Time is ticking away...
You need to come up with a great flash of inspiration and put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). Yet as much as you sit there and think of what to write, nothing comes to mind. You can't even think how to start. Instead of finding the answer to this dilemma, a question begins to loom:
Do you give this week a miss, or do you risk writing something that's sub-standard?
First of all, let's get rid of this myth that everything you write is going to be top shelf reading material. Nobody produces stuff of greatness every time.
After all- Ford rolled out the Edsel...
Sony kept their Betamax technology in-house and ended up losing out big to rival companies...
Steven Spielberg has directed flops...
Michael Jordan missed his share of attempted dunks and free throws in his career...
So get rid of this perfectionist attitude.
Stop trying to force an idea out!
The solutions I'm going to suggest aren't 100% guaranteed, but they definitely boost your chance at finding something to write about in time to make your deadline. So don't be afraid to give them a shot:
#1. Exercise.
Put down your exercise book. Send your computer to sleep. Get up and head out for a walk. Saddle up for a bike ride. Grab your board and hit the surf. Instead of being cooped up with your mental anguish and cabin fever increasing, get out there, take your mind off the task and give yourself a work-out. Afterwards, you feel relieved to come back and sit down. Plus, it's surprising just how many times THIS is when the idea zaps into your mind!
#2. Connect.
Go spend some time with your friends or your family. Have enjoyable conversation, grab a meal together and allow social stimulation to put your mind at ease. Being alone with your own thoughts can be a claustrophobic experience that kills your inspiration. Sharing thoughts, feelings and ideas with the people who bring out the best in you might just bring out your best ideas, too. It works like a 'Mastermind' group- even if you don't explicitly state that you're stuck for material to write, listening to other people's (seemingly) unrelated ideas, experiences or stories could be just the thing to bring your next attention-stopping, must-read post to life!
#3. Meditate.
No, you don't need candles and Peruvian flute music to do this one! This technique is worthwhile exploring for those who can't go outside or drop everything to spend time with people they know. There are PLENTY of methods of meditation and they don't need to be longer than 15 minutes. The important part is refreshing your mind in the same way sleep refreshes the mind. How often have you gone to bed with a problem on your at hand, and woken up with the solution? Same thing here. Take your conscious mind off the problem, let your subconscious mind seek the answer and let the magic happen once you "come back"!
#4. Affirm
I've spoken before about the power of making a decision (scribecopywriting.weebly.com/notes-from-the-scribe/-playing-railways-to-powerful-revelation-part-1, scribecopywriting.weebly.com/notes-from-the-scribe/the-moment-it-all-lit-up-to-me)
Similar to that, here is where you calm right down, and tell yourself, with full confidence "I've got a great idea what to write, I'll know what to write soon. It's ok." Back yourself, back your ability to think of your next post, go do something else and- bingo! I've used this technique before as I've sat down for exams and looked at questions where I was hazy on the answer. I keep going on with the test and then suddenly- there's the answer I was looking for. It's crazy how much comes back to me!
#5. Schedule
If you schedule time each week, fortnight or month to sit down and write your drafts, you'll do the work "behind the scenes" and ideas form. Planning ahead means that you have the goal of writing, and your mind begins to form ideas and expand on them. This does a lot of the work, before you even sit down to knock out your first draft. So, set a time!
Now, if you really want the cure for writers' block once and for all, AND consistently post content that people stop everything to read?
You want to be at my upcoming Stories That Sell- Introduction To Blogging Workshop.
There are still spots available, waiting to be taken by the rare ones with that special desire to stand out from the rest, who recognise the awesome pay-out that comes from constantly engaging new leads and existing customers with a regular, targeted blog.
So-secure your spot today- and see your writing game (and professional profile) soar to new heights!
You need to come up with a great flash of inspiration and put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). Yet as much as you sit there and think of what to write, nothing comes to mind. You can't even think how to start. Instead of finding the answer to this dilemma, a question begins to loom:
Do you give this week a miss, or do you risk writing something that's sub-standard?
First of all, let's get rid of this myth that everything you write is going to be top shelf reading material. Nobody produces stuff of greatness every time.
After all- Ford rolled out the Edsel...
Sony kept their Betamax technology in-house and ended up losing out big to rival companies...
Steven Spielberg has directed flops...
Michael Jordan missed his share of attempted dunks and free throws in his career...
So get rid of this perfectionist attitude.
Stop trying to force an idea out!
The solutions I'm going to suggest aren't 100% guaranteed, but they definitely boost your chance at finding something to write about in time to make your deadline. So don't be afraid to give them a shot:
#1. Exercise.
Put down your exercise book. Send your computer to sleep. Get up and head out for a walk. Saddle up for a bike ride. Grab your board and hit the surf. Instead of being cooped up with your mental anguish and cabin fever increasing, get out there, take your mind off the task and give yourself a work-out. Afterwards, you feel relieved to come back and sit down. Plus, it's surprising just how many times THIS is when the idea zaps into your mind!
#2. Connect.
Go spend some time with your friends or your family. Have enjoyable conversation, grab a meal together and allow social stimulation to put your mind at ease. Being alone with your own thoughts can be a claustrophobic experience that kills your inspiration. Sharing thoughts, feelings and ideas with the people who bring out the best in you might just bring out your best ideas, too. It works like a 'Mastermind' group- even if you don't explicitly state that you're stuck for material to write, listening to other people's (seemingly) unrelated ideas, experiences or stories could be just the thing to bring your next attention-stopping, must-read post to life!
#3. Meditate.
No, you don't need candles and Peruvian flute music to do this one! This technique is worthwhile exploring for those who can't go outside or drop everything to spend time with people they know. There are PLENTY of methods of meditation and they don't need to be longer than 15 minutes. The important part is refreshing your mind in the same way sleep refreshes the mind. How often have you gone to bed with a problem on your at hand, and woken up with the solution? Same thing here. Take your conscious mind off the problem, let your subconscious mind seek the answer and let the magic happen once you "come back"!
#4. Affirm
I've spoken before about the power of making a decision (scribecopywriting.weebly.com/notes-from-the-scribe/-playing-railways-to-powerful-revelation-part-1, scribecopywriting.weebly.com/notes-from-the-scribe/the-moment-it-all-lit-up-to-me)
Similar to that, here is where you calm right down, and tell yourself, with full confidence "I've got a great idea what to write, I'll know what to write soon. It's ok." Back yourself, back your ability to think of your next post, go do something else and- bingo! I've used this technique before as I've sat down for exams and looked at questions where I was hazy on the answer. I keep going on with the test and then suddenly- there's the answer I was looking for. It's crazy how much comes back to me!
#5. Schedule
If you schedule time each week, fortnight or month to sit down and write your drafts, you'll do the work "behind the scenes" and ideas form. Planning ahead means that you have the goal of writing, and your mind begins to form ideas and expand on them. This does a lot of the work, before you even sit down to knock out your first draft. So, set a time!
Now, if you really want the cure for writers' block once and for all, AND consistently post content that people stop everything to read?
You want to be at my upcoming Stories That Sell- Introduction To Blogging Workshop.
There are still spots available, waiting to be taken by the rare ones with that special desire to stand out from the rest, who recognise the awesome pay-out that comes from constantly engaging new leads and existing customers with a regular, targeted blog.
So-secure your spot today- and see your writing game (and professional profile) soar to new heights!