I have just posted a new entry on my blog, dealing with how to overcome Blogger's Block. http://www.garyc40.com/2007/05/23/26-ways-to-overcome-bloggers-block In fact not all the ideas are mine. I did a research using Google and aggregate all the tips that I found into one post. Hope it's useful to you guys. Enjoy! And tell me if you like it or not. Thank you.
It's really not all that bad and it's true, writing a blog is just as difficult as writing a story or something. We all get some sort of a block. The tip to getting over it is to push right through and keep writing.
There's no such thing as writer's block. Just learn to think better and have more resources at your disposal. But I'm sure countless writers will disagree.
At least one - me, will do. The blogger's block, just as any writer's block, does exist, IMHO. Unfortunately, garyc40, I can't see your solution, the page fails to open in my browser.
There must be some problem with the server. Once it goes up again I'll post the full one here. Thanks for your comments.
OK here goes the full post. Hope there is something useful to you. For the formatted post (which won't hurt your eyes as this one), please visit the following URL: (http://www.garyc40.com/2007/05/23/26-ways-to-overcome-bloggers-block) 26 Ways to overcome Blogger's Block Maybe you're already familiar with the term "Writer's Block". It's a state when writers want to write something, but they just can't. All writers have to suffer from it once in a while. But not all of them can overcome it. Likewise, Blogger's Block is also something that happens to all bloggers. No matter how skilled or experienced they are, there are times when they suddenly find themselves banging their heads into an invisible wall. I am a new blogger myself. It took me a whole month before I even got to write seriously. And even when I got serious with my writing, it just didn't flow out as I wished. My English is not good enough, let alone writing in a language which is not my native. And the greatest obstacle that I have to face every time I put my hands on the keyboard, is finding what I am going to write about. I'm sure all of you have experienced those frustrating moments once or twice or even more, when you wanted to do something, and you could have, but you just couldn't. It's so contradictory and thus, drives you crazy. So today, after the whole week digging the blogosphere for advice, I'm glad to share with you all the tips I found that can help all of us to overcome the so called "blogger's block" in the fastest way possible. What bloggers usually do when they can't write 1. Blame something irrelevant or intangible 2. Try to write about something that they actually have no knowledge of 3. Call themselves name or sneak into a corner crying 4. Force themselves to write about something they have no interest in, which results in a greater block that they have to face 5. Lose faith and finally quit blogging 6. Push themselves too hard, spending even more time trying to write something, but finally they end up seeing their doctors 7. Procrastinate. It's like pushing the block forward instead of pushing it aside, there will never be a way out. 8. Delete what they're working on because they just can't seem to get it going. What bloggers should do instead 1. Know the reason behind the block Is it something you can't change and have to adapt to? Or is it just yourself who's building up that invisible wall? If you're ill and you can't write, that's ok, no need to worry about that temporary block. If you're suffering from stress, taking some time away from writing is indeed recommended. But if it's your laziness and procrastination that prevents you from thinking something new to write about, it is yourself to blame. 2. Schedule your writing Find a time suitable for writing. That should be when you're least disturbed and distracted by outside factors (away from phone calls, and be sure not to be hungry when you're writing). You should set aside some time everyday specifically for writing only, just like you plan time for your meals or for brushing your teeth. Soon writing will be integrated into your daily chores and you'll find it impossible to do without writing. 3. Take it easy while writing You're blogging. You can write anything you want, and no one forces you to write. So shred the thought that "Damn I have to write something to day". It's okay to skip writing today and come back again tomorrow. Blogging is mostly for fun, you shouldn't strain it. Enjoy it instead. 4. But always challenge yourself Indulge yourself too much can finally make you lose your motivation to write. While still relax into writing, you should set some kind of goal to get you going. Like "This week I'll make it into Digg's front page somehow" or "I'll write it in 10 minutes". It's just a challenge to yourself. If you win it then go get a beer for yourself, and if not, it's still fun! 5. Reward yourself once in a while Did I just mention you getting a beer as a reward? You should try to make up as many reason as possible to reward yourself while blogging. Every time someone comments on your blog that "this post is great", put 1 dollar into your piggy bank, and by the end of next week you'll have a decent amount to throw a small party! This will be one more reason why you love blogging. 6. Work on many things at the same time For some people, they work better when they only have to concentrate on one thing. But it may be a great idea if you work on two ideas at the same time. If you go to dead end with one project, there is always another thing for you to progress on. 7. Do not criticize yourself excessively and avoid perfectionism Blogging also needs a positive approach. You shouldn't stick with your mistakes and failures in the past too long, or you'll never get forward. When you're writing an article, just write it, don't stop to think "oh this sentence sucks, this whole paragraph sucks" yet. Keep writing it and come back later. Do not discourage yourself right from the start. Everything sucks in the beginning. You have to accept that you sometimes suck too. 8. Commit to your schedules, plans, promises Every time you keep a promise to yourself, you feel good. And when you feel good you're more likely to write good articles. And writing good articles keep you happy. And so forth... 9. Try new things Sometimes you just can't write because writing the same thing the same way makes you bored. Why not change it slightly so that it's more interesting? Try drafting your blog post by hand instead of typing. When you write by hand, your thought seem to flow more smoothly, as it doesn't have to race with your typing. 10. Find a brand new start There are always unfinished things that get on your nerve, and undone things often slow down your creative flow and distract you. So why not go have bath, shave your beard, change your shirt, clean up your room and then sit down with a brand new spirit to write. 11. Always remind yourself what and why you're writing You should make a statement about what and why you're writing, then ring it in your mind every time you wake up in the morning. Stick with your statement, and finally you'll end up being more motivated to write. 12. Find an ideal place designated only for writing Just like finding a specific time for your writing, you should set aside some space in your room for your writing activity. Arranging a desk that is used only when you're writing. Put on the desk the things that you use only when writing. Buy a new laptop just for blogging. This will keep you concentrated on your writing and it creates a stimulating atmosphere for new ideas. Remember why your bedroom makes you feel sleepy? Because you always sleep in it. Create a writing space for yourself, so that you feel like writing when you work there. 13. Write the middle first, think of the opening later It's always hard to start writing about something. So instead of getting discouraged by the opening, why don't you drop right in to the point and write the body of the article first. Then come back later to do the opening and conclusion. Getting stuck right at the start is really frustrating. 14. Always carry a note Great and original ideas often pop up while you're in the toilet or having a bath. Be sure to have a note to jot down everything that comes into mind. Do not let the thought flow away and finally forget about it. Always go over your notes to see if you can use any of your ideas for your article. 15. Read and comment other blogs When you're stuck at writing, it's better to spend time reading something else and come back later. And commenting on others blog not only improve your relationship with fellow bloggers, but also sometimes give you new topics to write about. 16. Find out what other blogs in your niche are not writing about It's called "filling the hole". Finding what others lack is often an easy task, so this is a good way to get around the problem of blogger's block. 17. Look outside of your niche Writing about one topic all the time really exhausts your mind. Now go out and read something unrelated to your niche to ease you up a bit. Then you often find new perspective to add to your ideas. 18. Search before you write If you're planning to write about something, be sure to first search if someone else has already cover the topic. This is to make sure you're not talking about something that everyone else already knows. And also once in a while you'll find something new to add to your article. 19. Have someone guestblog for you When you can't think of anything to write yet, hire or ask someone to guestblog for you. But this tip should only be employed to a certain extent because it can make you lazy and dependent on others. 20. Go against the flow Sometimes writing something totally opposite to others' opinions is pretty stimulating. It helps you improve your flexibility in writing and thinking. 21. Use blogcarnival BlogCarnival can save you in two ways. When you're hungry of topics to write, just go and see which carnivals are making new issues and see if you can write a post or two for a carnival. Or you can just create a carnival yourself so that others can submit their articles, while you just need a little effort to mix those articles into your new post. 22. Maintain a blog entry repository Sometimes when you feel you're productive, you'd better write as much as you can and stock the extra articles into a repository, so that when you're out of ideas, you can just pull one article out and use it. Or you can pre-schedule the entry to be published on your blog a few days ahead, so that you'll never be rushed for new entries every day. Also, the worst thing to do when you're stuck with a piece of writing is deleting it. Instead put it into your repository, and come back later. 23. Recycle old posts There are various ways to use your old posts while you can't write new ones. For example, you can find old posts with related theme to form a series of posts and publish it. 24. Diversify your types of blog entries Darren Rowse lists a total of 20 types of blog entries for you to switch from time to time. A change like that can probably result in new ideas for writing. 25. Do an interview It's just easier to ask others questions and write the answers down as a new blog entry. And in the process you might find a lot of useful information for other posts in the future as well. 26. Try writing exercise Classic excercises such as Cluttering and Free writing can help you a lot when you're stuck. It's a good habit to practice these exercises on a daily basis. That's a pretty long post. I myself haven't tried all of them yet, but I believe it can solve 90% cases of blogger's block. If you have any other tips, feel free to drop in a comment. Reference: (please visit the original post for complete list of reference)
In fact that is one point I made in my post. The blogger needs to determine himself if he's facing an imaginary block. And by the way, I just can't find the link to edit my post. I made a typo in the title which makes it look stupid
I think writing a blog post is just as hard as writing a longer article or story. You have to be more concise and give enough information in 200 or 300 words to help people understand the main point of your post. I give bloggers a lot of credit.
And bloggers actually deserve tons of credit indeed. Writing a blog post is tough because first - you need to tell much, second - you need to be succinct, and third - you need to write it oh-so-captivating. Combining the trio is not as easy as it seems.
The same can certainly be said of a quality article as many articles and blog entries can be used interchangeably. I completely agree it is not an easy job - especially if you do the job well. Rebecca
That was a cool post and i enjoyed it thoroughly. The points mentioned are simple and effective. Thanks a lot!