Listen, writing is hard. Every time I finish a story, I think it might be my last. Every time I dream up a story idea, I’m convinced I’ll never think of another. To create something from nothing seems practically inconceivable. It’s a process that’s plagued by anxiety, second-guessing, and conceit. The joys of writing, right?!!!

For me, I procrastinate way too much. If I have a deadline, I’ll watch YouTube beauty tutorials, hug my dog until he’s rightfully annoyed, read endless articles—anything but do my actual work—until the very last minute. At the 11th hour—which is usually at 11 p.m., the night before a story is due—I’ll get in the zone. I’ll plug in earphones (because I can’t write without blasting music), pour myself a glass of red, and just start typing.

Writing is something that, at times, feels excruciatingly painful. So we asked other writers—novelists, journalists, historians, essayists—how they make an impossible task possible. How do they get in the zone? How do they overcome writer’s block? How do they put pen to paper? Their answers, below.

“First, I admit to myself that starting is always the hardest part. Then I adopt a do it like Nike mentality and bully myself with it until I finally do the Damn Thing. I’m trying to have a routine, or like a ritual (I read somewhere that this can help with getting your brain prepped to do the Damn Thing). So I’ll often light a candle, get a glass of water, take out my pen and paper, and open up Google Docs to get me in the mood. If I’m really dry on the words, I’ll read a little bit from my favorite writers, even if it’s just two paragraphs in a book. Sometimes I think I can write with music. I always start with it blasting, but then once I truly get into the groove, I pause it and write in silence.” — Kim Duong, writer

“I guess I usually stop writing for the day and the next day go to a coffee shop to write as I get inspiration from people-watching and being in a public environment.” — Stu Lieberman, journalist

“Ironically, I find that completely spacing out during some sort of repetitive motion activity helps jump start my brain. I try to get ahead of it all by taking a gym class every morning. Granted, as a freelancer, I have the luxury of working from home (and the privilege of being able to take a mid-morning class) but I've probably come up with my best pitch ideas (or ways to refine stories) amidst a high intensity circuit or round of burpees. If I need a reset in the middle of the day, I'll let my mind wander during some sort of mundane task, like doing dishes or showering (sorry, TMI). OK, back to work now! Distraction time, over.” — Fawnia Soo Hoo, journalist

“They say the best ideas come to us in the shower, but I’ll do you one better: a bubble bath with candles and fresh petals. (Even better, a glass of wine in hand.) Nothing gets the body as relaxed and the mind wandering as effortlessly as a nice soak. Just make sure you have a sturdy caddy for your notebook. (No laptops in the bath—I learned that the hard way.)” — Samantha McDonald, journalist

"I like to go to the gym, grab dinner with a friend, pretty much anything that will take me away from my tiny apartment, my headspace, and the idea of a looming deadline. Eventually though, I'll have to face reality and force myself to write, even if no words are coming naturally to me. This could happen anytime from 3:00 a.m. in the throes of insomnia to an hour before the story is due." — Summer Lin, journalist

“My best advice is to NOT write! The more you try to force the words, the clunkier they will sound. Take a walk, get a coffee, go try on a pair of shoe at the store around the corner—literally anything to get your mind to relax and focus on something else. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done this and then wound up finishing my assignment on a random park bench from my notes app, at least 2 miles away from my abandoned laptop.” — Alison Syrett, writer

“I do lots of my writing in my head during quiet times like the shower, before bed, or at the gym. But sometimes the only thing that can get me truly motivated is a deadline—I always prefer to be returning to a pretty complete draft for small edits the day before a due date, but realistically, I’m usually still doing some heavy writing the night before I file!” — Elspeth Velten, journalist

“Yes I beat it over the head with my own stubbornness. To be honest, I tend to just start writing bullshit or writing about my day for 30 mins or sometimes writing a small fanfic about my own life—just getting started with something to make it easier.” — Larissa Liburd, novelist

"I def need deadlines for one. Otherwise I drink a coffee, walk around, and talk out the idea. I usually spend like a solid two hours mouthing out what the first paragraph should look and sound like. Pacing around like a crazed drunk = crucial.” — Gabriel Solis, historian

“Writer’s block... downing a cup of coffee usually works for me. It gives me an energy boost and makes me focus. [Otherwise] I just do it because I have to. I have no choice.” — Minh-Chau Le, historian