Beating the Blogger’s Writer’s Block Blues
You drag yourself toward your computer. You dread so deeply having to dredge up some topic-any topic-for your blog. You know how important it is, but you just can’t think of anything to say.
The harder you try, the harder it becomes. What can you do to beat the blogger’s writer’s block blues?
Breathe
An obvious step that seems almost trite, taking a few deep, relaxed breaths actually can help. Tension and aggravation dissipate, and the pressure to find an interesting but related topic lessens. When blockage pressure lessens, writing flow can improve.
That’s it. In through the nose and out through the mouth. Repeat as necessary but don’t pass out. That would defeat the purpose, don’t you think?
Move
If breathing exercises didn’t quite unblock the mental writer’s cramp, try easing into some stretches. Taking a short stroll can help as well. Relaxing muscles and improving blood flow can energize not just the body but the mind as well.
Word Games
Play some word games with yourself. A one-player game of Scrabble exercises not only the science of word structure but also stimulates the creative side of the brain. Both elements are required to write anything, and unlocking both in a non-pressured way can only help.
Writing Exercises
To keep the focus on content relative to your blog, choose a random post from the past. Skim it. Then minimize the window and open a blank document. Rewrite the blog not from memory but as if it were new. You are ‘remembering’ how to write a blog entry, even if it’s not new content.
Topic Angle List
Review your prior posts. Make a list of the topic points you have already covered. Then turn the page over and write down anything and everything that you can even loosely associate with the topic, regardless of how ridiculous the entries might seem to someone else. If the item merely sounds like something associated with your topic, it counts. Write it down.
Once you finish your list, compare what you’ve already written on the blog with the possible topic list you devised. What grabs your attention? What makes you think of something else that relates?
Write an introductory sentence on each item, but don’t stop at only one sentence if more comes to mind. This free association exercise is working if you’re able to keep writing at this point. Do not stop to collect anything -even your thoughts. Keep writing until it’s finished. You just effectively wrote a practice entry. You can refine it, revise it or throw it away, but you have successfully broken at least part of your writer’s block. Continue the exercise until you complete a piece that you like.
If All Else Fails
Write something completely unrelated. Write yourself a letter. Write an email. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Write a nonsensical poem or a love note to the person on whom you had a crush in the third grade. Just write-something. Then write something else. Then return to the topic item list and write about something there again.
Make a new list and do it all over again.
Take a break and breathe. Then start writing again.
Summary
The key to overcoming writing block of any kind is to write. Write about anything. Start by writing things that are related to your blog topic. Branch outward into unrelated topics. Eventually, the writer’s block will dissipate, and you can focus once again on writing your blog. Odds are, what you write after a writer’s block can realistically be one of the better pieces for quite some time. You’ve re-stimulated every mental pathway that leads to your blog, and you may have even opened up a few that weren’t there previously.
About the Author
JC Ryan is a freelance writer for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers helps people determine if an online education is right for them and helps them understand which online colleges and online courses they can choose from to reach their goals, including earning an online bachelor’s or master’s degree, or even an online PhD.
