Ctrl+Alt+Del Your Blogging: How to Defeat Writer’s Block

[Image courtesy: Drew Coffman]

Even the best bloggers out there have periods of time when they can’t quite get their blogging done, and they need to reboot. Given the nature of blogging and how it’s very fast-paced these days, even a relatively short case of blogger’s block can negatively affect the health of your blog. I’m sure everyone out there has their own set of coping strategies, so I don’t mean to prescribe a set of strategies for defeating blogger’s block. Instead, I just want to share some things that help me overcome my block; hopefully they can help you as well. And please feel free to share your own coping methods in the comments, as your methods might be even more useful than my own!

Do Administrative Tasks

The first thing you can try to do if you’re unable to blog is to turn your attention to the administrative tasks of running a blog. This way you can step away from the writing and get down to some other activity that is still useful to keeping your blog healthy. Send out emails to authors for guest posts.  Follow up with potential advertisers. Respond to comments. Check your analytics program. Redesign the template to be more user-friendly. Anything that addresses the health of your blog is still a positive activity, and it just might work to inspire you to write a new post.

Seek Unusual Sources of Inspiration

If you’re blocked, then maybe you should consider finding new and unusual sources of inspiration. In other words, maybe your block happened because you tend to write from the same sources every time you blog. If you write for a particular niche, then try to look outside of that niche for inspiration. For example, if you blog about gadgets, then look at a blog about architecture to see if you can learn any neat tricks from those bloggers regarding how they approach their subjects. Really, you’ll be surprised how well this works to recharge your brain.

Keep a Blogging Journal

Another way to avoid a block is to keep a blogging journal with you at all times. In this blogging journal you can write down ideas for your posts. You can take notes on others blogger’s posts. You can write down long-term goals or ideas you have about your blog. You can also keep this journal in other forms: you could record voice memos into your phone or video record yourself. The point is that whatever form your journal takes will allow it to be easily accessible and portable. You’ll want to always be able to record your moments of inspiration, because the constant habit of this will make it much easier for you to do your blogging seriously when you finally sit down at the computer.

Take a Break

Some of our worst blocks are the result of our putting too much pressure on ourselves. This is especially true of myself as a blogger. When I force myself to do too much work, or when I take on too many projects, or when I feel overwhelmed, sometimes the best thing I can do is step back from the computer, take a walk outside, or take a quick nap. Sure, it might eat up some of my deadline, but I’ve found that I feel doubly refreshed after a short break and can immediately throw myself into the work.

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about accredited online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.