Are you somebody who cannot seem to overcome writer's block? Do you have any projects that are perennially in the parking lot due to a lack of interest in the topic, lack of inspiration or both of the above? Cheer up -- it happens to me as well, and I've been writing for decades. Writing can often be a case of peaks and valleys; one day you have the Midas Touch, where everything you write turns to gold, however the next day you would find yourself hard-pressed to string even a few words together to form a sentence. Consider the following tips below, if you want to have more peaks than valleys in terms of your writing productivity.
Fishing for Ideas. Follow my advice and you might just think your way out of writer's block, particularly if you are thinking of a good topic but cannot seem to pull one out of your bag of tricks. Whenever I am in need of ideas, I take a stroll around the neighborhood, by myself, natch, and let outside stimuli guide me on the way. With the soothing sounds of Kenny G emanating from my iPod, I take in the wonders of Mother Nature, literally tip-toeing through the tulips, observing Robin Red Breast and his friends discuss the beauty of spring among themselves and imagining those rabbits eating actual carrots like they do in children's cartoons. Relaxation brings out the creativity in me. Beats working, most definitely, and beats the feeling of stress that I get when I am in front of my computer Skype-ing with my boss! Find a source of inspiration and relaxation and you will find those ideas.
Develop an Interest. Of course we will all agree that writing about those things that interest us is much easier; I, personally, would rather write about knitting and interior design rather than baseball, which my husband loves I personally abhor all kinds of sports, but that's just me, or heavy machinery, which is obviously not something a 55-year-old lady like myself would know much about. Become more interested by reading up further on the topic. You may want to search the 'net for articles on the topic, read a couple chapters of a book on the topic, or get in touch with somebody you know who is familiar with AND enthusiastic about the topic. And once you have done a bit of research, that should at the very least increase your interest in the topic, even by a smidgen, which is better than no interest at all.
Make an Outline. We are talking about the much-vaunted bullet points, a sharp-shooting tool in keeping every written work organized and systematic. Expand each point into one paragraph each; collectively these points will comprise the body of your article. Create a concluding paragraph, or summation the shorter, the better that would validate the consonance of each point put together, and that, as movie directors would say, would be a take.
Let it Hibernate. No, I am not being obscene. Maybe I am, because it is often a good idea to return to your article after a couple days of "hibernation" in your computer. That insatiable wanderlust for writing might just need those extra days before it returns with a vengeance. More than likely you will catch grammatical errors, locate incomplete or unclear thoughts, or find errors in punctuation by stepping back for a period of time.
Here's hoping you enjoyed my quick article about not being able to write articles -- in short, how to go about overcoming writer's block. Whenever you are manacled by a paucity of productive thoughts and cannot seem to find a terrific topic for your article, then withdraw for a few moments; compose yourself, reposition your stance and return to the fray once your inspiration is back where it should be. You can write with a mission and with enthusiasm for your craft once you successfully defeat writer's block.
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