Beating writer's block

by WF- Enzo Administrator
17 replies
Okay so I have a personal blog which has been, well, bare for about two years now. Back in its heyday, I'd write tons of stuff about edutech but now I'm in a point where even coming up with a title becomes like an endless game of chess. So yes, I have writer's block.

Recently I tried writing with coffee, even some beer, to no avail.

How do you deal with it? Do you do motivational mantras and stuff? Any insights or advice?
#beating #block #writer
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  • Profile picture of the author marketerect
    Go for a walk.
    Eliminate distractions (I use Ommwriter to focus on just writing).
    Do something to get your blood flowing. (I like running.)
    Play. (My personal preference is LEGOS.)
    Change your environment.
    Read a book.
    Freewrite.
    Listen to music (try classical or jazz to mix it up).
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  • Profile picture of the author IGotMine
    Recently I tried writing with coffee, even some beer, to no avail.
    Prodigious quantities of High-Quality herb! Very inspiring!
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  • Profile picture of the author ElmerNichols
    I understand you very much, I also have a blog and I also can't write a single line there for several months now. BUT! I never really wanted this. I believe that all the fault is my lack of real motivation. I think that if I really wanted to: sit down and come up with a topic, work on it for several days, pay attention to promoting the blog - everything would work out.
    I think you also just do not have enough motivation. Think it through in your head and I'm sure the article will be ready.
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  • Profile picture of the author RuskinF
    You need to stimulate your mind to start writing. You can play sports to liven yourself up.
    You can try reading in your niche field.
    You can collect information about your niche.
    Do all of this regularly for 30 days before you begin writing.
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  • Profile picture of the author dave_hermansen
    Follow as many blogs and people who write about your general niche as you possibly can. It is most easily done by subscribing to their RSS feeds and having your feed reader generate an email whenever something new is published by the blog or person. (You could also set up Google Alerts but they are not as good as subscribing to an RSS feed.)

    What they are writing about should give you plenty of ideas on what you can write about, writing about the same or similar things with your individual take.
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    • Profile picture of the author DABK
      Do this looking for things you strongly agree or disagree with. Once you find one, answer the statement you feel so strongly about. It is easy when emotions move you.

      Also, look on forums , find the same.

      Also, look through magazines. Often, just a title can get you going.

      Originally Posted by dave_hermansen View Post

      Follow as many blogs and people who write about your general niche as you possibly can. It is most easily done by subscribing to their RSS feeds and having your feed reader generate an email whenever something new is published by the blog or person. (You could also set up Google Alerts but they are not as good as subscribing to an RSS feed.)

      What they are writing about should give you plenty of ideas on what you can write about, writing about the same or similar things with your individual take.
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  • Profile picture of the author TrafficFlow
    Outsource the articles to affordable writers and then spend your time editing the content.
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  • I've found that exercise helps to clear and stimulate the mind. I've found that I'm more productive (and can write better) after going for a long bike ride. Also, getting enough hours of sleep and eating healthy is very important. A tired mind cannot function properly.
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  • Profile picture of the author DomMitton
    This sounds too generic, but I just start writing.

    I'll start writing things like: "I'm sitting in my comfortable black chair and looking at the glass of water that's in front of me. It's looking at me and teasing me to taste her one more time... (this is the stupidest thing I could come up with right now lol)"

    Somehow after that, I just start writing on the subject I wanted to... And I don't care if it's good or bad, it's just my first draft.

    It works for me and I hope it will for you too
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  • Profile picture of the author WVolpe3
    Do you watch movies in your niche and listen/read others in your field?
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  • Profile picture of the author shawnlebrun
    Check out "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield.

    Good book, HIGHLY recommended by writers.

    In a nutshell... he says to just "sit your a** down and write. Soon enough, the
    words will start flowing".
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  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    I used to subscribe to several paid newsletters in my broad niche. I kept the copies as resource material.

    if I ever thought I was running out of ideas, I'd just leaf through a newsletter, and several ideas would present themselves.

    I also had comments and questions on my blog, and any question being asked was a rich topic for another article.
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  • Profile picture of the author Odahh
    Originally Posted by WF- Enzo View Post

    Okay so I have a personal blog which has been, well, bare for about two years now. Back in its heyday, I'd write tons of stuff about edutech but now I'm in a point where even coming up with a title becomes like an endless game of chess. So yes, I have writer's block.

    Recently I tried writing with coffee, even some beer, to no avail.

    How do you deal with it? Do you do motivational mantras and stuff? Any insights or advice?
    You have not written in the blog in two years . How has this negatively impacted your life .

    Have you lost income or hurt relationships . Did you move on to other interests besides the blog.

    Did the people who used to read even bother asking why you stoped .

    Maybe you do not have writer's block .maybe the reason you where writing the blog did not pan out and you moved on .
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  • Profile picture of the author rkahn
    Light exercise surely helps in situations like these. Go for a 15-minute walk and take your mind off of work. Meditation may also help in improving focus.
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  • Best pharma you got is your bloodstream, and sumtimes when you gotta write stuff, it says ... NAH.

    So I figure intrinsic excitement gotta play a part here bcs we get bored, even with our favorites.

    We know also how excitement don't factor on occasions, like when deadlines loom like the specters of unforgivin' ancestors who HATE YOUR HAIRDO.

    Ultimately, there is only 1 ansa ...

    Pay me top dollah to save your ass!

    ... an' that is to write sumthin', anythin' -- roped in from outta a prompt if need be.

    That way, at least you stop the process of NAHT writin' -- an' all the self-stymyin' thoughts that go with it.

    Yeah, cos now you got proof you ascended from bein' a total loser to sumone who writes crap.

    That's a step up, people.

    An' after 5 minutes of crap, you may have sumthin' less crap.

    From here, you could find yourself morphin' into a contemparary equivalent of any literary giant from down the years.

    Chaucer. Emerson. Kern.

    Hey -- whatevah your style, you pickin' up speed after jus' 20 minutes!

    Best deal always is nevah to rehearse what don't work.

    An' far as writin' goes, naht writin' don't work.

    Like Thoreau said, "stasis contrives to deprive us of our spirits. A soul strung out in intellectual torpor has no more to contribute to the world's prosperity than do the tentacles of an octopus slaughtered for its ink."
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    Lightin' fuses is for blowin' stuff togethah.

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  • Don't know about others, but doing something completely random and opposite, such as cleaning the house, laundry, cooking etc. clears my head a lot and ideas and thoughts sorta start coming in themselves.
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  • Profile picture of the author IMWealthMogul
    What works for me is committing to myself to write for 5 minutes straight anything that comes to mind, then in 5 minutes re-evaluate and either commit to another 5 minutes or quit.

    The only thing that is going to cure writers block is to start writing, so use this trick to get yourself going.

    The idea of 5 minutes is the trick, because you know you can do anything for 5 minutes.

    What happens to me is, I might write for 5 minutes a few times and quit, but on the third or fourth time I'll commit to another 5 minutes then another, and next thing you know I've got 2k words down on the page!
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