IS WRITER’S BLOCK HOLDING YOU HOSTAGE? Two tips to help free your inner (prolific) writer
By: Mona Andrei Aka Moxie Dude
Tags: Writer, Writing Tips, Writing, Content, Writers Block

Staring at a blank screen is something I do daily. I’ve been doing it forever. Of course, it didn’t start out that way. Once upon a long time ago it was a blank piece of paper that caught my attention.

These days though I never stare at a blank piece of paper. Not because I don’t write on paper anymore. Of course I do. I sign cheques. I make grocery lists. I journal. The difference is that when I curl my fingers around a pen, I know exactly what my intentions are — from signing my name, to adding coffee to a list, to journaling about my inner perspective. You see, on paper, I know exactly what I want to say before I even pick up my pen.

Then there’s that other version of writing. The kind where you place your fingers on a keyboard and you’re ready to go except … nothing.

Brain-freeze, a blank screen, and an impatient cursor that blinks silent screams at you. Writer’s block has set in. No pressure.

Suddenly, you’re questioning your own abilities.

The good news is that there’s a cure for writer’s block and I’m about to share it with you. It’s not overly complicated and you don’t need a bunch of witch doctor ingredients like mugwort or eye of newt to banish this horrible state. (Thank goodness because I don’t even know what those are.) All you need is a process.

Oh and before we get to ‘the cure’, I want to point out that writer’s block and procrastination are the same thing. Procrastinating — also known as that moment when you must suddenly water your plants and clean out the garage! — is a symptom of writer’s block. In a way, writer’s block can be seen as a good thing because when else would you remember to water your plants? (Perhaps that’s just me.)

So here’s the secret cure for writer’s block — and if you were paying attention, I hinted at it in the second paragraph of this piece.

Before you even sit down with the intention of writing, whether it be content for your website or the next scene in your novel, you need to be clear on two things:

1. What is the message or emotion that you want to convey?

2. Who is your reader?

To clarify, let’s go through these one by one.

1. What is the message or emotion that you want to convey?

Whether you’re writing to entertain or to inform, you need to be clear on your goal. Following are a few questions you can ask yourself before you get into writing mode:

- What is my goal with this piece?

- What information do I want to share?

- What point do I want to make?

- What story can I tell that relates to my goal?

- How can I loop the end back to the beginning to reinforce my point?

- What action do I want my reader to take after reading this?

I’m imagining that you’ve heard this before, but I’ll share it anyway: People love stories.

Sharing a story makes your writing more relatable, interesting, and memorable. Share a story and not only will your reader retain your information in that big brain of theirs, but they’ll also be more likely to remember you.

Bonus tip: Write the questions above at the top of your next writing document. Your answers will serve as a map or outline.

2. Who is your reader?

Often, we stare at that blank screen because we’re just not sure. Not only are we not sure about WHAT we want to say, but also in HOW we want to say it. This depends on who your reader is. Is your reader expecting to be entertained or informed? Or maybe they’re expecting to be informed in an entertaining way?

Regardless of what you’re writing, whether it be an article or the About page of your website, imagining that one ideal reader (sometimes it could even be your mother) and writing to them specifically will help set the tone and voice for your piece.

Knowing your reader also helps in making your content relatable to them. How do you achieve this? By answering the following questions:

- What problem does my reader have?

- What is my reader’s pain point?

- What solution am I offering?

- How can I simplify my reader’s life?

- How can I make the information that I’m sharing easy to understand or fun to read?

- What are my reader’s expectations?

Bonus tip: Marketing 101 answers the question, “What’s in it for me?” Always keep your reader’s needs in mind, whether you achieve this by entertaining, informing, or educating them. (Or as mentioned, a combination of these.)

Concluding thoughts

Sometimes we’re held hostage by writer’s block because we feel overwhelmed by the sheer task of sitting down to write. Knowing and accepting the fact that your first draft will always (pronounced: ALWAYS) be a mess can help. Help how, you ask? Writing is a “daunting” assignment. Sometimes our own expectations of producing perfection stop us before we even begin. Allow me to repeat myself:

Know and accept the fact that your first draft will ALWAYS be a mess.

I often get asked if I work with outlines. The truth is that sometimes I do. And other times it all begins with a single thought that bleeds onto the page as an opening sentence. Regardless, a brain dump of words to be organized later can serve as an outline. The great thing about working with outlines is that they get you started in putting words on an empty screen. In turn quieting that impatient cursor that blinks silent screams at you.

What about you? How do you deal with writer’s block?

Share in the comments and help others banish this horrible state.

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon from Pexels

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