Feeling Overwhelmed With Writing?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with writing right now, you’re not alone. But let’s cut the crap.

If you’re a writer saying things like:

• “I have so many ideas, but I can’t commit to just one.”
•  “I just don’t know which idea will help my career the most.”
•  “I start writing, then realise I hate my story.”

Then you do NOT have a special, rare creative problem. All of the above is NORMAL.

So here’s a response that might make you mad AF at me, but here goes …

… You have AVOIDANCE

Avoidance is probably the #1 issue most screenwriters and authors have. Hell, I do it myself!

The process can make us feel overwhelmed, so we start overthinking it. We end up tying ourselves up in knots, dressing it up as being “thoughtful”, “strategic” or “career-minded”.

We spend too long thinking and not long enough DOING.

1) You Don’t Have Too Many Ideas. Fact.

You have too much fear. And look, I get it. Writing can feel overwhelming just getting words down on the page. Looking ahead to things like production, publishing, marketing, building a platform … it can seem like too much.

It’s far easier to go into what I call ‘slug mode’. We writers love to believe we’re stuck because we’re ‘too creative’. The tortured artiste stereotype is irresistible.

But the reality is, we’re stuck because choosing just one idea means …

• Other ideas don’t get picked
• The one you do choose might be bad
• Someone might judge it/you
• You will have to finish it

Hovering feels safer than committing. Brainstorming feels productive without risking failure. But let’s be clear: unfinished ideas do absolutely nothing for your writing career.

2) Stop Asking Which Idea Is “Best For Your Career”

This question kills more writing projects than rejection ever will. Because here’s what actually happens …

• You pick something you think is “marketable”
• So you start writing it with gritted teeth
• Which means your writer’s voice flattens
• This in turn causes your enthusiasm to die
• Then you abandon it and feel worse than before

Supersadface 🙁  But writing careers are not built by trying to second-guess.  They’re built by writers who can:

• Finish drafts
• Learn from them
• Write again
• Improve visibly

Industry pros don’t sign “potential”. They sign the execution. True story.

3) Hating Your Draft Means You’re Doing It Right 

Yes, really. That moment when you suddenly think your story is crap?

Congratulations – this is NOT a red flag. It means you’ve left the romanticised phase!

Every single project has:

• That first, heady exciting idea bit
• The “oh god this is terrible” bit
• The craft bit (where writing actually happens)

If you quit at stage two every time, guess what? You’re not choosing the wrong ideas. You’re refusing to do the work.

This isn’t a vibe issue. It’s a discipline issue. Everything you have ever wanted is on the other side of the work.

That’s the good news. The bad news? There is no short cut. 

Stop Trying To Be Smart. Start Being Consistent

Here’s a big, B2W-flavoured truth bomb … 

• There is no “right” idea
• Nor is there is any ‘safe’ choice
• There’s no guaranteed career win
• There is only the project you actually finish

So instead of asking which idea will “pay off”, ask yourself instead …

• Which one can I stick with when it stops being fun?
• How can it make me a better writer by the end?
• Which one can I commit to for a set period without flaking?

But don’t stop there. You need a boundary as well.  Tell yourself, “This gets one full draft.”
Or “This gets eight weeks.” Evaluate your goals and your progress and make difficult decisions based on DATA, not panic or doom.

The Hard Truth

Writers who move forward aren’t braver, smarter or more inspired than you. They just stop treating every decision like it’s a life sentence. They …

• Pick an idea 
• Write it
• Have the guts to finish it
• Learn
• Rinse & repeat!!

What else is there? Seriously. This is what we ALL need to do.

Last Points

So if you’re overwhelmed, you don’t need yet another idea. You need to sit your arse down and write the one you’ve already got.

Smack talk over. Now get on with it. GOGOGO!

Good Luck!

Want Help With YOUR Spec Screenplay This Autumn?

B2W’s next writing sprint has launched … A cohort of 8 Bang2writers will be joining Lucy V this Autumn to get their spec sitcoms, TV pilots or feature-length movies on the page!

We will be talking genre, tone, concept, character role functions, archetypes, plotting, tropes, conventions and all the other good stuff.  But we will also be talking budgets, producibility, submissions, contacts and other career stuff too!

If you want to ensure your spec script is done in 2026, this one’s for you! Check out the details below.

NEW B2W PROGRAMME – 6 Week Screenplay 2026