10 ways to overcome writer's block

You stare at the blank page. Hands poised over the keys. You need to get this damn social post written but the ideas just won’t come. Instead you sweat, you make a fourth cup of tea, you fight the overwhelming urge to sort your sock drawer.

Sometimes, writing feels like pushing a grand piano up a hill. I get it. It happens to us all. But when writing for your business is non-negotiable, you need tried and tested ways to navigate out of the creative cul-de-sac.

So here it is. A manual to hot-wire your creative engine. Bookmark it, share it with your pals. And the next time you’re struggling to get the juices flowing, give one, some or all of these a try.

1.      Sleep on it

Tiredness, stress and time limits are no good for creative thinking. Sometimes you’re better off cutting your losses and leaving it till tomorrow if you can.

2.      Write anything

Give yourself a free pass to write anything. No matter how crap. No judgement. To do this, you have to write fast. And to write fast, you have to switch off the judgy part of your brain. The part scanning for quality and going: “No, don’t write that. It’s stupid”. Turn that little voice down for a minute and write like nobody’s ever going to see it.

3.      Change locations

Whether it’s the office canteen, a coffee shop or a coworking space. Hell, even a shuffle to the sofa or a visit to that bench outside your house. The shift in view might shake an idea loose.

4.      Listen to music

Try to summon the mood of what you need to write with some appropriate music. Read a thing I wrote about using music to get you in the zone.

5.      Copy work

Find writing in a similar style to what you want to produce and copy it by hand a few times to get a feel for it. This is an exercise copywriting pros swear by. It helps you get a better sense of why a piece of writing works so you can apply it to your own output.

6.      Find structure

If your head is full of ideas but you’ve no clue how to structure them, find copy you like for the way it flows and use it to build your own version.

7.      Collect words

Sometimes, it’s not the structure but the words that are the sticking point. Take some time out to build a word bank, look at your competitors but also folk in other industries for inspiration. For example, if you’re an artisanal coffee brand, check out some artisanal beer brands.

8.      Read up

Maybe it’s not structure or words you’re lacking, but ideas. Read, listen to and watch as much as you can on the topic to start making new connections.

9.      Phone a friend

Get a mate on the phone. Explain the problem, whinge a bit and then focus on how to fix it. It’ll help you get your ideas in order, ditch the negative thinking and find the confidence to get started. Ask if they’ll check in on you in a couple of hours for accountability. 

10.   Have a wine

Okay, you’re really down to the wire. It’s do-or-die time. None of the above have worked and you’re getting stressed. My top tip? Have a wine (if you can). It will loosen up your thoughts and reduce your inhibitions about writing the first crappy draft. Just make sure you edit sober.

Have I missed anything? What’s your top tip for overcoming writer’s block? Let me know on LinkedIn.

Or, if you’d like to chat about tackling your creative block together, give me a call.