Every writer experiences writer’s block from time to time. Sometimes it’s because you’re using all your creativity up (at least that’s what some friends say). Others cite exhaustion. No matter the reason, there are ways out. Here are some ideas for you!
Brainstorm
Once you’ve brainstormed, you may be able to pick a topic from all the ideas you have. As my friend, Randy Clark says in How to Defeat Writer’s Block, “You may have to play with the steps to fit your style, but if you follow the basic structure, you’ll defeat writer’s block too.” Randy writes thousands of words every week, so he’s a good one to listen to.
Mind Map
I’ve written about mind mapping before. It’s a lot of fun, and you get to engage your creative side, too. Read more about Mind Mapping in How to Come Up with a Year’s Worth of Blog Content. Mind mapping doesn’t even feel like work, so you might be able to trick yourself into thinking that you’re playing and cure your writer’s block. And if you’re a visual learner, which most people are, mind mapping will really appeal to you.
Dream Your Way out
This might sound crazy, but here’s something that works for me. Leave a notebook and pen by your bed. Think about writing right before you go to sleep. When you wake up, write down the first thing that comes to your mind–often your brain will work while you’re sleeping and you’ll be surprised. The trick is to be nonjudgmental as you write. That is, don’t think about it too much.
Ask Friends
Ask a few friends what you should write about. Or ask your mom what you do–that could lead to a few laughs. Or you could ask your friends if they have a clear impression of what you do in your business (or whatever you want to blog about). No? Ask them what would help clarify your role or your business. Take that idea and run with it.
Rewrite an Old Post
Did you write something that nobody read or commented on? How about rewriting it? You could also turn it into a video! You could even do a blog post about why you think nobody read that post.
Add Uplifting Images
If you’ve written something without any images, add an image or two. Or use a different featured image. Since we’re all visual creatures, sometimes the image is more important than the words, unfortunately. And a positive image can change the feel of a piece of content.
Read What You Don’t Usually Read
Yesterday at a concert, I found an old copy of The Whole Earth Catalog, published in 1971. What a treasure it was! Lots of little reviews of books (many for under a dollar), notes, little drawings, stories that continued from page to page. I must’ve spent a good 90 minutes flipping through the old weathered pages.
Respond to Someone Else
You might get inspiration from someone else’s video or blog post. Mention them in your post, and make sure to let them know you’ve written about it. For example, I wrote a post recently about oversharing (with a thank you to Mitch Mitchell).
Crowdsource
Ask your social media connections what they’ve done about writer’s block. Adopt the best ideas. To crowdsource using social media, you could ask your connections on Facebook, put it on Twitter, create a video and post it on YouTube, and so on. One of the most excellent examples of crowdsourcing I’ve seen lately is the way the Netflix show Diagnosis uses it. Check it out.
Write about the Block
You might want to run straight into the fire by writing about your writer’s block (I know–so meta, right?)! Sometimes you’ll see a way out by exploring your own feelings, triggers, and fears by answering your own questions. Is there something I didn’t cover? Let me know in the comments!
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