Overcoming Writer’s Block: My Story

Kate Smoliakova
3 min readJan 24, 2024

Turning a blank page into a world of ideas

I experimented with posting a story every day during the last work week.

It was tough, and by Friday, I didn’t feel strong enough; it seemed like I had a blank mind. It wasn’t a complete success, as I managed only 4 out of 5 publications, but for me, it was enough: 4 is better than nothing.

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I decided to continue writing almost daily, but I wasn’t sure if it would be feasible because at that time, I felt stuck and had nothing to share.

That’s why, on a quiet weekend, usually reserved for relaxation and reflection, I found myself grappling with the question: What should I write about?

Sitting in a cafe, surrounded by people and conversations, I gazed at the blank document on my screen. My mind wandered through my past experiences, searching for a spark of inspiration.

Then, I stopped overthinking and created an Excel table, adding possible topics based on my already published stories. Within 20 minutes, I had a list of articles to work on.

My next step was to create drafts on Medium, so I did. Some had structure and thoughts, but most were blank with only a header. It didn’t matter; I had a direction and something to think and write…

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Kate Smoliakova
Kate Smoliakova

Written by Kate Smoliakova

Product Manager. I write about my experience as manager and writer, ADHD and my interests as running, travelling, art and food. https://smoliakova.me/