writer's block

noun

1. a usually temporary condition in which a writer finds it impossible to proceed with the writing of a novel, play, or other work.

Word History and Origins

Origin of writer's block¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

When Alison hears the amount media conglomerate Megalopub has proposed to pay for it, the guilt sends her into an agitated writer’s block shot through with guilt and self-righteousness, made worse by daily bouts of bingeing the news.

From Salon

In the grip of a serious case of writer's block, her life takes a fortuitous turn when she is accepted at a Jane Austen retreat after Félix secretly submits an application on her behalf.

From Salon

A lover of books, Agathe strives to be a writer but believes she isn’t one because of her pesky writer’s block.

From Los Angeles Times

I had writer’s block as well for a while and I was like Jack Torrance in “The Shining” writing the same sentence again.

From Los Angeles Times

She said it was a result of writer's block while two family members dealt with cancer.

From BBC