Getting Unstuck: Maneuvering Roadblocks, Hurdles, and the Blank Page

March 12, 2026

by Leah Henderson, faculty, writing for children & young adults

We’ve all been there, envisioning a perfect story in our minds, only to sit down excited to type, and find the words just aren’t there, or worse, we start off strong and then our ideas and momentum peter out as quickly as they first came to us. Where did all those amazing ideas go that were bursting with imaginative subplots, dynamic characters, and heart-stopping emotion? They are just gone. Hiding in the shadows of our minds, or maybe they never truly formed.

This has been my world on countless occasions. Some people might think of this as writer’s block, but I prefer to think of it as not spending enough time with my story, my characters, and my story’s world. If I don’t know enough, how will I be able to tell the story I see in my mind? Whenever I am faced with these roadblocks, I go back to square one.

I start at the beginning of everything. Sounds simple, right? It can be.

Whether that is diving into a character’s life, by rutting around in their bookbag or purse, or maybe their most secret drawer, I try to get to know who they are when no one is watching. I try to find what makes them tick. What makes them nervous and happy, what they will fiercely protect and what they will run away from or towards. While most of this I can’t completely figure out by peeking into their bookbag or suitcase, it does give me a tiny glimpse into who I imagine them to be. What would they grab fleeing a fire? Who would they call if they could only make one more phone call? Who would they visit if they could only see one more person? What do they carry in their pockets? Or reach for when they’re scared?

Sometimes I need to shake things up even more, so I’ll hop in my car and take my character out to dinner—what’s their favorite dessert? Do they share? What do they drop in our grocery store cart? What would they spend their money on at a clothing store, toy store, or sports store? What book would they pull off the shelf?

Why so many questions? Because that is one of the best ways I can discover who my characters want and need to be for my story. I am trying to find what I don’t already know. I want to be surprised by something. Excited to head to the page again. So I walk with them and talk with them, see what they see, hear what they hear, wonder what they wonder. I spend time trying to know the character they want to be, so that when I go back to ask questions of my story’s setting and plot, I understand a little more about how my character will affect and be affected by the world they are traversing. I’m more invested in who they are and am curious to see how they confront (or don’t) any roadblocks or hurdles I throw their way. In learning more about them and unknown aspects of my setting that can influence their choices and their world, I start becoming unstuck and finding a way to fill a blank page.

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Leah Henderson is the author of many critically acclaimed books for young readers, including The Courage of the Little Hummingbird, The Magic in Changing Your Stars, and Together We March. Because Leah has serious wanderlust, when she is not creating stories, she is off someplace in the world getting lost, then found, discovering new ones. You can learn more about her and her writing at www.leahhendersonbooks.com.