The irony of writing this post is that I’m experiencing writer’s block at this very moment. I know what I want to write about, but I can’t seem to find the words to get started.
All professional writers experience this during their career, and most will experience it regularly. Sometimes it’s more challenging to write for certain clients, topics, and industries than it is to write for others. These are my 4 tips for beating writer’s block:
- Do Your Homework. It’s easier for me to write when I have a plethora of information at my fingertips to source and draw inspiration from. The more I research and the better informed I am, the more likely it is that I’ll be able to write.
- Get Organized. I habitually list the key details of each thing I write in the header so I can refer back to them while I’m working. Usually I put what I’m writing for (publication, website copy, advertorial, etc.), who my target audience is, and what my deadline is. If I get stuck with on a paragraph or particular word choice, I refer back to the basics – who, what and where – to spark creativity, keep me on message and ensure I meet the purpose of the piece.
- Write Out of Order. The more seasoned I become, the more I rely on this strategy. As a young, obsessively organized writer, it felt wrong to write a body paragraph prior to the introduction. But by starting with something that’s easy to write, I quickly find my voice and rhythm. As I continue to develop my writing skills, I see this can be a very valuable way to circumvent writer’s block and create a powerful introduction that aligns with the meat of my work. One note on this tactic, I find it’s most effective when I am following an outline so I don’t go off on tangents.
- Write Something Else. In the agency world, there is always something else that needs to be done and I would often complete unrelated tasks to “warm up” for a large writing project. At worst, this means cleaning my office and organizing my desk, but at best this means editing something I’d previously written, responding to emails, coordinating logistics, or even writing an easy press release or pitch. Of course, it’s not always feasible to employ this strategy due to deadlines or workload, and there is a very fine line between writing something else and procrastinating.