Better a Blog #3: Six Ways to Break Through Writer’s Block

Better a Blog #3: Six Ways to Break Through Writer’s Block

EXTENDED-CARE MARKETING EDITION

You know your audience and you have scheduled time to regularly write your blog entries, but still the blank page yawns in front of you. Never mind that it’s a computer screen and the only one doing the yawning is you! You are blocked, my friend. Here are six ways to break writer’s block. Work through them in order until the words flow!

1. Ditch distractions. Turn off your phone, sign off of Facebook, and consider turning down the music. On that last one, there are mixed reviews. Some writers love to work with music. Kim, on the other hand, can’t pen a sentence unless it’s library quiet. So if you’re stuck, try turning it off…or on if it helps.

2. Speak, don’t write. You’re not writing, not really. You’re talking. Talking is easy! Just speak to a person in your audience (Maybe, Gabby Grown Daughter) and capture what you’re saying on paper.

3. Become a story-teller. Using anecdotes and reporting real-life situations are powerful ways of conveying a message. For instance, don’t just write the tip, “Keep your siblings abreast of decisions about your parent in care.” Tell the story instead of how Deidre scheduled a conference call on the first of every month with her brother and sister to discuss the latest updates on Mom. Explain how that call made all the difference in airing conflicts, clearing up confusions, delegating tasks and brainstorming new approaches.

4. Throw out the timer. Instead of saying, “I’ll write for 30 minutes,” put your fingers on the keyboard and don’t pick them up until you have 250 words. Even if somewhere in there you start to peter out, type “yadda yadda yadda” until real words come back to you. Don’t be overwhelmed: 250 words fill only one double-spaced, typed page of copy.

5. Write terribly. If you’re editing while you’re writing, bad news. There is no better way to block your writer self than by turning on your editor self. Give yourself permission to write the words unchecked—yadda yaddas and all—until you get to 250. If you feel better and your entry remains undone, keep going until you hit the end. Then leave it there and…

6. Go for a walk. Even if music was working for you during the writing process, turn it off now. Walk for a bit—15 minutes or so—and let the words you wrote bubble in your mind. Don’t overthink, don’t force it. You might realize as you walk that your entry would be improved by adding a patient quote or a perspective from one of your care providers. Maybe that last paragraph was unecessary and repetitive. Maybe nothing comes to mind but the chirping of birds. That’s ok, too. Finish your walk, go back to the computer, adjust your copy from what you thought about from your stroll and then put your editing hat on to polish those words up. More on that in the next entry.

Congratulations, you are officially unblocked!

> If you need help building or bettering a blog or writing entries, give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email.
> Coming soon: Tips to Polish Your Writing.

Posted Under: Blogging, Editorial, Extended Care, Social Media, Tips

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