Quitting Sugar Broke Through My Writer's Block

Throughout my life, magical tales have always fueled my imagination and creative writing. Recently, though, I’ve been having trouble working on a novel, based on a full length play of mine—a romcom set in Greenwich Village, revolving around a supernatural love triangle. The play had developmental readings with the Playground Experiment before an audience, so I had a firm grasp on its plot and characters. What held me back was determining the appropriate point of view for my protagonist Heather, which was complicated because of the novel’s otherworldly storyline. 

Being aware of how things like diet and lifestyle impact cognition and wellbeing, I began to wonder: “Is the sugar habit I can’t kick affecting my creative focus?” So when I heard detoxing from sugar for just 7-10 days might initiate a reset, I figured it was worth a try, in the hopes it might help me bust open my creative block.

How I Changed My Diet

The first thing I did to test this out was make foods with lots of added sugars off-limits. Same with juices, which have high concentrations of sugar— 24 grams in an eight ounce glass of apple, and 21 in a glass of grapefruit. Initially, I excluded fruits too, but left the door open to change my mind later if the sugar cravings were too intense. Better an apple than a bag of jelly beans. 

Most of the meals I ate during this time relied on protein. Breakfast consisted of things like steamed salmon, avocado and baby greens. Raw pecans for snacking satisfied a sweet sense while providing protein and fiber. I also avoided stimulants like coffee, instead embracing drinks like decaffeinated tea and cinnamon with a splash of soy milk.

What surprised me most about my sugar fast was how effortless it was. Every day,  I anticipated negative physical side effects that never came.

Clarity Leads To A Creative Breakthrough

As the days went on, I was surprised how calm and centered I became emotionally. I had more patience with friends and family, and even more important for creative purposes, my focus improved significantly. At work, I became more effective at managing multiple projects, and when I came home, instead of sugar crashing, I found myself with creative energy left over to tackle the point-of-view issue that was thwarting my novel.

Instead of sugar crashing, I found myself with creative energy left over to tackle the point-of-view issue that was thwarting my novel.

I suddenly had a breakthrough: the third person POV I had been using made my main character Heather’s story seem too distant. And despite the first person option being personal, something was still missing. Then it dawned on me: Heather’s supernatural tale would be the most intimate if she told it to the love of her life, Matthew. This meant telling the story in second person narrative, addressing the reader as “You.” 

Sure enough, once I began writing this way, Heather’s voice flowed right along with the plot. Thanks to cutting out the sugar, I finally found the missing piece I’d been searching for.

Post-Breakthrough, My Tastes Changed

With my novel cracked, I started winding down my detox. I met a friend for coffee and started ripping open a sugar packet for my latte. But then I took stock. If quitting sugar had made me less focused, and more creative, was diving right back into the addiction what I really wanted to do? I put the sugar packet down, and took a sip of my latte without the added sugar. The coffee tasted rich and nutty, more delicious than any brew I’d ever tasted. In the past, without at least 2 spoons of sugar, coffee tasted bitter and undrinkable. Now, thanks to my sugar detox,  I was experiencing taste anew. 

These days, while I can technically have sweets again, I don’t usually want to. And thanks to sharper focus, I’m moving in an exciting new direction with my novel.

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