Have you ever suffered with Writer’s Block?
If you write a newsletter, produce scripts for podcasts, YouTube or you publish a blog, it’s likely you struggle sometimes to produce the volume and quality of written content you need. Here are some proven ideas to unblock your writing and make you massively more productive.
I hope you find it useful.
People who struggle with Writer’s Block tend to fit into one of the following groups:
- Some of them struggle to find things to write about. They need ideas or inspiration.
- Others know what they want to write about, but find it hard to get their thoughts on the page.
- And some people have challenges with both of the above.
Let’s take a look at those challenges and how you can overcome them.
Writer’s Block: Finding something to write about
Here’s some good news: There’s no excuse at all for business writers, who say they can’t find topics to write about.
At least there won’t be, after you know what I am about to tell you!
To uncover a limitless supply of relevant topics to write about, you simply need to do the following:
Look in online business forums or Facebook Groups and Linkedin Groups, for the most frequently asked questions from your marketplace. Then write about your answers to these common, pressing questions. Obviously, you should stick to questions related to your industry. This will provide you with countless, relevant topics.
If finding things to write about was causing your Writer’s Block, that will get you unblocked.
Writer’s Block: Finding inspiration
What if you need inspiration to write, yet you work in a small niche where there are no forums or groups discussing common problems? When this happens, we can learn a lot from artists.
Think about it: Unblocking Writer’s Block is not so simple for artists. How does a poet, storyteller or lyricist find inspiration for what to write next? Fortunately, there’s an answer. When we examine the most successful and prolific writers, we find they are driven to write by their passions. Anger, bliss, love, loss, loneliness, confusion, fear… these are all powerful subjects that have inspired writers for centuries.
When my pal Nile Rodgers and his friends were refused entry to Studio 54, they wrote a track about it. Initially called “F*#k off!”, it was later renamed “Le Freak” and became one of the biggest dance tracks in history. See below. [If you can’t see the video, click here.]
Focus on the things about your business, which you are most passionate about. A great place to start is to look at the problems that your product or service solves for your customers. For example, if you save them money, save them time, help them be more productive, make them healthier or wealthier… write about it. And write with passion. Regularly!
Tip: You don’t wait for inspiration to arrive. You command it to appear!
Writer’s Block: Getting your words “out there”
Some people fear what will happen when they share or publish their work. They often disguise this fear by calling themselves perfectionists. All perfectionism is rooted in fear. Fear of criticism, to be precise.
This fear leaves them seeking a perfect scenario; where everyone likes what they produce and no one criticises it. Because this balance is impossible to achieve, they produce nothing or play it safe and produce nothing worth reading. That’s what causes their Writer’s Block.
Thankfully, there’s a way around this too. Those who fear criticism need to start by accepting that nothing of value is universally liked. They need to understand that as creators, they have a decision to make.
Here’s the decision: They can either be criticised or they can be ignored. And in business, being ignored is not a viable option. The most successful business owners have learned to dance with criticism. They can’t ignore it, but they know it’s an inevitable part of being successful; both as a writer and business owner.
For example, most people do not own an iPhone. They don’t watch the number 1 TV show and haven’t bought this year’s number 1 bestselling book. All of those things also have critics, who vocally dislike them. However, it doesn’t stop them from being successful. That’s because you can’t have insiders [buyers / clients / readers], without outsiders [critics].
Writer’s Block be gone!
For most people reading this, the answer is simple: To beat Writer’s Block, write about the things your marketplace wants to know and the things you’re passionate about. And do it regularly. What you will find is that the more you write, the better you become and the easier it gets.
Yes, if you’re doing it right you will be criticised. So embrace criticism as an indicator that you’re on the right track and that people are noticing you. When you see criticism this way, it becomes something you welcome, rather than something you strive to avoid. This also makes writing a great deal easier.
I hope you find these ideas useful. More importantly, I hope they inspire you to get writing and overcome Writer’s Block.