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Most writers will experience at least some form of writer’s block in the course of their efforts. It takes different forms for various people, as evidenced by the many expressions used to explain it.

“I don’t have any ideas.”

“Everything I write sounds stupid.”

“I just can’t get motivated.”

At the root of it, most writer’s block comes from fear or at least from uncertainty. Writing is like any other art – the writer must create something that will go out before the public for examination. This is a personal process, and carries with it the risk of rejection. Any artist can understand the fear of being mocked for his or her hard work, and it’s equally understandable that this would intimidate some people into hesitating when the time comes to write.

Before going much further, it must be said that there is no cure for writer’s block – those who suffer it push through to the other side with sheer willpower. The writer must exercise his or her judgment and forge ahead. Be that as it may, there are a number of techniques that can help rally a writer’s determination in order to bring them forward through the wall of fear and into the realm of joyful writing.

Technique #1 – Stand on Giants’ Shoulders

One of the most common instances of writer’s block comes when writing on a subject that many people have covered before. The fear is that there is nothing new to contribute to the matter, that anything additional would seem superfluous.

One technique, popularized in the movie Finding Forrester, is to search out similar writings on the subject by other authors. When a writer finds a piece they particularly like, they borrow a line or two from the author, and try to write further material from there. Once they hit their stride, they move on and produce an article entirely their own.

Note that last proviso in the technique – this is not permission to plagiarize. The original author’s contribution is simply to provide a starting point to the creative process, not to add anything to the final article. Once the process begins, the author must write his own work and not use anything from the original article unless he is willing to include it as a sourced quotation.

Technique #2 – Write in Bursts

Sometimes the psychological effects of writer’s block feel like a weight. Sitting down and writing becomes burdensome and exhausting, and wears the writer out as surely as heavy exercise.

In these cases, it can be counterproductive to try and write everything at once. Instead, the writer should sit down and try to write to a certain goal, say 200 words. If she hits her goal, she should try and keep writing. If she cannot reach it or takes unusually long to do so, she should stop for five minutes and do something else. Listen to music, eat a tasty snack or read something enlightening – then try again. These repeated small attacks on the subject will help wear it down without it seeming quite so massive.

Technique #3 – Shut Down the Editor

An in-process version of writer’s block was explained by Chris Baty, the creator of the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Baty argues that many writers sabotage their productivity by constantly self-editing and self-criticizing as they work, spending more time correcting what’s already been put down than putting out new copy.

The idea Baty suggests is to turn off this inner editor and write constantly without correction. The article will still be there when the writer finishes, so it can be corrected at the end rather than throughout the process. This allows writers to focus on the primary effort of creating their work rather than getting distracted.

Technique #4 – Write Backward

Another symptom of writer’s block is feeling that writing has become routine and less enjoyable than it used to be. The process is always the same, and has become predictable and stagnant. The solution is to change the order of how one approaches things.

Instead of working from the introduction, through the body and to a conclusion, the writer should work on the conclusion first. Write up a spot-on end topic to the piece, then fill in the rest accordingly. A story writer could begin with the ending chapter, and then write the rest out of order in a Tarantino-style kind of time-play. Whatever specific way it’s done, the idea is to approach writing from a different direction in order to awaken its enjoyment factor anew.

Technique #5 – Don’t Write, Speak

A lot of focus has been made lately on the technique of writing the way one speaks. Instead of dividing the mind between writing and speaking, one simply writes AS one speaks, getting the material down in a more authentic way. This may not always be appropriate, but it’s rarely completely out of place.

The idea is to avoid complicated sentences that reference back to parenthetical clauses and other assorted specialized writing hang-ups. The focus changes to short and direct language, with a clear message and point to each line.

This doesn’t mean to include every verbatim tic of a writer’s speaking style. “Ums” and “ahs” must, of course, be excised, since they don’t add anything to the subject.

In short, writer’s block doesn’t have to be terrifying. There’s always a way around it, and with a little force of will any writer can see that it isn’t a brick wall so much as a cloth sewn to look like one.

Even good writers have problems writing articles, it is very common. But they eventually find a way to overcome this problem. There are many different ways you can over come writers block. Some have problems thinking of how to start their writing, others have problems in the middle of their writing and some have problems finishing their projects.

Here are some different ways that you can possibly use to overcome this situation. If you have problems writing because there is a lot of noise around you, go to someplace where it’s quiet, like by a stream or even a park., this way you can relax by a nice quiet running stream of water, or just sit in a park and listen to the birds or other creatures of mother nature.

Or maybe you’re the type of person who like to write in the evening, maybe you use writing to relive the stress of your everyday normal life, if this is the case then maybe you could wait till it’s all quiet and everyone has gone to bed , this way you can sit and relax, and be by yourself.

If your on a tight schedule and you HAVE to have your writing project done by a deadline, and you can’t afford to wait for everyone to settle down for the night, find a quiet room and go there, this way you can concentrate on what you have to do and not have people bothering you all the time.

Maybe you’re an outdoors type person who like to camp, you could always get away fro the weekend on a camping trip and also use this time to do your writing where you can be alone, Also there are some sites on the internet where you can go and try to find a way to overcome writers block, such as http://www.contentcreatorz.com

Writer’s Block. It’s the grizzly bear of writing problems, casually pushing over any trees you climb up to try and avoid it.

Sooner or later as a writer you’re going to confronted by a blank page (or these days, screen) and have no idea what to write. It’s frustrating, painful and frightening.   It’s also really no big deal at all.   Saying it never happens doesn’t really help. Certainly there are people who never seem touched by it; they are the exception not the rule. Don’t feel bad if one of your writing buddies says they can write 3000 words without even really trying. The trick is that you can too. There are three main causes, and three easy fixes for writers block. Over the next few days I’ll go into these causes and their cures.      

Cause 1: You’re tired

Just written 6000 words in one hit? Including a hyper intense scene where the protagonist is in mortal danger? It’s midnight, go to bed.

Writer’s Block is most commonly encountered by over worked, stressed out writers trying to force themselves to write brilliant prose. Writing is a lot like lifting weights, your body needs time, and rest, to adapt to the demands being placed on it. You can build up to it. Jumping straight into 2000 word days will cook your brain like a microwave pizza and leave you staring, drooling and crying in front of your laptop.   Being over tired can also obviously come from other things in your life. I spent some time trying to write, working full-time, lifting weights and training for a Mixed Martial Arts fight. I got injured (no one was surprised) and when I went back and looked at what I was writing, very little of it made any sense. I was simply doing far too much and pushing my body and my mind far beyond what I was used too.    

These are fairly obvious, but emotional exhaustion is the one that takes the biggest toll on the writers I know, me included. This cause is particularly bad because of the idea that you need to suffer to write (which is bull puckey by the way). Sitting down to write after having a huge argument with your spouse or a death in the family may give you inspiration to write, but if you’re trying to write a novel (as opposed to writing for catharsis, which is different) then giving yourself some time to process the emotions will give you more inspiration, not less.  

The Fix!

Sleep is the first order of the day (and night) for writers. None of us get enough sleep unless we’re unemployed. Everyone needs differing amounts of sleep, but usually if you’re getting less than 6 hours a night, you will be If you’re having issues with sleeping then take a look at this article posted on Family Doctor, they cover your sleeping environment in more depth than I ever could.   Truth be told though, we all know we need to sleep. If your sleep problems are ongoing, you may need to speak to a doctor. What should you do if you have a short term exhaustion problem and a blank white screen looming in front of you?   You can start with coffee. It certainly won’t help in the long term, but it will boost your mood. Good quality coffee also contains high levels of anti oxidants that can help with your overall stress level. You can also get caffeine pills and energy drinks, but if you can stomach it (and afford it!) then high quality coffee is the best caffeine delivery system you can get.  

After a couple of days of relying on coffee though, it’s going to start losing its effect. If you’re going to be losing sleep, or are under any kind of elevated stress for more than a few days, then it is worth considering taking an adaptogen.

Now, obviously I’m not a doctor, nor a medical practitioner of any kind, so ALL advice in this regard needs to go via your doctor before you take it on board.  

Read that bit again.

Okay. Now, adaptogens are a class of herb that helps your body adapt to stressful situations, such as increased exercise, lack of sleep or…writing deadlines. I have found the best results with a herb called Rhodiola Rosea; however Siberian ginseng and true ginseng are other popular options. These don’t give you a boost in the same way that stimulants do, they just help your body return to a happy baseline (homeostasis for those of you who’ve studied some biology).  

Stay tuned for part two when I look at what to do when you’re not tired, just stuck!

The problem with giving advice when people want to set up an Internet business is when you come to have a problem and you can’t actually follow that same advice yourself. Actually, that’s not entirely true because the advice to which I refer concerns an article I did about deciding what to write  about when your chosen method of marketing was writing articles. It has to be said in my case that the problem is not knowing what to write about but rather what to write. Indeed, is there any difference?  Let us look at that point in more detail.

I have no shortage of subject matter. In fact, anyone that has had even a modicum of success in business should have something they can put pen to paper about. There will always be someone out there who is at a similar stage  of learning to you who can benefit from your newly found expertise! No, the problem here is just a mental block on actually writing anything down at  all.

In other words, a severe case of writer’s block. I suspect that there is no one out there that has not suffered form this at some time or other and it  might be a good idea to look first at the cause and then the cure.

One of the most common is probably having to write under pressure – in other words, when you have a deadline to meet and an editor that does not ( or will not ) understand this particular condition as something that is real. The other cause ( and this is most certainly the case with me ) is when I have a lot on my mind. That doesn’t mean to say when you have  a backlog of stuff  to deal with – rather a lot of emotional problems that just seem to cause a complete barrier to any creative flow.

Let us now consider the cures for these two cases.

With the first example, my advice is get into a routine every day/week as required so that your creativity actually becomes a habit. If you remember being at school and having to be there the same time each day and doing certain lessons on certain days, that was not only to the advantage of the organisation but to enable the requisite part of your brain to kick in at the right time, in the right way, out of sheer habit – if nothing else. The answer then is to find a routine that suits you best and stick to it. The more you practice,  the easier it gets.

That second problem of feeling stressed out is what affects my writing more than anything. Without doubt, the cure is to sit down with pen and paper and allow everything (all those niggly little problems) to come out onto the page. It won’t be long – I  promise you -  before your mind clears and you’re actually writing about something a little more enlightening. And, you never know, you might just end up with a piece of writing that you can actually publish. Never forget, people love to read about something to which they can relate at a personal level.

Just in case you haven’t already guessed, I sat down before writing this article with a case of writer’s block and realised half way through that it could well be of use to somebody else. Indeed, one of the rules of writing is that people like to see a conflict or problem with which they can associate in order for them to read on. It is well worth remembering that as you peruse your article marketing with a view to getting off to a good start with your Internet business – with or without writer’s block!

No matter how much you love to write or how knowledgeable you are on a topic, everyone succumbs to the misery of writer’s block. As a wise person once said, you can’t have writer’s block if you aren’t a writer. It is a mark of accomplishment in the field; it means you have written enough to come to a place of challenge. Here are some excellent tools to use to break through your writer’s block and meet the sparkling prose that lies just beyond.

1. Write badly
Commit to writing badly. This is harder than it sounds. We all have a streak of vanity within that can be difficult to push aside. It is worth the effort to drown your ego when writing because the experience of writing is a creative one, something that is at direct odds with the self-consciousness of the ego. When writing a first draft of a project, tell yourself that you are going to get it down on paper, and it is going to be ugly. If you still can’t allow yourself to let the words come in a stream-of-consciousness manner, try writing super-bad prose on purpose: use puns and cliches and as many adverbs as you can cram into a sentence. Try to make the characters unlikable. Murder someone. Do all the things that terrify you. Make all the mistakes you’re horrified you will make. Once that’s done, you don’t have to worry about it anymore. And be not afraid, no one ever has to read your first drafts but you. Getting the meat of the project out of the way is the most important part. If you let yourself go, you’ll find the words eventually arrange themselves in strange and wondrous ways.

2. Write for yourself
Often, we write for an intended audience. They’re there, lingering in the wings or staring at you as you type. You keep revising and erasing, embarrassed that you’re writing so poorly, until you can’t write anything at all. Stop and think about what story you would be interested in reading. Write selfishly, simply to get that story out into the world. The best works are done this way, and the author’s enjoyment is apparent on their pages. This does not mean the writing process is always enjoyable. Sometimes it is grueling and difficult. But write the story for yourself and you’ll find the words begin to flow again. Don’t write toward pleasing your sense of perfection. Rather write the bones of the story that is in your head. That’s all you need for now.

3. Plan it out
If you can’t make words flow out in an ordered, lyrical way, try making an outline. Write a word or sentence for each paragraph, stanza, or plot point you want to appear in your final product. Write the table of contents for your book. Write a four word poem. Then, go back and flesh out the points when you’re ready. Writing is a cyclical process. Even the most linear writers write in drafts and revisions. Don’t get hung up on what counts as “writing.” Sit down at your desk and put in your time.

4. Stop writing for awhile
Daydream. Go shopping. Take a shower. Do something physically active. Writing is an intensely mental activity, and much of it happens between the periods of active writing. This is why we often have the best ideas in the shower, while driving, and in our dreams. These are times when our minds are free to wander and solve the mysteries we’ve posed to them during the day.

5. Write something else
Having multiple writing projects allows you the ability to keep your creativity moving. When you’re stalled on one project, turn your mind to another. Like the previous step, this allows your brain to mull over the first project for awhile, but you’ll keep your writing skills intact because you’re continuing to work while you do it.

There are countless ways to deal with writer’s block. Often, when we stop we realize we’ve been pushing too hard in the wrong direction. If there is fear behind the writer’s block, though, it can help to write through it. Prove to yourself you’re still a writer, and don’t give up. Take a nap, write badly, make an outline, and keep moving. You’ll get through this yet.

I discovered this technique for removing writer’s block by accident. In fact, I made this discovery long before I had any intention of becoming a writer.

I was watching a taped version of a three day marketing conference.

It was the first marketing conference I had ever seen.

As a result, my mind was absolutely drenched with great marketing ideas I could use in my business — or any business for that matter.

Filling my head with so many ideas seemed to turn on my creativity switch.

As the processing, sifting and sorting of the information went on beneath the surface of my conscious mind, I found myself making all kinds of wonderful, creative connections.

For the next month every business I entered was scrutinized through the lens of my new understanding.

I found myself devising all kinds of wonderful concepts that could be used to attract customers and sell more stuff.

The interesting thing was, these ideas just “came to me” without me having to think about it.

If I wanted to, I could have filled a book (maybe a few books) with the ideas swarming around inside my mind.

I didn’t write a book.

But I did gain an important lesson:

If you want to write about a topic, dig so deep into the subject that your mind is brimming with interesting ideas, facts and applications.

This works best when you take a deep interest in the subject you want to write about.

Once you’ve done this, let your subconscious mind begin to sort and make new connections between the different pieces of information you’ve fed into your brain.

At this point, ideas will start to stir beneath the surface of your consciousness.  Soon, ideas will float effortlessly to the surface — and you’ll become conscious of them.  The more you think about the ideas that emerge, the faster your mind will make new connections.  Before long you’ll have so many good ideas to write about you won’t have time for writer’s block.

You’ll be too busy scribbling all your great ideas down.

How long will you need to spend feeding your brain with great ideas before your own ideas begin to flow?

I watched those conference tapes for three days.

But the ideas were firing off in my mind well before the close of the third day.  So I would say the time is determined by the quality of the ideas — and perhaps the uniqueness of the ideas — you are feasting on.