Writer’s block is synonymous with Authors. However as a person who writes a lot of copy for marketing material such as brochures and press releases, I can assure you that you don’t have to be a Dickens to suffer a creative mental freeze.
How do you get around it? Well sitting at your desk staring at your screen is not going to work. Shocker! Here’s some small tips that work great for me:
# 1. Have a creative safe
Mine is Evernote. If you’re on the road and you think of a great phrase write it down! It can be a theme, topic, title or anything, but if you think of it don’t overate your ability to recall it from memory later. How many times have you said to yourself, “Oh God, what was that word again I wanted to use?”.
# 2. Personal Inspiration
Are you personally interested in what you are writing about? Can you write about it from personal experience? Your writer’s block can be related to a lack of personal experience and inspiration. A lot of my marketing copy revolves around the agricultural industry.
- I’m not a farmer, but talking with them on an issue or about a product really helps me to get into their psyche.
- Ask someone else for their thoughts and perspective on the topic.
Related: Ten Proven Blog Post Ideas And Examples To Smash Blogger’s Block
# 3. Stop redrafting sentences
Very often we sit pulling sentences apart only to swop around words and move commas. If a sentence is not right and you’re spending time on it, scrap it! Think of a completely different way to say it. Don’t get stuck on something small. You could just be overrating it’s importance!
# 4. Trying too hard to be eloquent?
Are you trying too hard to impress others and prove something to yourself?
- Simple, straight forward sentences that get straight to the point are the ultimate. Unless you’re writing a Shakespearean masterpiece, keep the syllables to a minimum.
- You’re not impressing anyone and if it’s a marketing piece, you’re losing a potential customer or greatly reducing the chances of being covered in a blog or by a journalist.
# 5. How do you write and where do you write?
As strange as it sounds, I know some people who only get writer’s block after when using a word processor. They have to put pen to paper first and then type it up. What feels natural? If you’re awkward on an iPad, then you have two barriers:
- creativity for the words
- and the annoyance of not being proficient on technology.
Make sure that the only challenge is what you say not how you punch the letters in.
Also where do you write? Try a different location if you don’t like the current one. Even if it’s in work, bring down your laptop to the canteen and try writing there. Find your ‘happy place’.
Related: The Secrets to Writing Good Content for the Web
# 6. Prioritize Differently
If you have multiple different items to write and your stuck on one, switch!
If a different topic is more interesting to you, start with that one.
- Once the words flow on one topic, other less creative items will come together for you.
- Prioritize where possible to suit productivity not deadlines. That’s the key to planning for creativity.
Have you ever been affected by writer’s block? How do you beat the block? Share you tips in the comments section below.
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