Weird Tricks That can Demolish Writers Block when Blogging

Maybe I’m speaking for myself here, but writer’s block is 100 percent performance anxiety. It always seems to come when the pressure is on, or when you think you need to say something important or meaningful. Case in point – this post. I’ve had this topic simmering in my head for more than a month now. For weeks, I’ve been jotting down certain phrases and different ideas. You’d think this post could write itself. Uh, no.

How I Got From There to Here

You will find tons of resources on the Internet full of suggestions for overcoming writer’s block. Most of those ideas are genuinely tried and true strategies. My two favorites? Doing something else (it’s not quite procrastination…) and free writing. For this post, I first stepped away from my desk to do some housecleaning – there’s just something about menial, repetitive tasks that get me in the right frame of mind. Then I felt ready to write again. So, I just started typing, and found myself writing about the irony of my situation. It helped; I found my angle. These techniques work well when you have that one-off post, but when you consistently find yourself grappling with what to say and how to say it, you need to change the way you think about blogging.

Change Your Mindset

Writer’s block can be a special kind of hell for bloggers, especially when blogging is done for business. You know it’s one of the best things you can do for your clients, and you know that you have to do it regularly. Really, no pressure! But here’s the beauty of blogging, and trust me with the following phrase, because it will set you free:

Done is enough.

This one phrase about blogging uttered during a Sprouting Photographer podcast with Rachel was a huge moment for me. Always having something to write on a regular schedule can be a major hurdle, but just hitting “Publish” is enough. You don’t need earth-shattering revelations every week. Knowing that you’re writing in a medium in which you can go back and edit is also wonderfully freeing. You can adjust as you go along, see what works and what doesn’t. You don’t always have to write a 500-plus word post. It is perfectly acceptable to re-purpose old posts in new ways in the blogging world.

Blogger’s Insurance

Creative work doesn’t have formulas to plug in for answers. Sometimes creative work depends on those moments when you’re feeling most inspired, which is a huge reason why many bloggers don’t end up keeping a regular schedule. So, take advantage of the days when you are feeling inspired and use that energy to write an extra post or two. The best thing about keeping a blogging calendar is that you can plan ahead and have posts just waiting for you to publish. On your good days, you’ve created several posts and then you have them queued up ready for publishing. Think of this as your blogging rainy day fund.

For me, getting past the performance anxiety and the need to be perfect are key when I need to blog. Letting it all go, and getting it done makes all the difference. I hope changing the way you think, or making adjustments in how you write on the days when you write can help you too.

And, if you’re really stuck, you can always contact Fotoskribe. We’re pretty good at helping photographers overcome writer’s block!