Whether you’re a journalist or a content marketer, you may experience writer’s block from time to time in your quest to create shareable content. It’s no wonder: With the pressure of cranking out content each day, you’re only human if you feel stumped for ideas or have a hard time getting started on a piece. Here are five ways to get inspired and be ready to hit “publish” in no time.
1. Change Your Environment
Simply changing up your area in which you are writing can help re-ignite your creative fire. Avoid the distractions of meetings, co-workers and ringing phones and write at a coffee shop. Working from home? Clean up the apartment really quick, or move your desk to a new area. If the weather is nice, head for the deck and work outside.
2. Purposely Write Like Garbage
Perfectionism is paralyzing. Instead of hopelessly searching for just the write words, type out what you want to say exactly as you are describing it in your head – babbles, extra words, disorganization and all. Remember: Everyone’s first draft sucks. Half the battle of writing is re-writing, but you need to start somewhere.
3. Read the News
Don’t even know what to write about? Check your Google Alerts and Google Reader and see what the current events are. Think of a way to leverage a recent news event with a unique angle. Offer your company’s expert opinion on the event, or make a pun everyone will love by mentioning a popular personality in a clever headline.
4. Skip the Intro
Sometimes the hardest part of writing a post is just getting started. If you have the rest of your piece outlined, just go ahead and write the meat of the article and add your introduction sentence last.
5. No Frills, Just Text
If you can’t actually leave the office, another alternative may be to focus your work environment at your computer as much as you can. With WriteRoom, you can hyper focus with a simple, all text work environment.
6. Realize Social Media Can Help
With so many Facebook photos, Tweets to Catvertising videos and chat windows popping up, social media can be a distraction in the writing process. Try making it helpful, though. If you need a source, example or idea to include in your blog post, ask your Facebook friends and Twitter followers for their input.
7. Timebox Your Project
Sometimes, writer’s block is just a matter of being distracted and procrastinating. By putting a hard-stop to projects, you force yourself to buckle down and reach the end of your project. Try a tool like E.ggtimer, or even just your cell phone, to set an alarm for you. Creating a mental challenge for yourself in which you have to get something done in 20 minutes will help you focus.
How do you fight writer’s block so you can create shareable content on your blog? Let us know in the comments!
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Once you beat writer’s block, make it simple for your readers to share your great content with Shareaholic.