Getting Around a Writer’s Block: Top Tips for Freelance, Article and Content Writers

More often than not, freelance writers just black out, it might be called a ‘writer’s block ’ but we can safely call it an idea blackout. To some freelancers it is just an annoying couple of hours while to others it stops short of sending the writer to a hospital for treatment of a panic attack. That is especially true if there is too much work to be done with too little time.

Get over the Block

The first thing to do is just relax, easier said than done, but that is the first step. Nobody will get anything done with a mind that is wandering and a heart that is racing. Deep breaths and a few minutes’ rest with shut eyes will help a lot.

Exercise

Take a few minutes to do some exercises. You don’t have to jog or work up a sweat, if you don’t want to; a few bends and stretches to make your blood pump hence sending oxygen to your brain can be really refreshing. And this refreshment will help your brain think clearly and better.

Write

If you think the article that you are writing is the one creating the block, you can do one of two things: you can write about the block, which might let you see a way around your problem, or you can write about something else that is totally unrelated to the current topic. You will have become so preoccupied with it that when you return to your previous article you will look at it from a totally new perspective.

Talk

If you don’t feel like writing, then don’t: talk about it. It doesn’t matter whether you do it with a friend, who could or couldn’t be a writer, or a blank wall. Talk about the block, about what subject you are trying to write on or just freelance writing in general. Try to get it out there and listen to what you are saying; your subconscious may have the answer.

Walk Away

If all else fails, then just close that laptop and take a break. Have absolutely nothing to do with writing for a few hours or days (depending on how long the writer’s block lasts). Make sure you take a mental break and not only a physical one. Do not worry about deadlines and explain to your clients that you just can’t help it. Work out a deal and just let it go.

It Happens To Almost All

Writer’s block happens to almost all writers, except for John Grisham who says that he’s fortunate to have never faced a writer’s block, but the rest of us mere mortals have to face it dead on.

Good luck with your writing!