Every writer knows the sinking feeling: you start your novel full of excitement, sailing smoothly through the first chapters, and then suddenly you hit a blank patch — that dreaded "here be dragons" zone where the story just won’t come together. It’s a moment that can spiral into self-doubt and creative paralysis. But what if there was a simple technique to bypass this creative dead-end?
In his recent video, The Oxford Writer reveals a powerful hack used by master artists, musicians, and novelists alike to keep momentum and creativity flowing: borrowing from the future.
What Does "Borrowing from the Future" Mean?
When you reach a part of your story where you don’t yet know what happens next, instead of freezing, write a placeholder — a brief note or description of the scene you want to come back to later. For example, you might write "the bishop seduces the maid here" or "something magical goes here," then move on with your writing.
This technique is not just about skipping ahead; it taps into a fascinating psychological principle known as the Zeigarnik effect. This effect shows that our subconscious mind keeps working on unfinished tasks, often delivering solutions or inspiration when we’re relaxed or distracted — like in the shower or while doing mundane chores.
Why This Works
- Maintains Momentum: You keep writing without stopping to agonize over perfection or details, avoiding the creative stall.
- Engages Your Subconscious: Your brain continues to process the problem behind the scenes, often leading to breakthroughs.
- Allows Flexibility: You can defer decisions and changes, giving yourself freedom to explore new directions.
- Leads to Richer Stories: Many great artists, from Leonardo da Vinci’s layered paintings to Nabokov’s index-card writing method, used iterative processes that evolved over time rather than rigid plans.
Real-World Examples
- J.R.R. Tolkien initially wrote Aragorn as a hobbit named Trotter and only later developed him into the tall, noble king we know. Tolkien even revised The Hobbit after publication to align better with The Lord of the Rings’ epic tone.
- Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa smile evolved through many layers, visible today through X-ray analysis, showing how art can emerge from successive changes.
How to Use This Hack in Your Writing
- When stuck, jot down a simple placeholder describing what needs to happen.
- Move on to the next scene or chapter without guilt.
- Trust your subconscious to work on the problem.
- Return later with fresh ideas and new inspiration.
- Edit and refine your placeholders into full scenes.
This approach not only prevents the dreaded writer’s block but also opens the door to unexpected creative discoveries.
If you want to dive deeper into writing techniques and never get stuck again, The Oxford Writer offers a free 10-part email course called Gateway to Narnia that guides you through novel writing step-by-step.
By adopting this simple but effective hack, you can keep your creative journey sailing smoothly — no matter how stormy the waters get.
This blog post summarizes the key points from The Oxford Writer’s video published on July 12, 2025[1].
Sources
[1] The Simple Novel-Writing Hack I Wish I’d Known When I Started Out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMnh9k3tmaM
[2] How To ACTUALLY Write A Blog Post From Start To Finish | Neil Patel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8rN3JKqUc8
[3] How I Write a Blog Post: My Step-by-Step Process – ProBlogger https://problogger.com/how-i-write-a-blog-post/
[4] Turn YouTube Videos into Blog Posts With This AI Automation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsbJ1K6Jhd0
[5] Video Tap – automatically convert YouTube videos to blog posts https://dev.to/codepo8/review-video-tap-automatically-convert-youtube-videos-to-blog-posts-15oe
[6] How to Turn Your YouTube Videos into Blog Posts https://blogpros.com/blog/2016/05/youtube-video-blog-posts
[7] Video to Blog AI: 100% Free (No Login) YouTube Converter Tool https://www.ryrob.com/youtube-video-blog-post/
[8] How to Make a Free Blog Website on Blogger.com – YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sDQfu9XqBM
[9] Created a simple web app that generates a blog from any YouTube … https://www.reddit.com/r/nextjs/comments/17npzb9/created_a_simple_web_app_that_generates_a_blog/
[10] How To Write Blog Posts – AI + SEO Strategy 2025 – YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7nmPo1O4Dk
[11] How to Write the Perfect Blog Post 👍 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgdY6_y12ts