Writer’s block. It’s that feeling of going nowhere with your writing. You got yourself all excited to start a new blog post when all of a sudden, you’re staring at a blank screen. Forcing yourself, you try to push through it.
But no sentences seem to be making sense. All the words typed look foreign. You want to continue on with your work but you’re just wasting time instead. All the inspiration you had before you started is just…gone.
It’s not something that’ll go away on its own. You need to try different tactics to see what’ll help you overcome writer’s block. That said, let’s go over some effective ways to get you back on track with writing!
Just Write
It may seem contradictory to tell you to write when that’s the problem you’re having. But think about it: as writers, we worry too much about what we’re trying to tell our readers. It doesn’t matter if you have 5 or 5,000 readers. They don’t want to read a post that’s polished to the point it sounds fake. They want pieces that are raw and real.
Knowing that, write what you really want to say. Don’t worry if it “doesn’t fit your brand.” Don’t worry about going too far either.
Let your grammar, spelling, and punctuation be poor. You can either go back later and edit it or just delete it. What you choose is up to you but sometimes what’s preventing us from writing are the things weighing heavily on our minds. Writing is an outlet. If you can’t say what you want then what’s the point? Chances are, someone else out there feels the same way you do. They were just waiting for you to spell it all out for them.
Put Pen to Paper
Technology is useful but also frustrating at times. There’s a difference shown in our writing skills when we actually put pen to paper rather than typing on a keyboard.
That’s why it might be useful to overcome writer’s block by writing the traditional way. When you do this, your thoughts become clearer. Even journaling can help by sorting out all the stuff shrouding your inspiration and the excitement of writing.
Stop Planning Posts
Blogging was once something to do for fun. While it still is, there’s pressure put on us to have our blog be the best it can since monetization came into the picture. That feeling of needing to be perfect can prevent us from doing our best.
To combat all those debilitating feelings, stop planning out your posts for awhile. A content calendar is great for organizing your blog but don’t be so specific about it. Instead of publishing a post about your favourite organic beauty products on Tuesday, label that day for an unnamed post. Whatever you write during that time can then be used for Tuesday.
Not only will it help ease some pressure but your readers will appreciate the spontaneity.
Relax
Forcing the inspiration to come does the opposite. While you may need to write a blog post right this minute, you can’t if you want it to be good.
Inspiration and ideas come when we’re most relaxed. That said, do something to take that stress away. Take a bubble bath, listen to your favourite podcast or playlist. Go to a park or your favourite bookstore. Take the time to do what makes you happy. But the most important thing is to not feeling guilty for doing it. You need to take time for yourself and if you don’t, you’ll be stuck in a inspiration-less rut for a long time. Don’t do that to yourself.
Skip the Intro
For a good blog post, you need a killer introduction. Something that’ll grab their attention and offer a promise to solve readers’ pain points. However, that need for a good intro can derail the rest of the writing process.
Rather than let that inspiration fade away, start in the middle of your post. Begin writing the actual “meat” of the article. The introduction can wait.
Reread Your Best Posts
“Best posts” can be interpreted in two ways. The article that got a lot of love or the one you’re most proud of. Whichever you define as “best”, go back and reread it.
That might be all you need to resurrect your inspiration. You’ll prove to yourself that your writing skills and talent are still there, they just need to be brought to the surface again.
Remember to use these tips the next time you feel stuck. Don’t spend another minute staring at a blank screen when taking even five minutes for yourself can have you looking at a completed post.
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I love the idea of rereading of posts. This a great way to check old links too. A piece of advice I can offer is bring a notebook with you! When you have an idea write it down, its fool proof. Atowle|https://formationvacations.com/
Thanks so much! That is a great piece of advice! I lose so many ideas because I don’t have a pen and notebook handy.
Even if fiction writing, the advice against writer’s block is to just…write. Even if it’s bad. Because you always come back later to clean it up or change things. 10,000 bad words are better than no words.
On The Cusp | https://on-th3-cusp.blogspot.com/
Very well said! 🙂
The skip the intro one is my go-to!
It really helps, doesn’t it?
I love scheduling posts but you are right, having to write about something specific in that day is too much and sometimes things just don’t flow as easily.
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Exactly! Scheduling is so helpful but it can also make writing or taking pictures for that day seem like a chore rather than fun.