Successful Blog

Overcoming Writer’s Block: How to Just Start Writing

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Snoopy always started with the infamous phrase, “it was a dark and stormy night.” Perched at a typewriter on top of his iconic doghouse, he never had a blank page.

However, for most of us, that blank page looms every once in a while. You’re writing copy on a deadline, you’re embarking on your own book project, or even writing a blog post like this one, and your brain refuses to communicate words to your fingers. Writer’s block has smacked you in the face. What do you do?

This article will offer some fresh ideas to help you overcome writer’s block and start writing.

Do most of the work before you sit down.

Your brain is a wondrous tool, and it can work out problems best when you’re not actively thinking about them. According to a Carnegie Mellon research project, having a “distractor task” actually helps your brain solve the primary problem. If you’re trying to write on a specific subject, looking for a hook or theme, discipline yourself to think about the assignment before you go to bed (or before you jump in the shower). Then go about your business. If your mind rolls over the assignment, let it, but don’t fixate. Using this method, half of your writing could be done before you type a word!

Take care of the first sentence.

Like Snoopy, you could use a jumping off point that takes the edge off of that empty space. You can even use “it was a dark and stormy night” if you like. Or go to your bookshelf and “borrow” an interesting first sentence (just be sure to replace it once your writer’s block is resolved). Sometimes having the first sentence out of the way is all you need to get going. Another idea is to use an overheard sentence as your creative spark. After all, many of us do our best writing in a coffee shop, right?

You must also develop a system for jotting down those brilliant thoughts when they occur to you (regardless of whether they’re immediately usable). Use Evernote, a paper journal, or your phone’s Notes app to retain phrases, sentences, or topics that inevitably assail you as soon as you’re not trying to write.They can then become jump-off points for your next writing session. I often have 3 or 4 articles in progress at any time, and I use Google docs to organize and flesh out these “article stubs.”

Read more.

I know, you don’t have time to read because you’re on a deadline. However, the more widely you read, the more you’re feeding your mind. Make time to read long- and short-form articles, novels, poetry, and classics, on lots of subjects. One good source of literary suggestions is the Brain Pickings blog and newsletter, which often surfaces writing I would have otherwise missed. Then, take that inspiration and use it to write your own classic.

Try a change of scenery or equipment.

Just like an insomniac shouldn’t toss and turn in bed, the blocked writer shouldn’t force herself to sit at the computer screen waiting for an idea. If you typically write at your kitchen table, try going out to a coffee shop. Stuck at home? Listen to coffitivity while you work.

If you always write longhand, try using a computer instead. You need to drastically disrupt the blocked pattern, so do something out of the box. Take your laptop to the beach, record some voice notes, switch up the music you are listening to (or turn off the music completely).

Another way to approach this disruption technique is to change the format of what you’re writing. If it’s supposed to be a blog post, try developing it as a video instead. If it’s a report of some kind, consider creating it as a slide deck. Often we get trapped in writer’s block because the expected structure is too constricting.

Read (and practice) “the Artist’s Way.”

There’s a reason why Julia Cameron’s book has been a global phenomenon for the last 25+ years. One of the key practices outlined in the book is the “morning pages,” three longhand written pages of freeform writing. This is not a journal or a diary, it is intended to be a “mind-decluttering” project. It will teach you to stop censoring your thoughts, which flow to your writing. This self-censoring is yet another reason we get “writer’s block.”. We think “it won’t be good enough,” “I don’t have anything to say,” or “my ideas aren’t special.” Committing to the morning pages routine will help you get out of your own way and get the words flowing again.

For the blocked writer, the most important thing is to stop the mental processes that cause the block itself. Since every person is unique, the solution to each person’s block will be unique as well. Try each of the ideas above, and one of them just may help you get momentum and complete your writing project.

Please share your own ideas in the comments as well!

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who is CEO of Narrative, a new social content platform where the members are in charge.  You can find Rosemary on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Featured image: Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

Freelance Writing – Guide to Inspiration

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Freelance inspiration

By Jessy Troy

 

I have spent several years in the wonderful, strange world of freelance writing. While it is a blessing in many ways, it can also have a downside. Mainly trying to maintain inspiration and motivation when writing for such a large number of publications. From magazines to newspapers to webmasters, there are so many projects that can sap your time and energy.

Because the topics are always the same, and they are almost always on subjects you have to come up with, it can be difficult to get that spark of artistic genius that leads to a successful, interesting article.

While common sense would dictate that taking a hiatus to clear the mind would be the way to go, such as with novelists, that isn’t an option for the freelance writer. This is the job and if you don’t do it you don’t get paid.

But all is not lost, whatever despair you may feel. Keep this list of ways to keep your creative juices flowing, to look at whenever you find yourself stuck.

Freelance Writing, a Guide to Getting Inspired

  • Get away from your computer and do something relaxing, such as go for a walk, get a cup of coffee or take a long shower or bath.
  • Move on to something else for a while and go back once you feel more clearheaded.
  • Ask someone’s opinion. This can be anonymously on the web, or from someone that you know personally. Just make sure all direct quotes are properly credited.
  • Find sources on a topic. You should obviously never copy these sources, but using them for ideas can be a great way to bump start the brain.
  • Go back to old ideas. Remember that article you were thinking of writing three months ago that ended up as a hastily written sticky note pressed to the side of a filing cabinet? It might be time to get on it.
  • Check out some local places and see if anything strikes you as interesting. Maybe speak to a local business owner about the latest news, or ask around about any interesting developments in your area.
  • Get a community calendar or join a website with a local community focus. This will often show you upcoming benchmarks in time for your city, state or county. Take some time to research an upcoming anniversary such as when your area was founded, and write something interesting and educational to commemorate it.
  • Check out sites that host press releases, especially those about trending topics.
  • Use real time search engines to see what people are speaking about right now, to see if there is anything interesting you could look into.
  • Use your own life. For example, I am a writer and I frequently struggle with trying to come up with ideas for articles when I have been writing all week. I am now writing an article to discuss that, and to give other writers the benefit of my brainstorm on the subject.
  • Write an article based on a numbered list. For example: Five Ways to Get That Summer Look in November.
  • Ask for help: There is a free community for people to brainstorm together!
  • Go out for a night on the town with no set plan of what you are going to do, in an area you don’t know. Ditch the car so you can walk around and learn about new restaurants, movie theaters, galleries, cafes, etc.
  • Find a client or publication that is looking for a specific topic to be researched and written about.
  • Get writing! You will be amazed at what can come from a stream of consciousness.

How do you keep yourself elevated and inspired? Please share your tips!

Author’s Bio: Jessy Troy is a creative writer and editor at Social Media Sun. She Tweets as @JessyTroy.

Blog (a verb)

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By Lisa D. Jenkins

“Others may be talking about the same thing, but they aren’t talking about it with your voice.”

How many times have you heard this when people are encouraging you to blog?

A lot? If you’re like me, it’s a lot.

Here’s how it happens in my head:

  • I have a thought about something timely.
  • My brain takes a walk along that thought path and reaches a conclusion.
  • I consider blogging about it and then I think there’s no need to write what everyone else has already published.

Why clutter up the internet, right?

fly with a tiny microphone

Now, the Husband doesn’t do work that’s remotely related to mine. In fact, his sole concession to getting anywhere near what I do for a living was to open a Facebook account six months ago – and we’ve been together for almost 8 years.

So you can imagine my surprise when he was sitting next to me last week and started asking informed questions about big data, segmenting, conversions and other magical things that make my nerd heart sing.

He was reading a blog – a blog I love. He continued to read through that blog for a number of days. Clicking ever deeper into the content and looking at me every so often like I was a supernatural being because these were things I not only knew but used. He asked questions, I answered and that went on for a while, so I pointed him toward three more blogs that feature similar content. These blogs are also on my not-to-be-missed roll.

Aaaaand here’s how the lesson of the opening statement from this post was driven almost painfully home for me.

He read a couple of posts from each of the new blogs and dove right back into the first one. Why? Because the voice, style and format of the first blog made the content easier for him to consume and relate to.

Hmmmm.

It’s almost like all those people who’ve come before me – those people I look to for guidance and advice – know a little something about this world of online business. Weird.

Now, I’m open about not blogging for myself. But I don’t for a second advocate that strategy for you – partly because I don’t know you and your business. And partly because it’s almost a given that the people who will love what you do need to hear what you do, and why you do it, from you. In your voice.

So lay it out there. Write what you’re thinking. Write about what you do. Write about the tools you use. Write about how you solve people’s problems. Let people read you. Blog.

Author’s Bio: Lisa D. Jenkins is a Public Relations professional specializing in Social and Digital Communications for businesses. She has over a decade of experience and work most often with destination organizations or businesses in the travel and tourism industry in the Pacific Northwest. Connect with her on Google+
Photo Credit: Adam N. Ward via Compfight cc

Words matter

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Boilerplate kills kittens.

Early in my career, I worked as a technical writer for a large government contractor. The GPO Manual was our ultimate arbiter of word choice, I learned to spell “judgment” without a second “e,” and we relied heavily on giant chunks of pre-written text.

I was a “writer,” but one who was having her soul slowly crushed under the weight of government regulations.

orwell movie

Those formative experiences gave me an intense interest in how words are applied. How just the right word can make or break a relationship, a transaction, a pitch.

Leaders use powerful words. Entrepreneurs must have an arsenal of persuasive words in their stockpiles. Business builders need to project clarity (so let’s ditch the jargon).

When you answer the same questions over and over again, it can be tempting to fall back on key phrases. Same thing when you assume the “corporate” mantle in an email or a phone call.

“We deeply regret the inconvenience.”

See that? A kitten just keeled over.

Would the customer feel better if you simply said, “I’m so sorry”? Yes.

My challenge to you today is to catch yourself using these worn out words. Give a fresh eye to the way you talk to your customers, partners, and colleagues.

On your website, do you ask your customers to “submit a ticket” when they have a problem? Could you change that to “ask for help”?

Do you constantly use the Royal “we” when you’re talking to customers? Stop doing that. You’re not the Queen of England.

Sprinkle some surprise into your conversation, whether it’s online or in person. Humans love surprises.

Communication shouldn’t be complicated. It should just be genuine and simple, with the humility and understanding that we’re all multi-dimensional humans, everyone of which has spent time in both the dark and delightful parts of life. -Bryan Kramer, author of “Human to Human“

We can’t let ourselves be subsumed by our robot overlords yet. Their faux-human handwriting is getting better and better, but they’re not quite there yet.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Photo Credit: David Blackwell. via Compfight cc

Proven Ways to Make People Read Your Content

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By Katherine Crayon

You have created the blog of your dreams. You regularly update it with valuable content. Everything is perfect. Except…

Except the readers don’t come.

Cat typing on laptop

No comments, only a handful of shares and tweets — and that’s all. What went wrong? Think you need to perfect your writing skills? Actually, it’s not about the way you write. It’s all about the way you promote your content.

The web is flooded with thousands of recommendations on how to attract users to your website.

It’s important.
It matters.

The Internet was created to let you share your thoughts with millions of other people — it’s meaningless if they don’t read them. That’s why today we’ll concentrate on the ways to get people to actually read your content.

If you think that stuffing your posts with keywords and optimizing them for search engines will draw armies of followers to your resource, you are mistaken. Your blog will undoubtedly rank higher in search results, but will people come back?

The way people perceive your blog posts should be your highest concern. Combine catchy writing, impressive design and some basic ways of promoting content (described in this article).

Success will follow.

Written vs Visual Content

There is a general misconception that people ignore online content. They do read it. However, the way they perceive online data has changed a lot. Content marketing has generally revolved around written data, though more recently, visual content has greater appeal.

Modern users prefer skimming to reading. In order to make them actually read your post, you have to grab their attention (with a relevant image, video, infographic, etc.).

Statistics show that blog posts featuring at least one image are more popular among web users, which results in more shares.

Relevance

Will you read a post on a topic you’re not interested in? Most likely, you will scan the article and leave. As a rule, people surf the web searching for content that meets the basic criteria of relevance:

  • Publish content that coincides with the current time and season. For instance, will you read about Christmas on July 4th? Do you find it relevant posting about winter vacations in summer? Relevance has its own chronological order.
  • Consider your readers. You will hardly be able to attract artistic people to a chemistry blog. Each web resource has its own audience. Working on your blog, think about the target user who will most likely enjoy your content. Specializing on something particular will help you look like a pro and build trust with ease.

Skimming

Users will scan your posts first to decide whether the content before them is relevant. If they come up with some points that look relevant, people will likely stay and read the entire post word-by-word. How to organize content in such a way that users will easily find exactly what they need?

Here are several points to consider:

  • Headlines are the first thing people will pay attention to. The more relevant and to the point they sound, the more likely it is that readers will come — and stay.
  • Subheads help give users a quick overview of the things you discuss in the post. Once again, if they find these relevant, chances are they will read till the end.
  • Text formatting helps to highlight the content you want to draw skimmers’ eye to. Remember that highlighting too much content in bold or italics will equal highlighting nothing. Put emphasis on the key points so that users will quickly pick them out.
  • If skimmers find your headlines and subheads relevant, they will move to bullet points and numbered lists that will help them with decision-making.

Let People Choose

Readers’ tastes differ, so if you want them to keep returning to your blog, you should provide them with several forms of content to choose from.

We have already found out that people are more attracted by visual rather than written data. However, there are many web users who prefer reading detailed posts word-by-word, without missing a single thought.

Try to publish different forms of content through multiple channels and see what works best. Diversify your content marketing with images, videos, and infographics to let people choose what they want. And don’t forget to make all of your content look good no matter what device is used.

Post Regularly

Publishing content on a regular basis will make people come back. Though it requires significant and sustained effort, this is a proven way to build up a following. Whether you are posting 10 articles a day, three posts a week or simply update your blog with something new once a month, doing this consistently will increase traffic to your blog.

Leverage Social Media

With so many users learning about the latest news and valuable information in social media, including ‘Share on Facebook’ and ‘Tweet This’ buttons will make it much easier for your readers to spread posts online and draw new visitors to your blog. The easier you make sharing data, the more likely people are to do so.

It doesn’t require much time and effort to add social share buttons to your site. Make this one-time investment and you will reap great rewards.

Communication

Communication always matters. Make sure you respond to all of the comments left on your blog. Your readers put an effort into leaving their feedback under your post, so don’t miss an opportunity to show how much you value this. Communicating with people on your blog, leaving comments on other web resources, as well as participating in discussions on social media platforms – all this combined will show how much you care.

Final Words

When it comes to content marketing, always write with personality.

Engage your readers by sharing interesting posts on a regular basis and starting a debate online. Keep the writing short and sweet, and never forget to refresh it with some relevant photo or video content.

Are you an experienced blogger or just plan to start your web resource? Which of the aforementioned techniques do your find effective? Maybe you know some other proven ways of how to blog effectively. Share with us in the comments below.

Author’s Bio:Katherine Crayon is a copywriter with a fresh voice, reporting on tech news and all aspects of the web design industry. Meet her in person on Google+.

Photo Credit: atomicshark via Compfight cc

How To Finish What You Start

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By Gary Dek

How many times have you started writing a story or article only to stop halfway through and not finish it? If your answer is at least one, then you are like a lot of writers out there who spend their time beginning a piece of work, only to lose motivation and not finish what was started. I know I have at least a dozen half-written posts saved in the “Draft” folder of WordPress.

Creative inspiration is not the problem; staying productive and finishing what you start is. Fortunately, that can be fixed with a few strategies and conscious steps. The following steps will give you some tools to help you learn how to accomplish the task and make a habit of finishing projects before moving on to new ones.

finishing

Resist Embarking On New Endeavors

One reason why writers never finish anything is because they are constantly starting new projects before they have completed the previous ones. I like to call this “Work ADD” because I enjoy the adventure and challenge of working on new projects.

A couple years ago, I would start a new website every couple of months. I would literally design and develop a website then write and edit unique content over the course of one weekend. While you may think I “finished” the project, the most crucial part of starting any blog/site is promotion. I just didn’t do any of that, and that rendered my efforts a waste of time.

Restrain yourself from this compulsion and stay focused. When you come up with a fresh idea, jot down a few notes for reference and come back to it when you are ready to fully explore the opportunity. A few bullet points should help to jog your memory when the time comes.

Take Stock of Your Current Projects

It is time to review what on-going projects you have and determine if any of them are actually worth finishing. Maybe that editorial you started a year ago isn’t relevant anymore. Make a list of the ones you really want to keep, prioritize them in order of importance and work on them one at a time, checking off each as you go.

Don’t worry about how long it takes; after all, you’ve already invested the time to start and that’s a sunk cost. You might as well finish the project and recoup a portion of your invested time, assuming there is still value in its completion.

No matter how important that memoir seemed ten years ago, it might not have the same importance today. It may be time to let it go.

How To Assess Incomplete Projects

Divide your projects into three folders:

  • Projects that evoke enthusiasm and fit with your current goals.
  • Projects that you need to move on from, even if you are unsure.
  • Projects that you are not actively inspired to finish now, but that you might want to revisit another time.

This doesn’t mean pile everything into categories 1 and 3. Be objective and honest with yourself. It will definitely help unclutter your mind, goals, and work area.

Pick A Project and Stick With It

Take a look at the folder containing the projects you are excited about right now. Pick one of them and do not look at another until it is done. Whether it’s a blog, freelance gig, eBook, or another obligation, this project is going to be your primary focus.

So, how do you choose which item on your to-do list deserves all your energy?

Do you start with the:

  • simplest project: If you have a short story you are working on, you might want to finish it before you work on that novel.
  • longest-running project: If you’ve been working on a blog for 5 years and it has the most loyal following, do you keep up the momentum?
  • project you’re most invested in: If you are already a professional writer and the work you have left unfinished is guaranteed to bring in some much needed cash, it provides a better return on investment to satisfy your existing client obligations.

Have A Clear Vision of What The Finished Product Should Look Like

This may seem like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many writers or online entrepreneurs dive into a project without any idea of where they are going with it. We are all guilty of this kind of “we’ll see what happens” kind of thinking, but ultimately, without a destination, your journey will take you nowhere.

Instead, make a list of what you think constitutes a finished product. For example, if you are writing a blog post, there are specific points you need to hit before you can say it is complete. This might mean:

  • your article has a start, middle and end.
  • your article is at least 1,000 words and proofread.
  • you’ve gotten feedback from your editor, revised the post, and it is now ready for publication.

In your personal or professional life, pinpointing clear goals can ensure every little step you take brings you closer to achieving them.

Set Your Goals

You know how some people keep a “bucket list” of things they would like to do before they die? Well, you should keep a similar kind of list that consists of your business goals. For example, starting a blog could be one small goal because it’s easy – it can be achieved in an afternoon. The real goal should be to attract 10,000 visitors a month to that blog within the first year.

However, don’t set yourself up for defeat by outlining impossible goals. Deciding that you want to sell your first blog for a million dollars after a year is not realistic, especially if you are a new blogger.

Create a list of milestones with deadlines to keep yourself accountable, such as:

  • writing a page a day for a month
  • completing a detailed outline for your short story
  • writing a short screenplay
  • getting 10 posts completed before launching your blog

Pick 5 to 10 goals and put them on your calendar. Keep the list somewhere you will see it daily for inspiration.

Stay Motivated

Regardless of whether you use a free blogging site to write for therapeutic reasons, with the hopes of becoming a published author, or simply because freelance writing pays the bills and offers the flexibility to be with your kids during the day, you need to learn how to keep the momentum going and stay motivated long enough to actually bring your great ideas to fruition. Hopefully these steps will help you learn how to finish what you start.

What’s your top priority right now?

Author’s Bio: Author Bio: Gary Dek is the blogger behind StartABlog123.com and Gajizmo.com. He offers small businesses and entrepreneurs SEO advice ranging from keyword density research to recovering from Panda/Penguin updates to promoting their blogs and growing traffic.

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