How to overcome writer’s block and get creating!
Writers, entrepreneurs or anyone who is writing in any way shape or form, let’s chat. The old writer’s block, whether it is for the blog article you are writing for a client, the social media captions you are writing for your business OR the book you might want to tackle, it can be very frustrating.
Even the motivation to write can be a challenge. So how do you overcome writer’s block and get the motivation to create?
Of course, as Content Queen I’ve experienced writer’s block, but I also know that it is all a mindset. Over the years I have created rituals and routines to ensure I am excited and motivated to create and write content AND now I never struggle with the ideas that get me motivated to write!
So, let’s dive into what you need to ensure you don’t get writer’s block AND you can feel motivated to start writing (or creating).
Listen below!
Have a content strategy
Of course, this applies more to the entrepreneur or business owner who is struggling with ideas and inspiration to write.
A content strategy gives you a plan and direction with your content creating so you know where you are posting content and when.
But the content strategy I formed for my business and the one I teach to my clients is to incorporate themes, buckets and pillars. These ensure you NEVER run out of ideas and inspiration, so you are killing writer’s block before it even becomes an issue!
Here are what the pillars, themes and buckets are:
Pillars: The four content pillars are a framework that use inform, educate, engage and fun to help you create purpose behind the content.
Inform - to inform people on who you are, what you do and what you offer (like promo posts).
Educate - to educate people around your niche, this is the value added content.
Engage - to create two-way communication with your audience
Fun - to show the fun side of you and your business and the behind the scenes.
Theme: The theme you might discuss for the week on your core platform and repurpose to your other platforms e.g. if you are a side hustler digital marketer your theme for one week might be "writing long-form captions for Instagram". So, you talk about this throughout the week.
Buckets: The main issues or topics you address e.g. if you are a side hustle digital marketer you might have a bucket for "social media" and one for "life balance and side hustle lessons". You might also LOVE coffee so you always add coffee into your posts.
If you want more resources on any of these, they are featured at the end of this article!
Know your audience
To overcome writer’s block, it is SO important to know your audience. When you know your audience, you know the type of content you will be writing for them! Use your target audience and do the market research to generate these ideas!
You can use your audience to poll and quiz them on the types of content they want you to produce! Once you have that information, creating content becomes SO much easier! You can also track all of this inspiration and ideas in my content template!!
Even if you are writing a book or doing an article for your client. Knowing the audience it is intended for can help you overcome the writer's block you are experiencing.
Build up the content muscle
Generating ideas and building on inspiration to overcome any form of writer’s or content creating block comes down to your “content muscle”.
What do I mean by this? Well, training your brain to continually think of ideas and inspiration around writing content or creating content ideas comes down to the muscle you have built up.
For example, when you go to the gym, you build on your muscle to grow strength. It is the same with things like meditation, you practice meditation every day and you slowly build up that muscle to be able to present and to focus on the breath.
With content writing and content ideas, you have to build on that muscle to be able to generate these creative and inspiring ideas. You will get to the point where you think of ideas when you aren’t trying to think! How do you build on this muscle? Always write an idea when it comes, never assume you will remember.
Also, try and set yourself a daily reminder to think of ideas around your content creating, over time you will think of them naturally!
Energetically take yourself away
If you are really struggling with content ideas or your writer’s block, take yourself away! Go for a walk in nature, have a shower or bath (we always think of our best ideas in the shower right?) Do something that will get what you are working on out of your head!!
Once you take yourself away from it, it will allow you brain a rest AND you will come back to it fresh and ready for more inspired ideas!
Get inspired - listen to a podcast
If you are struggling with writer’s block and the motivation, listen to a podcast! To get more ideas, it will be ideal to listen to a podcast in the niche or field you are creating content and writing on!
Of course, never plagiarise or still someone else’s work, but this will help you to look at things from a new perspective and can really help generate more ideas! Ideally, you might what to make it a regular habit to listen to podcasts to prevent writer’s block happening in the future!
Do some mindset work
The mindset work is more of a preventative measure but can be done when you also energetically take yourself away from what you are working on.
Journaling and mediation work really well to clear your brain of any blockages you have! Journalling is a great way to get everything on your mind out on to paper. This is where you will also write your struggles and fears around what you are currently working on.
Once you journal out what is on your mind, it makes room for more inspired ideas! So, doing this as a regular habit is VERY beneficial for your motivation and inspiration in the future.
Meditation works the same and is more of a mind clearer! This should be done daily as well but can be done as a break away from your writing.
Of course, you also want to ensure you are present when you are writing. So, writer's block can happen when your mind is blocked from anything, not just the task at hand. Try and be present and work only on the writing and content creating you are doing. If you have something else on your mind, it makes for being in a creative space a challenge.
You might also want to think about your limiting beliefs that cause writer's block!!
Set yourself up for success
To get into a writing and content creating groove, you want to set yourself up for success. What does this look like?
Set yourself a 20-minute timer. Tell yourself you just have to write for 20 minutes and then you can have a 10-minute break! This is good for motivation
Pair it with a treat! Give yourself a treat after you finish what you are writing/creating. This is called pairing and works well for motivation
Create a nice space to write in! Light candles, have oils burning, whatever works for you! But make sure the space is inspiring and motivating for you! Even get outdoors if you can
Don’t leave it to the last minute…. Surely, I don't have to explain this? It is hard to overcome writer's block and motivation if you have left it to the last minute
Always set yourself up for success!!
Spark your creativity
If you aren’t feeling creative with your writing, find it in other ways for the meantime! Your creativity list can look VERY different than the old painting or drawing!
It could be:
Dancing
Getting in nature
Cooking
Reading
Listening to music
So whatever sparks your creativity, go and do it!! Spend time getting back into your creative power before you go back to writing!! Then make a list so you know what to do when you need more creativity in your life!
Have conversations
Talk to people! This could be people in your industry, people in your audience or even your client (if you are a freelance writer). Have conversations, this might spark ideas and inspiration to keep writing!
When you start talking about the topic at hand, you will be surprised by the ideas you receive from others! They also might actually give you the ideas!! Start talking!!
Plan ahead
As I mentioned before, don’t leave it to the last minute! If you are an entrepreneur creating content for your business, plan ahead! Have a brainstorming session at the start of the month and plan your content for the month coming!
When you leave things to the last minute, it makes it SO much harder to get inspired. This is when writer's block takes hold!
If you are a writer, plan your book, plan out the blog post into subheadings and then give it time to digest before you start writing, more inspiration will come in the meantime! DO the research, give it time and then start creating!
Have mantras and affirmations
Mantras and affirmations are always a great way to overcome limiting beliefs and to prep yourself mentally!!
Some of these can be:
“It is fun, and I enjoy it”
“Content creating is powerful and I love inspiring my audience with my content”
“Writer’s block is a mindset, so I set myself up to never get writer's block"
I mentioned some good ones in my podcast too!! Broadcast these to everyone, say them out loud to yourself or journal them! This can be powerful in the time you know you will be writing or creating a lot!
Create your own affirmations to overcome your writing or content creating struggles! Here is a really good guide and step by step process to create one for yourself!
The guide to unblocking your writer’s block
Of course, using what I have mentioned above to create your own guide! This can be on your phone or somewhere on your computer or even in your journal! But it is just a guide you refer to when you are experiencing writer's block or lack of motivation! In this guide, you will list all of the things to set your up for success with your writing!
Once you trial what works for you, then you can put it all together in a nice reference! This way you will NEVER get writer’s block again!!
What would be in your guide?? Come over to Instagram and tell me what your writer's block guide looks like!!
Final thoughts
Writer’s block, lack of motivation, no inspiration, whatever is stopping you from content creating CAN and WILL be overcome!
From taking yourself away from the piece of work to putting plans in place to prevent writer’s block, you need to action what will work for you!
Writer’s block or whatever it is you are struggling with is all a mindset! So, it is all about identifying what it is that is blocking you and overcoming it that way!! It might even be you need to talk to someone to generate ideas! I’m happy to be that person for you!
Once you know, it is all about creating the resource, so it never happens again!!!
