Are You Feeling Stuck? Well, I’ve Been There…
That’s Why I Thought I’d Share These Tips on Overcoming Writer’s Block.
Since this is something that I’ve gone through, I’m sure there are others out there experiencing the same thing.
Feeling Stuck!
Sit down to write and nothing…can’t even think of where to start. Not one idea sounds good…
Sure, maybe you’re not a freelance writer or a writer of any sort, or at least that’s what YOU think. If you have any kind of online business whether it’s affiliate marketing, selling your own products, whatever you may be doing…you still have to write on your blog or website to get your message out there.
I never thought in a million years I’d be writing anything either. Boy, was I wrong!
So, here’s what I do to get unstuck and over that writer’s block…
What to Do to Get Unstuck and Get Going Again
- Find out what’s causing the problem
- Make a plan to solve your problem
- Write out each step you need to take to fix the problem
- Take action and DO each of the steps
- Ask for help
Of course, to fix a problem you’ll need to find out what’s causing it. Is it you?
I found the biggest, sneakiest culprit sabotaging my writing…and it was me.
Do you end up procrastinating for so long to write anything that by the time you get around to it you’re too exhausted to think? Or, maybe you keep thinking you can’t write good enough and erase everything as soon as you write it…
Or, maybe you’re stuck on something that you know you should do, but keep putting it off. Maybe it’s joining some social networks or commenting on other sites, adding a video or an image to your website. ..it doesn’t always have to be writing that we avoid doing.
More than likely that’s the problem…you’re holding yourself back. You’re giving in to the fears of what if…
Whether it’s writing or not, we keep avoiding it and putting off getting it done because we’re not sure of what we’re doing and keep giving ourselves the excuse
I’ll do that once I know more…
Once you’ve found out what the cause of your problem is then make a plan to change things. Write a list of steps you can take to fix it. Do at least one step a day. The important thing is to DO something about it…quit putting it off and get it done!
You’ll be happy once you do…it’ll be done with and you won’t have to worry about doing it anymore. A lot of things I’ve found out weren’t that hard to do after all whether it’s writing about something or anything else…the worst is getting started and once you do, it gets easier.
If you don’t know what to do for certain things like the technical stuff such as adding images, videos, etc. then find out. Do some research on it and ask someone. It’s more than likely you’ll get help or at least an answer that will point you a bit further towards getting your problem solved.
There are many forums and online communities out there that will have your answers. As long as you find an active one, that is. If you find one that hasn’t had anyone commenting on there for over a month or more, I’d keep looking elsewhere. Plus, there are times maybe the answer you’ll get might not be all that helpful, so use your judgment and take your time to find the right place to ask questions.
I know of a great online community that is active 24/7. I’m a member there and I’ve found it to be the most helpful and supportive place I’ve ever seen. They’ve helped me out so much with so MANY things.
Read more about it here… my #1 recommendation.
Quit Beating Your Head on The Wall!
No, don’t give up on it, but sometimes we all need a break. Otherwise, we’ll burn out and quit for good. Feeling too frustrated and overwhelmed isn’t going to get you anywhere…I’ve found that one out myself.
Here’s What I’ve Found to Help When I’ve Been Stuck
- Take a break- go get some coffee or whatever and relax for 10 or 20 minutes
- Go do something you really enjoy doing- read, watch a movie, paint, play a game, take a nap, etc.
- Take a walk or do some exercise – walking, biking, swimming, or whatever you like. Get outdoors for awhile.
- Visit friends and family – remember that’s probably one of the reasons you want to make money from home, right? To spend more time with the people that matter to you.
- Change of scenery- get offline once in awhile and use a regular old pen and paper (remember those?) to write down ideas. It’ll cut down all of the online distractions if that’s something you have a problem with…I know I do.
- Go to a local coffee shop
- Go to the library
- Get outside and write – find a comfy place to sit and write. This is my favorite, to sit outside on our deck on a beautiful sunny day. No one to bother me, no phone ringing, no distractions like the TV with its endless chatter.
- Listen to Music – Yes, you’re reading that right…listening to music helps me focus. I find it blocks all the other distractions from getting to me. Music has always been something I enjoy, even as I was growing up I found it easier to get things done when I listened to music. I don’t really hear anything going on around me, just music. I don’t hear the traffic driving by, dogs barking outside, neighbors cutting their lawns or whatever they’re doing.
- Listen to what you like – many suggest easy listening, but if that’s not your cup of tea then listen to what you enjoy. I don’t enjoy easy listening music, so it would be pointless to listen to something I don’t like. I prefer rock & metal, but you listen to whatever you want…even if it is easy listening. Give it a try and if it works, great! If not, then do what works for you. Listening to music, no matter what kind, may not be for everyone.
Okay, that’s about it for now!
I do hope this helps you get unstuck and beat that writer’s block or whatever kind of block you’re facing. Just don’t get so frustrated you give up on your dreams of working from home and doing what you love.
Because you know where that will lead don’t you?
If you quit now, you won’t succeed. You’ll be right back where you started…and I’m sure you don’t want that, right?
Neither do I. So, give yourself a chance and if something isn’t working find out why, and how to fix it so it WILL work.
Honestly, I was stuck before I started writing this post. I found every excuse I could to NOT write for the past week or so on any of my websites or anywhere else for that matter. I had no idea what to write, so I started thinking Hey, why not write about what I’m going through…and here it is. Done.
Let me know what you think. Do you have any suggestions to add? What works for you?
Please let me know in the comment box below! I’d love to hear from you…and if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I’ll be delighted to help you out.
Hello Sherry!
I haven’t found the real writing flow yet and I’m happy to have found your post about Writer’s Block. You have a written down a lot of good tips and I see I’m not the only one struggling.
My issue is rather the writing part. I get bogged down in details and it takes me hours to decide what is relevant or not. Well, I have heard the only cure is to keep on writing and practice, practice and practice. Today I also got the tip to do an outline before starting writing. That sounds also to be a good tip to follow. So now I’m going to make a plan how to solve my writer’s block, I’ll do an outline of the article I want to write and take action.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and tips!
Pernilla
Hello Pernilla,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving such a wonderful comment! I’m delighted to hear you’ve found my post on writer’s block helpful.
I’m glad you shared your writing issues here…I’ve found myself in the same situation all too often! Like yourself, I often find myself getting way off track when writing and completely lose the point I was trying to get across…very frustrating to find out after all that writing, it’s only become a confusing mess! So, I can relate to what you’re saying here totally…
I see you mention to write an outline and I couldn’t agree more! I really need to include that here, as I’ve found it is ever so helpful to take a bit of time to first write out a simple outline. I’ve found doing so keeps my writing on track instead of wandering off to a completely different topic. I did actually mention writing an outline on another page here if you’d like to check it out on Creating Content
Anyways, thank you so much for stopping by and also for the great reminder about outlines, Pernilla! I’d love to hear how your next article turns out…stop by again anytime!
Best Wishes 🙂 ~Sherry
Hello, again Sherry!
It’s my first post on your fantastic website! I love this post because I have been struggling for last few days on my blog and can’t start writing, but what you said about music is true. I’m always inspired when I listen to music, and it has worked for me many times.
Aside from that, I have always love to write using pen and paper and jot down articles I want to write about for the next few days. I forgot about this practice, and you just reminded me of how great it can be to bloggers who want to have a change of pace, maybe even go back to previous habits. I like to list my to-do’s on a notepad, but since I have different computers – one in the office and another at home, I tend to mix them up. Also, there is certain confidential info that anyone must never put on the computer. With all these hacking and invasion of privacy issues nowadays, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Cheers! You got another loyal follower in me.
Hey there Jed!
Nice hearing from you again and thank you for such a wonderful comment!
I’m so happy to hear my suggestions here helped you start writing again…it’s a frustrating feeling when there are things we want to write, but can’t seem to get it out. I’ve found music has always helped me to focus on things much better no matter what the task whether writing, researching things, or even doing plain old every day chores around the house.
Sometimes the good old pen and paper is the route to go and I’ve found that at least starting out any post as an outline on paper has helped in the long run especially when it comes to keeping track of keywords I’ve used. I usually write down potential ones related to the topic that I’d like to use in the future. So, I find it much easier to flip through the notebook once in awhile. At least it’s easier than searching through my rather long list of saved keywords to figure out which one it was exactly I’ve already used, lol.
I agree wholeheartedly, there are some things I’d never trust having on the computer these days such as saving a password list somewhere in the computer files or out on the cloud. You just never know what could happen down the road…it certainly is better to be safe than sorry!
In fact, I never use the feature on most browsers to save your password either. Maybe a bit overboard, but I’ve never had a problem either when logging into different sites…whereas certain people I know that do use the “remember password for this site” feature have. Plus, having to type it in every time helps me to eventually remember it.
Thanks again for stopping by and inspiring me to get back to work on this again, Jed!
Best wishes ~Sherry
Hi Sherry,
I really am enjoying your site and this particular post caught me right between the eyes.
I write a bit now and again and the whole writers block thing can drive one nuts. I have tried to analyze it when it occurs but for me I find it best to walk away and try to regroup.
I have dealt with ADHD most all my life so maintaining focus is always an issue.
Like Cathy said above, procrastination can be a big hurdle, if I were to add a lot of that on top of what I already deal with I would not write a word.
Thanks again for the great post, my best,
Gary
Hi Gary,
Thank you for the kind words! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it.
Yes, I find there are times it’s best to walk away and do something else for awhile and try again later. Usually a walk or going outside for awhile helps my mind to start working again once I get back to it. Plus, I often come up with ideas while I’m doing something else, so I’ll lug a little notebook around just to jot them down…otherwise, I’ll never remember what they were once I get back.
Sometimes a change in scenery helps while you’re writing too. During the summer months here, I often take a notebook and pen and go sit outside to write down ideas. It seems this helps since I’m not getting distracted by all the other things that technology brings when using the computer such as emails and social media sites, which are often my biggest time waster.
Maintaining focus is something I really need to work on still, so I hear you there! There are soooo many things out there screaming for our attention…
Thanks again for reading and commenting! Best wishes 🙂 Sherry
Procrastination is my biggest hurdle (and enemy) because it does absolutely nothing to contribute to my productivity. The longer I sit on a fantastic idea without taking any action, the harder it is to come up with words for my article.
Yesterday, I tackled a very challenging topic and literally forced myself to concentrate for just an hour on my research. As a result, 4 hours later (it’s long I know) I finished my article.
That’s how I overcome my writer’s block 🙂
Hi Cathy,
I can certainly hear you on that one! I’m guilty of doing this too. It certainly does seem to get harder to do something the longer you put it off…I should know this all too well.
Glad to hear you got it all done! It sounds like you spent a lot of time and effort on your article, but that’s okay. In fact, that’s a good thing since it shows you put an effort into it and provided your readers with a well thought out and informative article…not just written for the sake of writing something and not basing it on facts and info you found with your research. I’m sure it’ll be of great help to your readers!
Researching is usually the hardest part of writing for myself too. There’s just so much info out there, it’s hard to pick through them all to find the few that are worthy.
Thank you for commenting! Sorry, I didn’t get back to you sooner…somehow, I didn’t see your comment here til now. Anyways, take care and best wishes 🙂 -Sherry