05.07.07

How To Defeat Writer’s Block

Posted in Blogging for Profit at 8:48 am by admin

It happens to all of us — perhaps you’re like me, and haven’t had the time to write for your blog in a few weeks, and now that you’re finally free, just can’t think of how to start again; Maybe you’ve already written about everything there is to write about in your niche, and can’t think of anything else to say, or maybe you’re just simply stuck. Whatever it is, you’re not alone.

With now over 60 million blogs online, and two new ones created every second, to stay competitive for your readers, it’s imperative that you produce fresh, original content almost daily. This isn’t always easy to do, especially if your site has been around for a while and you’ve nearly covered everything there is to say. Here’s a few tricks that I like to try when I’ve hit writers block:

1. Try searching around the net a bit for keywords surrounding your topic. What’s going on that you haven’t heard about yet? What are others talking about? What interests you? Chances are it’ll interest your readers too. For example, I will search terms such as “blogging for profit”, SEO, etc.

2. Take a break! Go do something completely non-writing related. Go work out, walk your dog, relax with your family, anything but think about your writing. This article came to me in the shower, randomly.

3. Start with just one word. Everything starts somewhere, doesn’t it? Start with a word, and just go with it. Write a sentence, maybe two. It doesn’t matter if it makes sense or not. I find that as I write more, my language becomes clearer as I go. You can always backtrack, cut-up, and rewrite the gibberish that you started with.

4. Have a drink! It might just be what you need to loosen up a little to get your writing juices flowing. You might also try anything that excites you. Go jump in the snow, have a cold shower, or a shot of espresso — whatever it takes to get you moving.

5. Have a conversation with someone about the topic you will be writing on. It would be helpful to a) speak with someone who is knowledgeable in your subject area — they may challenge you to think in ways which you haven’t; And b) speak with someone who knows nothing about your subject. Find out what they could learn from speaking with you. Maybe your readers could benefit from learning the same things.

6. Work on more than one project at a time. I’ve found that when I get stumped with one writing task, I may have great ideas for another, or have great success starting something completely different. Put your current work aside and come back to it in a few hours.

7. Make bulleted, indented lists of topics and subtopics which you can write about. It doesn’t matter if they are related, or make any sense. Just write. These lists will provide a great aid in finding good section headings and topics for the article that you’re trying to write.

Hopefully these suggestions will help you get out of a writing rut, if you should find yourself in one. You might also want to take a look at this great guide: When You Can’t Get Started Writing, which overviews the complete writing process from finding your ideas, to polishing your final draft.

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