This paper explores the idea of conceptual threshold crossing in the writing process and in particular stuck moments and the process of moving on, valuing the pricelessness of preliminality, the vision of a possible movement through a portal and the creative learning leap into focused, formed writing. Our work to date is based on formal and less formal collections of narratives from academics who write, including ourselves, and from those who support and supervise the writing of both academic staff and doctoral students.