Quick Tips for Conquering Writer’s Block
Aug 9th, 2007 by Chris Bibey
As a freelance writer, one of my biggest fears is a bout of writer’s block. When this unexpectedly attacks, I can find myself disabled for hours on end. And as you can imagine, when I am not writing, I am not making any money.
Even though you may think that writer’s block only affects writers, nothing could be further from the truth. Anybody who runs a blog is probably familiar with this ever lingering issue; after all, blogging is writing!
So how do I get past writer’s block? This isn’t always easy, but something that I can’t give into. Here are three tips that help me to stomp writer’s block into submission, and in turn, get my work back on track. Of course, if these tips work for me, there is no reason that they shouldn’t work for you.
1. Identify the Problem
First things first, you need to know how to identify writer’s block. This may sound easy, but sometimes it can sneak up on you when you least expect it. Remember, there is a big difference between suffering from this “illness†and not paying attention to your work. Make sure that you do not confuse being distracted with facing writer’s block; they are not one in the same.
Writer’s block is when you are fully prepared to work, but have no idea what words to put down. No matter how hard you try to generate ideas so that you can move forward, nothing seems to come out right. This is my personal definition of writer’s block.
2. Gather Your Thoughts
When you know what you are dealing with, you can then conquer it. One of the best ways to overcome writer’s block is to brainstorm your project. For instance, if you are attempting to write a blog post, brainstorm an outline. Your outline should include details on the title of your post, the opening, body, and conclusion. In fact, this is much like a book report that you wrote in grade school! When you brainstorm, thoughts will begin to loosen up in your head. Sometimes all you need is an outline to get over the hump.
3. Step Away From Your Computer!
If writer’s block really has you down and out, step away from the task at hand. There is no point in staring at your monitor, while attempting to write, just to find yourself wearing out the Delete key. Do yourself a favor and rest your mind for a few minutes. Take a walk to the kitchen, or your backyard, or anywhere else. Anywhere besides your computer chair is a great place to be. When you return to your work station, attempt to start from square one. You may find that you now have a clear head, you’re ready to focus, and your writer’s block is no longer.
Instead of letting writer’s block become your downfall, use the three tips above to help you acknowledge the problem and conquer it accordingly!
[This post was written by Chris Bibey from Chrisblogging.com, a blog about freelance writing, blogging, and making money online.]
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For me, it helps to just get away for a while… work in the yard, mow the lawn, hit golf balls, etc. Works for me anyway.
Danielle - Great to be here as a guest blogger! I am looking forward to reading the comments from all your readers…
David - Hitting golf balls is always a good time. I gotta give that a try!
Welcome to the site as a guest blogger! Hope to see more quality posts from you.
[…] a freelance writer and blogger, I figured that giving guest blogging a try would be a perfect fit. Luckily, MsDanielle has stepped forward and agreed to let me write a […]
I’ve got writer’s block so bad that it took me a while to think of a comment
I’ll try these tips…hopefully it will go away already….
yea i was having writer’s block last week. i don’t get it too often, but when i do, i go to emom wendy piersall for a dose of motivation
and golf is a great stress reliever no matter what…!
Hey, I just highlighted your number 3 in a post yesterday! Great minds think alike
[…] next commentator is Ms. Danielle. Ms. Danielle has a guest post an article about writer’s block, and celebrates her […]
Lately I’ve been finding that I have a writers block more frequently on my personal finance site and have been using my personal blog as a means of taking my mind off of things.
Hmm, based on your first point maybe I’m using my personal blog as more of a distraction and excuse for not writing on my finance blog. Interesting point!
hey derek - yea i think if i were to create a niche blog it could be difficult to generate ideas daily. what i do with my blog is i try to outline the types of articles i want to write and go from there, rather than try to come up with 5 random topics. like, i try to make my friday post fun so i know that one can always come from a certain fun memory or something personally funny i just want to share. i always try to have one post having to do with the online marketing industry, so i check my news feeds. then when i can, i try to post a ppc tips/advice article. there’s 3 so far… then i fill in with blog tips / link love posts and there we have it!
outlining the types of articles you want to post weekly may help with generating ideas, since it can help you narrow down your scope. hope this helps!!
Yeah, I certainly need to get better about planning out my posts each week. That can make the task much easier and can help avoid the writers block when you do actually sit down to work on a few posts.
Thanks for the additional suggestions Danielle.
I think it is so funny when writers block comes about for no reason whatsoever. Out of nowhere I find myself staring at a blank screen. No rhyme or reason, it just comes to attack. Hopefully the three tips are helping some of you guys!
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Post from a new location…
If you’re looking for new ways to come up with ideas, try changing your surroundings and post from someplace new.
……
Excellent tips! I follow those religiously.
This happened to me yesterday and I identified my problem fairly quickly.
It’s a new job, freelance ghost writer, so I was worrying too much what he would think about my articles. Obviously, he likes them because he hired me because of one of my websites. This morning I’m back to normal and it looks as if I’ll be finishing the articles well in advance. It’s a steady gig, three articles weekly for a website. If I write more, I get paid more money.
I also brainstormed and stepped away from the computer.
glad to hear it was just a bump in the road!
Writers’ blog? Do what you just did, find a guest blogger, haha.