustments:
Provide more context about your story. AI works better with more information.
Ask AI why previous suggestions didn’t work. This dialogue often reveals the real issue.
Request completely different approaches. Sometimes you need to think outside your current framework entirely.
Take a short break, then return. Fresh perspective often helps both you and AI’s suggestions land better.
Most importantly: Keep writing even if it feels wrong. You can always revise bad writing. But you can’t revise a blank page.
Your Next Steps
Pick one current writing project where you feel stuck. Identify which of the seven block types matches your experience.
Then open a conversation with AI. Use the specific prompt from above for your block type. And don’t hesitate to adapt the prompt to your exact situation.
Engage in dialogue until you find an approach that excites you. Then start writing immediately. Build momentum while you have it.
Want to explore other specific AI techniques?
Check out these detailed guides:
- Creating Unforgettable Characters -The Contradiction Method
- The AI Psychology Trick to Fix Flat Fictional Characters
Ready to master breaking through creative blocks?
My book Get Unstuck: Writing Fiction with the Help of AI teaches you proven techniques for overcoming every type of writer’s block using AI as your creative partner. Learn specific prompts, see detailed examples, and discover how to keep your stories moving forward. Also available on Amazon.