Follow Mj on instagram @mj_falcon_creatives
Transcript:
Jubilee:
Hey everyone, welcome back to The Book Bardess podcast for an interview with MJ. As an 18-year-old Christian author, MJ has always enjoyed creative writing and mainly writes fantasy and contemporary. She started writing poetry at age six but switched to crafting fiction stories when she was nine. Since then, she has finished four books and several short stories. Outside of writing, MJ enjoys drawing, doing theater, and watching movies.
Today we’re going to talk with MJ about writer’s block—why it happens and how to get out of it. So MJ, thanks so much for joining me today. I’m so excited! Let’s dive in. How would you define writer’s block in your own experience?
MJ:
Thanks for having me! Well, generally when people think of writer’s block, they think it’s just not having any idea what to write—but there are so many different versions. There’s the “no ideas” kind, the “no motivation” kind, the “no energy,” or even the “no time” kind. For me, most of my writer’s block comes from a lack of motivation or as a procrastination tactic. I’ll do anything other than write when I’m in a block.
It’s like I have all these ideas in my head, but something inside just won’t let me write for some reason. It’s really annoying.
Jubilee:
That is so me. Procrastination is my biggest writer’s block.
MJ:
Yeah, exactly.
Jubilee:
Can you recall a specific time when you struggled with writer’s block? What do you think triggered it?
MJ:
I actually have two specific times that come to mind. The first was when I was brand new to being a serious writer. I was working on this pirate book, and I thought it was going to be my thing—like, “I’m going to be a pirate author!” I finished it and had people edit it, and it was a total dumpster fire. There was no plot, no structure—looking back now, I’m like, “What was I thinking?”
I was devastated. I’d put all my energy into that one story, thinking it would be my big break, and I didn’t have a backup plan. I went months without writing because I didn’t know what else to work on. Now, I have the opposite problem—too many ideas! But that was the first time I really faced writer’s block.
The second time was with my current project. A friend of mine originally gave me the story idea and shared a bunch of brainstorming snippets with me. I was reading them one day, and they were so beautiful and well-written that I actually started crying. I thought, “Why can’t I write like this? She’s writing my story better than I can.”
It made me feel like I wasn’t good enough to do the story justice. But she encouraged me and reminded me that I’m a good writer too. She told me to write for me, not for anyone else. And that really helped shift my mindset. Everyone has a unique voice, and no one can tell a story the way you can.
Jubilee:
That’s so true. I don’t know if I’ve experienced exactly that, but I’ve always known I wasn’t a great writer, so I expected critique—and that’s exactly what I got.
MJ:
Well, hey, that’s good that you were open to it. I was… not. I thought I had it all figured out!
Jubilee:
That totally makes sense. What are some personal strategies you’ve used to overcome writer’s block?
MJ:
I love this question. I feel like whenever you search for advice online, it’s always the same stuff—make a playlist, do a collage, use writing prompts. That doesn’t work for me.
What does work is consuming media with the same vibe as what I’m trying to write. My current project is set in a circus, so I read circus-themed books and watched The Greatest Showman. That kind of inspiration gets the creative juices flowing.
Also, I recommend reading over just watching. Books show you sentence structure, tone, and how things are worded—it helps you grow as a writer.
Another tip is changing your physical position when writing. Not just location, but how you’re sitting. Sometimes just putting my laptop on my lap and changing the angle unlocks something, and suddenly I’m writing like crazy.
Reading your own old writing helps too. Sometimes you’ll find random gold nuggets in what you thought was cringy. Younger me was randomly deep, and I’ll come across something and think, “Wait, that was actually good.”
Jubilee:
Same! Old writing can be terrible, but sometimes it’s surprisingly good. I’ve also noticed that reading in your genre while writing definitely helps with inspiration. There’s a reason people say to do it.
MJ:
Yes! I was reading like twelve books in my genre a few weeks ago, and it was so helpful. Oh, and another tip—do something boring. Boredom leads to creativity. I can’t tell you how many plot holes I’ve fixed while doing the dishes!
Jubilee:
Yes! My best ideas come when I’m doing something like walking or cleaning—totally unrelated to writing, but something active.
MJ:
Exactly. You step away, and suddenly the ideas just come to you.
Jubilee:
Has writer’s block ever helped you discover something new about your writing process or yourself?
MJ:
Yes. I’ve realized I put way too much pressure on myself to get it right the first time. I have this all-or-nothing mindset—if it’s not going to be perfect, I don’t want to do it at all. But I read something online that helped: If it’s worth doing well, it’s worth doing poorly.
The example they gave was brushing your teeth—maybe you’re supposed to brush for two minutes, but brushing for thirty seconds is better than not brushing at all. Same thing with writing. First drafts don’t have to be perfect. They just help you figure out what works and what doesn’t. So I always say, “Write your garbage. It’s your garbage. You can fix it later. No one has to see it.”
Jubilee:
That’s an awesome mindset for writing in general.
Okay, here’s a question I had some thoughts on, as well—do you think social media or modern technology contributes to writer’s block?
MJ:
Do you want to go first?
Jubilee:
Sure!
I think it does. I’ve noticed that if I check social media first thing in the morning and then try to write, nothing comes to me. Social media is passive—you don’t really have to think. But writing is active. Turning on social media before getting to your latest writing project is like eating candy before an apple.
So for me, starting the day with writing before social media makes a big difference.
MJ:
Wow, that was deep! And I totally agree. Social media is kind of mind-numbing—entertainment just gets poured into your brain and shuts down your creativity. Sometimes it can help, like if you’re looking for prompts, but most of the time it’s just a distraction.
I’ll open my phone to play music while I write, and next thing I know, I’m watching TikToks an hour later. It just eats up time, and I’m like, “What happened?”
Jubilee:
Right? It’s so easy to fall into that.
MJ:
Yeah. Definitely a major distraction for writers.
Jubilee:
What advice would you give to new writers facing serious writer’s block?
MJ:
I’d say, find what works for you. Like with art—when I first started drawing, I did landscapes and was terrible at it. I thought I was just a bad artist. But then I started drawing people and machinery, and I realized, “Oh, I can draw—I just needed to find my thing.”
Same with writing. I started with poetry, then tried mystery—which I could never finish, even though I loved reading mysteries. Eventually, I found my groove with contemporary, sci-fi, and some magical realism.
So even if you want to write a certain story or genre, it might not work for you right now. Build your skills with what you’re good at, and then branch out.
Also, find people to share your writing with. Accountability helps so much. When someone’s waiting on you to send a chapter, it gives you motivation to keep going. And when they give you encouragement, it makes you want to write more. Surround yourself with people who are excited about your stories.
Jubilee:
Absolutely. Encouragement from others can be a huge motivator.
Okay, one last question I just thought of—can you think of any resources you’ve used to overcome writer’s block? You mentioned music earlier.
MJ:
Yeah, I use a lot of playlists—different ones for different vibes. I also like collecting things that remind me of my characters, like trinkets or clothes. I even have a full costume for one of my characters, and it’s just really cool to have that tangible connection.
Jubilee:
That’s awesome. So where can people find you online?
MJ:
I just started an Instagram account! There’s not much on there yet, but I’ll be posting more soon. You can follow me at @mj_falcon_creatives—that’s all lowercase with underscores between the words.
Jubilee:
Perfect. I’ll link that in the description. Thanks so much, MJ, for doing this interview with me—it was super fun.
MJ:
Yeah, it was awesome. Thanks for having me!
Jubilee:
You’re welcome. Alright, bye everyone!
*****
Did you enjoy this interview? Check out my interview on crafting theme here!
