Just because you have writer’s block doesn’t mean you are a terrible writer. That has nothing to do with why you are in the slump and can’t seem to find the words.

 

I’d like to give you three things I use whenever I experience writer’s block. Funnily enough, since putting these into practice, I’ve noticed that I hardly ever experience the dreaded brick wall anymore and can sit down at the keyboard and write to my heart’s content.

Begin by figuring out the real reason behind the block. Take a step back and ask yourself some questions.

  • Are you feeling pressured to complete the article within a specific time?
  • Have you been writing for a long time and felt overwhelmed or lost interest in the topic?
  • Perhaps you lack confidence in your writing ability?
  • Are you comparing yourself to other writers?
  • Are you simply tired, not feeling well or lacking motivation?

These questions will result in a different approach to dealing with them. But by discovering the cause of the block, you will be able to begin to seek help/guidance and put some tools into place to overcome them.

Here are the three strategies that I use.

1. Have a solid routine.

Most people think writing must be done when the mood takes you. For me, and I know for many writers, the complete opposite is true.

I mark time out in my diary for when I’m going to do my writing. At the given moment, I sit down and plan what I will write about.

If I’m really stuck, I refer to a list of titles and suggestions I have already stored – you can grab a free copy of my 50 Titles here: BLOG TITLES – once picked, it makes the whole process much easier.

Now, figure out when you feel your most creative and productive. Is it the morning or perhaps the evening? This is when you will block out time, even if it is only 30 minutes. The key to this is to be consistent. Figure out the day/s times that suit you best and go for it.

2. Remember, it’s a draft!

Most of us like to write as if it is going to be published immediately. This was one of my major faults. All it did was impede the creative process as I focused on every spelling mistake and grammatical error.

Once I turned off my spell-check and began typing, it was as if a stream of consciousness was being poured onto the page.

Don’t worry if you don’t have the perfect word or phrase; once you have your first draft done, you can slot in those wonderful words to illustrate what you are trying to say. Besides, unless you’re writing a literary masterpiece (which it undoubtedly will be), most people prefer simple words and simple sentence construction, especially for online blogs and articles.

If you can’t think of the right words, don’t waste time on them. I use six dots …… to show me where to look. Then in the editing, I can replace the dots with the right word/s.

3. Write something else.

When you sit down to write and are stuck for words, write about something else. Look around the room or out of the window, and write about the first thing you see that piques your interest. Set a timer for five minutes……… GO!

Another option is to use a writing prompt generator such as The Story Shack or get ideas at The Journal Buddy

This is a great way to get the juices flying. Don’t forget. It’s just a draft. Plus, the fact you’re not going to be saving it gives you incredible freedom, so go for it!

Conclusion:

Sometimes the most challenging part is the starting, so one last trick I will give you:

When faced with a blank document, start typing the words ‘Once upon a time when the birds ate lime and monkeys chewed tobacco I set about to discover how to (put in your keywords). It didn’t take me long to realise that……’

You should now be writing. When you’ve finished that first draft, you can go back and change the beginning.

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