How do YOU deal with writer's block?

Funnily enough even the top bloggers and journalists admit to having writer's block, but you guys don't Maybe we're just evaluating the term differently.

 

Top bloggers maybe, top journalists less likely. There's a fine difference between the two.

I specialize in one subject, like many journalists do. Once you have enough experience in that subject, it really doesn't take much of an effort to fill a page with words. You can always refer back to previous works you have written, and of course put in a new writing style or new choice of words you have learned since then.

Bloggers are probably different because they often write for themselves- meaning they think of the subject most of the time. And thinking of a killer subject is half the work.

 

Oh, the writer's block. Such a lovely subject.

My fix is to simply start banging my head on the keyboard. Don't get me wrong, this doesn't help in curing, but the headache you will get will make the writer's block the least of your problems

Seriously though, what I do is simply smoke three cigs in a row, circling the room while listening to some very aggressive music. When I sit in front of the monitor afterwards, I can write again.

Regards, George

 

For me it all depends on what I'm writing at the time.

If I'm working on a sales pitch/page/DM piece, I'll add
blocks to my page basically laying it out without any
words at first. Example:

etc.

By the time I've done all that, the pages aren't
empty anymore, and all I have to do is add the words.

If I'm writing an article and get blocked, I'll start writing
nonsensical word lists for a few minutes. Any word that
comes to mind gets written down (note I said written,
not typed. It does make a difference). The lists sure
don't make any sense when I'm, done, but they've usually
succeeded in getting me past whatever was blocking me
from writing.

Even when it's your job, you can still get writer's block

 

Great tip coolcopy. I noticed a lot of you tend to write when you're having a writer's block. Paradoxal as it may be, I think it works. I think I tried it without even knowing it

 

The most important thing to remember if you try to write through the block is to edit, edit edit! Most of what I scribble when I'm having difficulty coming up with the right slant doesn't make much sense until I've edited the heck out of it!

BTW, love the new avatar, Tudi

 

Initially I took that as a compliment. Then I thought it through....a ladybug (still a bug!) is better than my face :< Great.

 

It was a compliment, Tudi, lol! I collect ladybugs, and thought it was adorable!

Sorry, I'll clarify better next time

 

I was just kidding My ladybug thanks you for the compliment.

See? I'm a good copywriter, I lied, portraying a specific emotional state and I made you believe in it! The ":<" smiley did all the work for me though. Anyway, what was this thread about?

 

Lol! Excellent use of emotion, er, emoticon Tudi!

 

Ladybugs?

 

Do not mock the spotted one...for she holds the power plug to your flesh and soul.

 

When nothing else helps you can start by retyping something of the same topic you are going to write about. It can be anything, e.g. a piece from Wikipedia. Usually 5 minutes are enough and you should hear the "click"

If there's no "click" in your brain, leave it, your brain wants a rest.

To my opinion, writers should keep a daily schedule allocating certain hours for writing. It doesn't sound very creative still it brings better results than just sitting for weeks and waiting for the Muse to come. Eventually she might never come to a lazy person

 

The trick is not to get writer's block in the first place. It shows you took on too much work and got burned out, I think. I usually don't have writer's block because I pace myself. Maybe it's just me, but it seems to work.

 

I disagree wholeheartedly. The most famous novelists throughout the centuries have all written at one point in time about their struggles with writer's block.

Writer's block is defined simply as:

Even great writers may suffer from writers block every once in a while - regardless of whether they have a lot on their plate or not.

 

Personally, I find that I get less writer's block when I'm extremely busy, and more when I have extra time or a slow load, b/c there's a certain level of boredom that sets in. Having "too much" on my plate means I can jump around on projects if I get blocked on one, coming back to it later... keeps me going.

 

I can't take more than 2-3 clients at a time, or my head will explode. I'd rather concentrate on fewer subjects at a time and try to research them better.

 

cmoylan - you don't have the tag closed. You need to add [/quote] after the quote.

 

Hi All -

If you've done some research (and what a time for research... c'mon, we have the WHOLE web), then there's always something in your brain you can "dump" out into a Google doc (I like having access to my wordprocessing online). Then, you can edit it later.

- Scott