There are times when I feel as if I have nothing to write.
When I’m preparing for writing my blog inspiration doesn’t always kick in just because I sit down to type.
Do you push through?
Do you take a break?
Here are some of my ideas I use that may also be of help to you:
Finding the time and the place
It seems like such a simple suggestion- finding the time and place, and yet it is everything. The right time and setting can make all the difference.
You could try varying the time of day you write and where you write your blog. It may be that you choose different venues to work in. It could be a coffee shop, it could be another place in your home. It could be you take a break and take the dog for a walk and then try again.
Darren Rowse of ProBlogger offers advice on how to stay inspired and ways to avoid burnout:
He says:
‘The reality is we always want to do more than we can fit into the time we have. So I think it is important to be realistic and know how much time we can actually put into blogging and adjust our goals and expectations accordingly.’
Inspiration
Inspiration isn’t always natural and creativity doesn’t strike on cue. It would be magical if at the tap of a few keys you had your genius blog idea and the fingers took over with little more than a flicker of a thought. However that isn’t always or ever going to be the case.
If the magic switch isn’t working then you can always try researching sites that exist on the search engines such as Google and see if they offer you new topics or headlines that you can use as inspiration to get those creative juices flowing.
If that’s not enough then Jeff Goins offers tips for new and veteran bloggers alike. You can view his tips here.
Carry a pad or make notes on your phone
Do you carry a notepad or make notes on your phone? Try it.
Whichever you prefer or you could try both. I quite like to switch between the two dependent on what’s to hand. I make notes of ideas, titles, words and I make note if I see something I like online that I may at some point want to write about. It could be you look at a similar topical idea and put your own spin on it.
It also helps to take the pressure off from having lots to occupy my mind by feeding it into the notes section of my phone or in a notebook. It offers a clear head, as well as the pathway for clear ideas.
There are various online note systems that you can utilise too, such as Evernote and Simplenote if you prefer to do it that way. Just research which will fit in with your needs and whether they are tools that work just as well on your mobile device as well as any other.
Goals
What are your goals? What are your strategies? Take time to figure out where it is that you’re headed or would like to head. What are your aspirations for your writing? I try to set aside time each week for more immediate goal making and every few months I plan ahead. It's not fool-proof but helps me to stay on track. Again have it written down. Have a mind map, a flow diagram, spider diagram: whatever it is that works for you.
Map and carve out your time each week around all of your commitments. What time do you have where? Does it allow for flexibility? If it does -be flexible with yourself. Keep calm and carry on writing. Push through the barrier, it will get easier and no you may not always have ideas right on cue when you need them, but you can pull ideas from your notes, from quotes you've heard and from stories you have already read. What’s topical? If it's your genre then why not. What's your opinion? Would your audience like it?
My advice would be to keep calm and carry on blogging: when the going gets tough-persevere. You're not alone. Form a community of like-minded individuals around you and churn out suggestions with them if it would help. Sometimes sounding out loud to a friend or trusted colleague can be beneficial.
Whatever you need seek it. Carry on regardless. As always good luck! Let me know what tactics you pursue when writers/bloggers creative block strikes.
Does this resonate with you?
Need a little help in taking the pressure off?
Amber Smith
Get in touch today and let’s chat. You can email me at ambersmith@simplyamberlou.com,
and you can follow me on Twitter @simplyamberlou or LinkedIn Amber L Smith.
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