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There’s nothing worse than sitting down to work on your blog and nothing happens . . . writer’s block is keeping you staring at a blank screen.
You don’t know what to write about.
Or maybe you know what you want to write about but you don’t know what to say.
Or maybe you have a few ideas but you can’t seem to organize your thoughts to write a post that makes sense.
Whatever it is that’s keeping you stuck is frustrating. So maybe you avoid writing altogether by organizing your desk, checking out social media, planning your meals for the week, or doing a load of laundry. Anything to keep from having to stare at a blank screen.
The good news is, you’re not alone.
Writer’s block happens to everyone, even the best bloggers. Sometimes you just feel uninspired or feel like you’re writing the same content over and over. There’s nothing motivating about that.
Waiting for the “just right” time will only keep you away from your computer because there’s no such thing as the perfect time. You have to make that “just right” time happen; you have to choose that moment instead of waiting for it to choose you or nothing will ever get done.
I have 9 great tips for you today that will defeat writer’s block and help you get work done faster. Here’s how to make the magic happen:
Table of Contents
9 BRAINSTORMING TIPS THAT DEFEAT WRITER’S BLOCK
Schedule Time
Making an appointment or two with yourself every week to work on your blog will help to prepare your brain for what you’ll need to get done. While you may not be consciously thinking about what to write, your brain is working on it.
There is never going to be a perfect time so you have to make the perfect time. Even if you sit down to write and nothing happens, do some other blog related activity to help your mind stay focused on the work that needs to get done.
Keep a Journal
You never know when inspiration will strike and we’re all overwhelmed with things we have to remember. If you get a great idea and think you’re going to remember it, chances are you won’t. Keep a notebook or journal nearby at all times. On your desk, in your purse, on the kitchen counter, next to the TV. You may be reading an article, watching a TV show, or talking to a friend and suddenly be hit with great inspiration about what you want to write about. You need to be able to jot it down so you don’t forget.
Scroll Pinterest
Scroll through your Pinterest newsfeed or search a particular subject you’re thinking about and see what comes up. If something inspires you for a post of your own, pin it to a secret board where you can keep all your ideas. Whenever you can’t decide what to write about, just scroll through your secret board until you find something that motivates you to write.
Keep an Editorial Calendar
Planning out your posts in advance will help you stay on track and keep you from getting writer’s block. Plan your editorial calendar a month or two out in advance. That way, you know exactly what you’re going to write about and when. If it’s time to write a post and you’re not feeling inspired, you can switch it with anything else that’s coming up on your calendar that’s making you feel more inspired.
Talk to Your Imaginary Friend
Sometimes speaking your thoughts and ideas out loud helps you to organize them better and come up with new ideas. If you want to write about a specific topic and don’t know what to say, get up from your desk, walk around, and talk about your idea out loud like you’re explaining it to a friend. It will help you compile your jumbled thoughts into a cohesive idea.
Keep an Inspiration Binder
Think of this like scrapbooking. Put together a binder with some plastic page protectors so you have a place to store things. Then, hold on to anything that inspires an idea. Rip an article out of a magazine, save pieces of fabric, hold on to recipes, anything that can be related to a post that you’ll want to write. When writer’s block strikes and you don’t know what to write about, flip through your book.
Think About Your Audience
To ensure that you’re writing the content your readers really want to read, know everything you can about them. Create a clear image of who your reader is, what they do in their spare time, how much money they make, where they live, how big their family is. Know everything you can about them. Then think about what kinds of problems they have that you can help them solve. The more you know your audience, the better your content will be received.
Mind Mapping
If you’re planning a series or writing on just one or two specific topics, mind mapping may help you figure out your content. On a blank sheet of paper, draw a circle in the middle and write your main idea inside the circle. Then draw lines out from the circle (like a sun) and starting writing ideas for different posts on each line. One post will inspire the next and so on. Come up with 10-12 different post ideas for each main idea. Once you have them, write them in to your editorial calendar so you know what you need to get to work on and when you need to have it done.
Look Back
Which posts were your most successful ones? Which ones got the most shares, the most comments, and the most likes? If you really look at your past posts for this information, you may be surprised. You may find that you thought your readers enjoyed one type of content while in reality, they responded better to a different type. Keep track of your most successful posts, this is what your readers want to see more of.
Conclusion
Writer’s block is challenging, there’s no doubt about it, but if you can keep track of new ideas on a regular basis, you’ll always find there’s something to inspire your next post.
