Blogged by a Pro

Writing can be a love-hate relationship for many of us. When the ideas are so abundant that you can’t keep up with them and your fingers trip over themselves just to get it all out, writing can seem like the simplest of tasks. But sometimes the thought of typing something up is like torture. Nothing comes to mind, and you can see yourself sprouting wings and flying sooner than you can jot down 200 words about a single topic. You’ve hit a snag — you’ve got the dreaded writer’s block.

So what can you do? Here are a few simple steps that can lead to clear-headed thinking and a free-flowing pen (or fast-typing fingers).

By far, the most difficult part of writing is getting started. Those first few sentences are excruciatingly difficult to muster up, and you know your editor will forever disown you if you don’t provide something of quality.

Some people recommend that you simply sit down with a pen and paper (or screen and keyboard) and start writing, regardless of the garbage that comes out. True, though I would add something to that wisdom: write the first thoughts that come to mind.

Here’s the thing. Your mind has thoughts floating around at all times, whether it’s what to cook for dinner or the latest grammar changes in the AP Stylebook. … OK, maybe only a few of us have that one floating around. The point is, just start to write. As you write, your mind will naturally begin thinking about the subject at hand. Think of it as a diary, if you will, that eventually draws out useful information. Once you’ve encroached on the topic you should be writing about, things will progress from there. As for the original content you wrote, keep it. If you become famous, those notes will fetch a pretty penny for you in the future.

Steal ideas. Well, don’t steal, but read what others have written about your subject. You have access to the Internet (you’re reading this, after all), so you have access to myriad topic and writing sites that can help you in your quest for the golden topic of the day. If you already have your topic, even better! A topic-targeted search will yield hundreds of results, and some of those will likely inspire you.

Stop worrying about whether your writing is good. Writers always want to create a masterpiece from the get-go. “After all,” they reason, “I’m supposed to be a professional.” Well, get over yourself.

No one writes the perfect copy right off the bat. It’s only when you actually get the words on paper that you finally start seeing ways to improve it. Writing numerous imperfect sentences is the best way to discover the perfect combination of words. Editing your own work is critical; the way to get there is by forgiving yourself for the bad writing you produce along the way.

These have been some of the tips I personally use to get started. Writer’s block is a pain to get over, but life doesn’t always let us sit on the fence. I hope these tips can help you when the infamous block hits you!

Marek Biernacinski serves as president and CEO of Edited by a Pro.