Writer’s block sucks!

Don’t panic, writer’s block happens to everybody at some point! Your best bet is to start writing, and focus on just getting things down – no matter their relevance or stage of completion. Here are five things you can try to reignite that creative spark:

1) Find inspiration

It’s important to feed your curiosity so it doesn’t starve. Read a book, play a video game, listen to music or go for a walk. Similarly, any type of exercise is good for getting the blood pumping and the ideas flowing.

Sometimes, it can help to look at key metrics to see what’s worked previously, and use this as inspiration. You should also read similar blog posts around the subject matter, and take inspiration from other people’s work to make sure you’re heading in the right direction.

2) Plan

It’s important to eliminate any distractions that could cloud over your creativity. To focus only on your work, brainstorm ideas in bullet points. Map out an outline to see the progress of your writing. Think about what examples, links or statistics are vital to include.

Don’t focus on your work being perfect right away. Chances are, it won’t be – we’re speaking from experience here! The sole purpose of editing is to refine and tweak, so just getting words on the page, whether or not they’re correct right away, is a good thing.

You might also want to consider planning a content creation framework. This will keep your ideas structured and prevent you from going off-topic.

3) Start a routine

Start up a daily routine to help you write. Maybe designate a time where you feel the most inspired, or find a comfortable place where you write best. A routine sounds like it would stifle the creation of ideas, but it’s actually been proven to be a helpful springboard to creativity.

By carrying out a routine, you’ll get into the habit of creating in a way that’s comfortable to you, so things will come more easily in future.

4) Approach from a new perspective

Another point of view is unique, and would allow another perspective. Try writing as if you’re explaining it to a novice (or a rubber duck!) Maybe start writing the middle or the end of your blog post first, just to keep things fresh.

Your audience is looking to learn, so don’t skimp on the details. You might have to find the balance between wordy and waffle, though. Remember, a daily occurrence for you might be completely unheard of for them, so write about everything you know, and trim down the details later. Just make sure what you write is relevant and applicable to your audience.

5) Pace yourself

When you’ve finished your work, don’t publish it right away. Take some time to think things over – is there anything you’ve missed?

It’s easier to catch typos with a fresh pair of eyes, especially when you’ve spent some time de-familiarising yourself from what you’ve written. Sometimes, it even helps to read it in a different format (print it out, read it aloud, or type it) to catch mistakes you might have missed.

That’s It!

Well done on clearing the brain fog for long enough to read this article. If you brainstorm a killer idea, but struggle with where to go next, make sure to outline your main points.

Write what you can, walk away and revise after a rest. Then, before you know it, it’ll be time to post and promote your work! Once you start moving, it’s easier to keep going!