Writer’s Block Evaluated – Question From A Reader
I received an email from a reader asking me, “Lin, do you ever experience Writer’s Block? How do you come up with so many creative writing ideas? I find myself getting stuck pretty often, and I’m afraid my blog is suffering because of it.”
I responded to the reader with my answer, but thought it would be good to include it in a post here. Have YOU ever experienced Writer’s Block? Do you sometimes find you just can’t come up with anything to write about on your blog, feeling “stuck” as this reader has?
When I received the reader’s question, it took me a few minutes to put my response together in a way that would not only be informative but also encouraging, because I realize that Writer’s Block can sometimes be troublesome even for Novel Writer’s and Magazine Writer’s. Personally, I have yet to experience a time of feeling stuck, where I don’t have some ideas of what I intend to write about in coming posts.
I don’t mean that in an egotistical way, it simply is true that I have not yet found myself feeling out of sorts desperately seeking something creative to say. YET. Maybe I’m just a blabber-mouth, or plain and simple opinionated, but if you could see what my desk looks like on any given day, you would probably understand that there is just no way for me to run out of things to write about.
At this very moment, I have at least 20 topics written in outline form on a large steno pad, sitting next to about 10 magazines and 2 newspapers with pages turned down as my reminder to create posts on those topics. I keep a steno pad in my truck for making quick notes, another one on the coffee table in the den, and one more on the bathroom vanity.
It is my personal experience and belief that, in order to avoid Writer’s Block or to consistently come up with creative writing ideas takes some organization and planning, and can be very easy to accomplish. The biggest problem for me is finding the time needed to write, not just throwing something garbled into a post and hit “publish”, but to actually take the time to write something of value for my readers.
You don’t have to be a professional magazine writer, book author, or “ProBlogger” for that matter, to develop and publish a great read, but there ARE some easy-to-follow steps to overcoming writer’s block or avoiding it altogether. Do you have a pen and paper handy? Jot down some notes as you read these tips on improving your writing skills, and be sure to come back and let me know if you have any other suggestions to avoiding or overcoming writer’s block.
5 Tips To Inspiring and Creative Writing
10 Tips To Become A ProBlogger
Last but definitely not least, Liz Strauss provides 7 Incredibly Intelligent Ideas for Blogging More Efficiently. I’ve done some of these myself, but found a couple I have yet to implement, but will from now on.
Do you have some tips that work well for you? What do you do to continue being creative in your writings, or avoiding the frustration of Writer’s Block?
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My best example of getting writer’s block was when I was working on an appendix for a computer textbook I was writing. I was pretty burned out from writing and I had to write about something that I thought was extremely tedious and boring. I solved my problem by writing a parody of the appendix. I imagined the most absurd possible circumstances and made up some weird history. I laughed as I wrote. When I was done, I erased it and wrote what I needed to write, still laughing.
HM, I can’t even imagine having to write anything like that. I think my mind would go numb, LOL. Your idea of solving that problem is great!
I usually don’t have too much trouble with writer’s block, but when I do, damn. Ideas that seemed brilliant a few days ago look like crap.
Stephan Miller’s last blog post..Nice Little Traffic Update
Hi Stephan,
I’ve been there myself. I’ve gone through some of my archived posts and felt disappointed that I didn’t do them better. Fortunately, I can easily go through and edit them and make them better. I’ve been working on one at a time, and I’m thrilled to say that these posts have been getting quite a bit of traffic from google searches.
When I first started my blog, there were some times I could not think of anything to post about. As you have your legal pad of topics, I have a notebook which I jot down thoughts and ideas in constantly. Now it is a matter of getting it all written into posts.
Even the posts themselves start in the notebook. I cannot think as well when I am typing on a pc, so I always do a rough draft on paper first.
NZM, that’s interesting. Although I use my legal pads to jot down ideas, a sentence or phrase (keywords), I actually prefer to do my article development on a word doc.
When I started blogging, I used to handwrite everything out on paper, but it turned into a scribbly mess with all my editing, moving a paragraph around etc, so preparing the entire article/post on a word doc has made it much easier for me. I guess it’s a matter of whatever works best for the individual.
I’m not sure that I’ve ever run out of ideas (says she who wrote and posted a total of 5 blog posts yesterday – which is a record for me). BUT, I do have days where I don’t really “feel” like writing. I guess I feel less pressure on the “must write” front because my main blog is a personal blog. If I don’t really feel like writing an in depth piece, I can use a photo to generate a simple post. Mind you, feeling “blah” has also been the inspiration for some of my more “personal” posts too.
Maybe I’m like you and just have heaps to say.
I did have 1 post that I wanted to write but struggled with. It was a guest post for another blog that I’d agreed to do (and wanted to do). On that occasion I found changing my writing medium and location helped. I took a pad and paper and went and laid down on my bed and just wrote notes. Before I knew it, the whole piece had just fallen together.
Lightening’s last blog post..Mom’s Blogging Carnival
5 posts in one day?! Yeeesh girl, breathe……
There are days where I can manage to prepare a few posts, and get them ready to publish over a few days, and sometimes there will be a day where I do a quick post or a meme, and end up pushing back prepared posts to a later date.
I enjoy having some days to just breathe, respond to comments, read other blogs and comment, Stumble or go chain dropping etc.
I don’t put pressure on myself at all to maintain a daily posting schedule, and I think if I did, it would make me a bit frazzled. Quality over quantity.
Yeah I know!!! It wasn’t planned that way. They all got published as well. Which isn’t usually how I like to work. 3 posts in a day on my personal blog isn’t something I usually like to do – too overwhelming for my readers. But the blogging carnival one was already done – just needed to publish it last night so it was ready first thing this morning. Oh well, I’m taking a break today.
Lightening’s last blog post..Mom’s Blogging Carnival
hahaha, I think I could use a nap.
I am just starting blogging and all this is very good advise
Hi Lin,
Great tips … lol, I need a few of them. I don’t really get writes block … more like bloggers ADD … in any case, the notebook sounds like a good idea.
Thanks,
Todd
Todd morris’s last blog post..Confessions of a Wordpress Theme Junkie
When I hit a block, and need to just walk away from writing, I always ahve a couple posts written in advance as a reserve.
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