Punching Through Writer's Block

So, you're staring at an empty screen. The cursor is mocking you with an insistent blink, blink, blink. What to write today? What do you have to share? Time to go clean the cat box again. Maybe its time to alphabetize your spice cabinet. You really should wipe down the baseboards. They are looking pretty dusty. Time to get the creative juices flowing again. But how? What can you do to punch through the dreaded writer's block?

The answer to the question depends on for whom you are writing. On HubPages (this wonderful website), there are no deadlines other than those that are self-imposed. But if you are a freelance writer for a magazine or newspaper column, your editor expects product from you on time. Similarly, if you are writing a book and you already have a publishing contract, your publisher, editor, publicist, etc. will be breathing down your neck to keep the goods coming!

When you are crafting articles on self-publishing sites on the Internet, you are your own boss. Deadlines are not an issue (unless there is an excellent contest underway!) However, in order to keep your name prominent and your "score" current, hubbers on HubPages should aim to publish 2-3 Hubs a week, plus stay active by reading and commenting on other Hubbers' Hubs. This is likely the case on similar sites, as well.

So, how to keep the ideas coming so you can keep on putting out great articles each week? First, see if there is a "requests" page. At HubPages, participants put in requests regarding Hubs that they would like to see. Even if the request has been answered, you might have a fresh view on the subject. You can always answer a request a second or third time!

Second, do an Internet search to see what search terms people have been inputting into Google, Yahoo!, or Dogpile in the past 24 hours. You can even get real-time search results. This will give you some ideas on hot topics. Go to Google Trends, Dogpile Searchspy, Ask IQ, or Yahoo Buzz Index.

Finally, if there has been a recent contest, you may want to revisit some of the topics to see if you can write some additional articles. For example, at HubPages, the HubLove contest ran from February 14-March 14, 2008. Each day, a different clue was revealed on which hubbers were encouraged to write in order to earn points. Since the contest ended, I have revisited the "technology," "business" and "jokes" topics. I've probably written on others, as well, but I specifically thought of these contest topics to get ideas flowing.

You may also cruise the news sites for ideas, and then write about some off-beat, "hot topics," like the pregnant man, or a baby born with two faces. Realize that evergreen stories tend to have better traffic long-term, though. A well-written article on saving for kids' college education or encouraging a cat to stop scratching furniture will always be something that readers will search for, long after the "wow" factor of the other stories are past.

I hear you. How many times have you started a book or an article and then fizzled out with your plot or idea? This is a tougher subject to tackle, and one for which writers that depend on a regular paycheck must realistically have an answer. In some ways it can be more difficult if you are given a specific assignment: "tell me about living in the High Desert," or "What can new mothers expect during the first year of life?" On the other hand, if you are given free reign to just produce work - some work - at a specific number of words on a specific date, that can be less threatening.

Let's start with the first scenario, you have a deadline and have been assigned a particular topic to cover, but no good ideas. Hopefully, you were given the assignment because you actually know something about the area. Starting from that premise, think about your own experiences. Is there a new angle from which you can view things. How about an approach, such as things that people generally misunderstand? "If I could do it again, I would....."? "I am so glad that I.....", or "I would have never thought that I would have ......." Another popular idea is lists, i.e. top 10 things about being a mother that are the most [fill in the blank] (difficult, rewarding, unexpected, exhausting). Top 5 ways to save time in the morning, you get the drift.

If you are writing about a location, you could include tips about cost of living, seasons, schools, cultural activities; any number of sub-topics could fill an entire 1500-3000 word article. Take your reader down a new or unexpected path.

Under the second scenario, production of an article with no set topic, your task is to consider the readership of the magazine, its advertisers and the region in which it will be distributed. I am currently writing for a magazine that is only distributed in a 3-county region, reaching about 150,000 potential readers. The magazine is aimed at parents. The editor asks that each month, I send in an article approximately 500-1000 words long on a topic of my choosing. This requires me to keep abreast of the other published articles, the organization of the magazine and, generally to write on parenting and living in Central Oregon. If you're stuck on ideas, it may be helpful to visit your local library or go on-line to review back issues of the publication, or other magazines with similar readerships. Is there a popular topic that repeats itself every 4 months or so, with a different view or spin? Could you create a new article to explain things in more detail, or give the reader a different perspective? Perhaps a new product has come on the market that you could review that would help your audience.

Writing and publishing a book is obviously more intensive than putting together articles, the primary reason for which is the length and the time commitment. Writer's block affects fiction and non-fiction authors differently. If you are working on a non-fiction book and your proposal has already been accepted for publication, you likely have an outline of the chapters that will be covered in your book. Writer's block should be a minimal issue.

For fiction, however, it can be difficult to keep the momentum going in developing your plot line and characters. Different writers take varied approaches: some like to write and see where it will take them; others prefer to have the general idea of plot line from beginning to end in their mind before starting. Many authors agree on the same thing, however, which is to sit down each and every day and write at least 3000 words. Do not edit yourself as you are writing - just let the words flow out. Put it aside and read it later. Perhaps one of the greatest causes of block is a perfectionism tendency. It does not need to be in final form! Just get your ideas on paper and worry about details later.

Negative self-talk, along with perfectionism, can fuel the fire. Instead of telling yourself that you can't think of anything to say, or berating yourself for "wasting" a day or two, realize that your brain needs a little downtime to keep fresh ideas flowing. It is all part of the writing routine. Remind yourself of previous successes. Cheer yourself up by engaging in one of the Un-Block activities above, and spend sometime in the "real world," interacting with people and enjoying activities other than typing away on the computer. Once you are ready to sit down again, you'll feel fresher and more relaxed.

And remember, in the words of a very famous author, "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow." ~Mark Twain