Eliminate Blogger’s Block With 1 Easy Step
by Sean Platt on March 2, 2009
in blogging
Writers may get writers block, but I believe bloggers block is something a bit different. I doubt there’s a blogger alive who has never faced it. The looming post that needs to be published with no clue what we could possibly write about. I can always think of something to write and I can’t honestly say that writer’s block has ever been a problem. However, having to focus on the specificity of a particular topic is sometimes a bit confining and I’m never too eager to on sit in front of the computer, fingers hovering over the keys while I wait for inspiration to drown the blank page.
I loathe to feel my minutes melting. For me, learning to eliminate this needless struggle has been one of the biggest boons to my blogging so far.
Whether you are blogging with just a single posting from within a narrow niche, or writing in several places on topics from paint chips to potato chips, keeping a few things in mind while you go about your normal online duties can help you stave off frustrating, idle moments.
Whether you utilize a pen and paper notebook or a digital diary on your desktop, you should have a consistent place to jot down ideas for any future posts as soon as they sail across your subconscious. This can be as simple as a single sentence or as involved as an elaborate outline, but the key is to jot down any thoughts that will trigger your brain to to the sequence of thoughts you were having back in that moment.
Another strategy that helps me complete such a copious quantity of writing is working in an environment outside of the WordPress dashboard. Of course, I write a lot of content from within the dash, but I also copy and paste from my own notes fairly often. The primary drawback of the WordPress dashboard is that you must be online in order to write. Sometimes this isn’t possible, and even when it is, the cumbersome nature and occasionally lengthy load times are more than enough to add hinder to your flow.
Be comfortable writing from within any environment and you will find proof that your productivity can prosper.
Regardless of your strategy, you don’t want to allow your ideas escape. Our minds are fertile fields and we must nurture its steady crop of ideas. This isn’t the turn of the twentieth century. We don’t need to edit by hand and getting our ideas out is as simple as the click of a button. There have never been more tools available. The trick is to find those tools that work best for you and then add them to an always available tool box able to hand you a steady stream of ideas that help keep both your productivity and creativity dancing.
Sean
Sean Platt is a dad and freelance writer. Subscribe to his feed or follow him on Twitter.
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I used to fall into the trap of forcing myself to keep writing in a series even after I had lost interest in it. I felt I owed it to my readers to finish it if I started it. Solution? No more series.
I just got back from my first vacation away from my blog, during which time I seriously considered stopping blogging altogether. However, I realized all I had to do was stick to what interests me at any given time and no more promises of series, specific topics, or anything like that in the future. So, I started writing new posts to save in the queue with that in mind and … whoa, Nelly! I managed to queue up posts me all queued up to May! For me, sticking to what excites me is working like gangbusters. Of course, I understand this won’t work for everybody, especially if yours is a narrow niche.
Shanel Yang’s last blog post..450 Hate Quotes
I found a mix of online and offline tools to work best for me. If I’m at the computer and the muse strikes I usually go straight to the WP dashboard as I inevitably already have it open in a Firefox tab.
Speaking of Wordpress does anyone make use of the Press This bookmarklet available from the Tools page of the Dashboard? It’s another handy item for your toolbox.
There are also some great Firefox plugins which make starting a new blog post as easy as a right click of the mouse. I highly recommend Scribefire.
As for when the computer is switched off or otherwise out of reach I rely on the trusty pen and paper. I’ve written quite a few posts based off notes I’ve jotted on a pad of paper including the (shameless plug warning!) Phantom of the Opera Guide to Writing
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I usually write any notes in Evernote. I just jott down any ideas or parts of what could be a post and leave it at that. I then have a number of ideas which I flesh out over time. It is very rare that I can write a post all in one go (I am pretty new to this). The good thing about using a tool like Evernote, I can access the same note wether I am in the office or at home.
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@Garry My advice: Don’t even attempt to write a post all in one go. It will just stifle your creativity.
Just note down whatever comes to mind or just enough to re-spark that idea if you are short on time. Leave the composing and editing until later.
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where do you find the notebook with movable dividers?? i have one and loved it and can’t find another!
Shanel: MAY!?!?! Wow, you are way ahead of me. I did spend last week clearing March of all my little niche sites so I only have to write for the big dogs now, but May? Not even close. You are a machine. Congratulations.
Marc: I haven’t used that. Sounds cool (Press This). I’ll have to try it out. Scribefire too. I’m starting to write with pen and paper more and more. There’s something natural about it that can’t be replicated as much as I love my Macbook. It’s really true with my to do lists. I really like Task Paper and a few other note taking apps, even just Text Edit works for me, but I find that making a list on paper with a clean black line when the task is done, that’s about as clean and clear as it gets.
Gary: I keep hearing about Evernote. I really should give it a chance; sounds like it might just bring everything together. I also agree with Marc, just write what comes fluidly and fill in the blanks later. You DO want things to feel natural or it won’t be any fun.
If I didn’t record my gems when they sailed across my subconscious I’d be in a lot of trouble.
If you’re a writer and you don’t travel with a notepad everywhere you go, you might as well not get dressed in the morning.
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Bamboo: It’s true. I’d be more comfortable without pants.
I have a notebook that comes with five movable dividers. I jot down ideas for blog posts in one section, ideas for my coaching column articles in another, ideas for ebook and freelance articles in another and notes and quotes from books and blogs I’m currently reading in the other two.
I also find that a lot of my articles grow out of email correspondence -good old-fashioned blethering with online pals and colleagues.
It also helps me keep my writing focus that I only comment in blogs I genunely like, and when I have something constructive or supportive to say. I haven’t got to the point where I feel it’s a chore. I get the sense that a lot of bloggers are disheartened because they feel they have to do ten times more commenting, techno-learning, social networking, admin and reading others’ blogs rather than actually living a life they love so much that the blog posts just overflow.
Something that helps me avoid writer’s block is that I know my limitations when it comes to technology; the latest way to get traffic is to do loads of media posts, but I prefer writing – simple as that, so it makes prioritising my time easier. ~janice
So, I’m not a pro-blogger or anything and I mostly write when the mood strikes me. I also mostly write for my roommates since I forget whom I’ve told which pieces of news. Throwing that aside, I love to write in Windows Live Writer. It looks like my blog when I write it and I can save drafts and come back to them later. Plus you can use if offline which is really helpful when I’m traveling and wanting to write a blog.
–ed
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