How to Overcome Writer’s Block: 5 Practical Tips

Is it possible to overcome writer’s block? If it is, what can we do?

Writer’s block happens when you’re having a hard time starting your document.  You simply don’t know what to write.  The topic may be given but how you write the message and the exact words are up to you.  And you’re just lost.

Jeff Goins cited three common reasons for not being able to squeeze ideas from your brain and put them on paper right away:

1. Bad timing.  Your idea may need more brewing so you can serve it as a great content.
2. Fear.  Putting yourself out there and publishing your work makes you subject to criticism.
3. Perfectionism. You just want everything to be flawless.

And there are ways to address all these.

Let me share a scenario. Did your boss give you a writing task but you couldn’t start because you do not have all the details you need?

Were you asked to write a memo then realized you don’t know the effectivity date of a new policy or who are your recipients after all?

Wait, have you ever thought of asking when the deadline for submission is?

Some managers forget to mention that. You may be writing slowly assuming it’s due tomorrow only to find out you were expected to send it in an hour.

5 Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block

The chances of getting a “frostbite” a.k.a writer’s block and not submitting your work on time will be higher if you don’t have the basic information.

If you have been going through the same experience repeatedly, the first practical and most important tip I can give you is:

Gather information by listing all the questions you need to cover.

This step is part of the prewriting process. Answer the basic 5W’s and 1H questions to draft your message easily.

1. Who is your audience?
2. What is your message?
3. Where will you get the content of your document?
4. When is the deadline? When do you need to send it out?
5. Why are you writing? What purpose would you like to achieve?
6. How will you forward it out to the recipients?

Simple, right? When you have these questions covered, you will have a clearer direction when you write.  How to overcome writer’s block will be easier for you.

Structuring your content will be much easier.

Let me share some more tips from Huffingtonpost.com and Lifehack.org:

Start anywhere. 

Forget about writing your introductory paragraph first. Write with bullet points or you can even do a mind map. Once you jot down the part that’s coming naturally to you, the rest will start to flow.

Create a deadline or set a timer.

Setting a timeline pushes yourself to complete the task than procrastinating. You can even use a timer and just write until your work assignment is finished.

Research resources or a template.

Sometimes, nothing’s coming out on your paper or laptop screen because you don’t really know enough about your topic. If that’s the case, do a bit more research and then return to writing.

Look for an inspiring place to write. 

Make a list of places you can go to and concentrate or seek inspiration before you even start to write. It may be the local park, coffee shop—anywhere you can reach in a reasonable amount of time. Whether people-watching or alone-time is your goal, you should list a variety of places that might jumpstart your imagination when you’re in a tough spot creatively.

Do you have any advice on how to overcome writer’s block?  Share your thoughts in the comment section!

If you want to know more valuable tips on how you can improve your writing skills, beat writer’s block, and produce more content, check out our post on how to become a better writer. 

Recommended Course

Discover how to create a strategy that’ll help you boost your productivity, confidence, and speed as a writer! Sign up for our online course, “Level Up Your Writing Skills,” and supercharge your writing skills! View full details at https://bit.ly/levelup-ph.