7 Ways to Instantly Kick Writers Block’s Butt
Kyle
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If you’ve blogged for long enough (and very likely, about a three days is plenty long), you’ve experienced some form of writers block. It comes in many different forms, but the result is the same… Nothing’s getting done and YOU are losing money.
Whether you’re just starting, have a niche, and have no idea where to start or have been writing for quite some time and seem to be out of ideas, here are 7 ways to kick-start the creative process and get you back on the horse.
#1: Place your hands behind your head and step away from the computer!
Grab a tape recorder and walk around and talk to yourself. It might be a little geeky and possibly will creep out your roommates, family, and friends but it works. Sometimes what keeps you from writing is the actual typing, not the creative process.
#2: Go to a forum in your niche and start answering some questions.
Many times, writers block comes because you are trying too hard. This is especially true when you have a deadline bearing down on you. So instead of sitting there beating yourself up, redirect your brain power. Answering questions or discussing your topic will get your creative juices flowing and they will spill right into your blog post. Often times, I’ll have half my blog post done ANSWERING a question which I don’t ever even end up sending!
#3: Listen to the people, not the person!
I’ll be honest, it doesn’t matter what one or two of your visitors want from you. Reading advice on writers block, often times people will tell you to start talking to a friend or family member. This isn’t a BAD idea, but it’s not the most productive. I ask the entire internet what’s popular using Twitter or Facebook.
Both these sites give you tons of topics that people are searching for right now. Find one that relates to your blog and run with it. If you are focusing on using keywords rather than creating content, it usually takes the creative block away.
#4: Don’t write at all!
So you have a case of huge writers block? Do your post without writing! Create a video, use those pictures you’ve been collecting, create a “best of your niche” type post, or put together a resources guide. Spend some extra time updating your social network profiles (or learning about social networking if you don’t do it already), work on your design, add new widgets for your WordPress Theme, do that link building you’ve been meaning to do, go comment on industry blogs.
In other words, BE PRODUCTIVE! You’ll keep in your routine, continue growing your site, and likely will open up your creative process for later.
#5: Rewrite a Story or List, putting your own spin on it!
While we all want every post we right to be unique, creative, and original. It’s not going to happen. Some days, you just need to get something down. Go out and find a very popular story, top 10 list, feature, etc. from your niche and use that as the scaffolding.
The best technique I’ve found is to find 2-3 posts/lists that are similar and read all three. Then just write my own using the ideas I read about, but NEVER, ever copy and paste. You’ll realize, when you’re done, that you have a much different story or list than they have.
#6: Just start writing… With a pen and paper? And don’t forget, prewriting is allowed!
I firmly believe that actually writing, drawling, doodling on a piece of notebook paper is often times the best solution to writers block and was the technique that got me through my college career. One of the hardest parts of blogging and one of its most charming characteristics is that it’s a very free-flowing medium.
Most people sit down, write their posts, publish them and forget. You don’t have to go through the draft and rewrite phase that made you woozy in high school. But if you’re in a jam, there’s nothing wrong with creating a little outline or jotting down a little draft before creating your posts. The reason those techniques are used in school is because it teaches you to write when you’re not very good at it. In this case, it will often force you to focus on the parts that will make-up the whole.
#7: Remember, your opinion is TOP NOTCH Content!
One of the easiest and most effective ways to jump-start the creative process is to write your opinion about SOMETHING. Grab a couple pictures and write funny captions or make-up a story about what’s happening. Show a video and then give your opinion about what it was about. Review an article, website, newspaper, decision, video, etc.
Give your visitors a look into your life, tell them what’s going on, and introduce them to the REAL you. People love opinions and they love knowing the person they are reading. Feel free to give them a nugget of what makes you tick and why you spend all the time you do giving them all this great info.
