Here Comes the Wall – When Writer’s Block Strikes

Unless you have a team of content ninjas constantly backing you and providing you with some killer content then you have likely had this happen: you sit down to whip out some killer content for your website, fire up your post, and then sit there and blink at the cursor as you realize that writer’s block has you firmly in its grip. Come on, you have written about everything you can think of related to your business or interest. Why should it be this hard to find new and interesting things to talk about?

You might be amazed at how many of us experience this exact same feeling from time to time. Hardly any writer worth their salt has ever NOT experienced a period of writer’s block. The question is, how do you overcome this creative paralysis? Here are a few tips to help you get past that “bad patch” and get back to producing your one-off bits of literary genius.

Brainstorm and Develop Instead of agonizing over a handful of sentences that are just not going anywhere start off by jotting down ideas as they occur. Make sure to separate enough so that you can jot supporting ideas around each main idea. Treat each like a hub and spokes with secondary and tertiary ideas coming off of each. You might be surprised as to how many ideas start to develop.

Get Rid of the Distractions Sometimes sitting in front of a computer can be really distracting especially when you find yourself navigating away from your task time and again. Try using a pure text program like Writemonkey to help get rid of all the distractions. You may just find that having a plain old fashioned no-frills display is just the thing to drown out the noise of the world.

Seek Inspiration from Others Ask others if they have any ideas for topics. Check with friends, family members, co-workers and others. Keep in mind that this does not mean go out and plagiarize an idea from someone else. Keep your content real and original.

Go on a Walkabout Sometimes you just have to say enough is enough, stand up and walk away for a bit. Go out and get some fresh air, clear your head, do something you enjoy. Just make sure you step far enough away from the computer that you get that break that you need. This can often help clear the cobwebs enough that when you come back you could find tons of ideas coming readily to hand.

Writer’s block is a real issue that many of us deal with on a regular basis. It is nothing to be ashamed of and can actually help you to break away enough to keep from burning out. Let me tell you all a little secret… I was dealing with a case of it myself when I finally decided to write about it! Talk about an idea so close at hand I couldn’t see it. If I can overcome the dreaded writer’s block, then so can you!