30 Posts in 30 Days Challenge
Trouble Writing? These 5 Hacks Are Guaranteed to Help You
Tried and true methods for those days when it gets hard
Today was a weird one.
It’s Monday, I’ve had to cancel a job interview due to health reasons and didn’t get much done. As night fell, my mood fell off a cliff. I still had to get my writing done.
Don’t rely on inspiration alone
The devil of productivity is lurking and quick to call you out.
“Lazy bastard.” “You didn’t do the thing.” “Look at you, wasting precious time.” “Disgusting.”
Have you heard his voice? Do you know who I’m talking about?
When you rely on inspiration too much, you’re doomed. You will be at this demon’s mercy. On a good day, you will be riding high, smart words pouring out of you. And on a day like my Monday, well, you’re in for a beating.
So here are a couple of ways to escape the hell of self-reproach. Try these tips out the next time you need to write but feel you’d rather clean your room with a toothbrush.
1. Unplug and tune out
We’re all guilty of ignoring our bodies. I am the main offender in this category. So when you can’t get ahead, just get out. Leave the flat, take a nice, long walk. Don’t look at the time, let your feet do the walking. The longer the better. Fresh air will do you good.
Bonus points: If it’s winter, you’ll be looking forward to returning home, energized and ready to rumble. Feel free to replace the walk with a gym or any other sports class.
2. Repurpose old content
The probability that almost everything has been said and done is high. The same goes for writing. Thousands of blogs and websites are out there and someone has talked about the same issue you are currently tackling. That shouldn’t hold you back, though.
When you feel like you have nothing fresh to say, look into your archives. Which ideas or topics speak to you? I’m not saying you should copy and reword every bit of your previous work but let it drive you and inspire you to look at a new aspect of a bigger picture.
3. Lower your expectations
I mentioned Natalie Goldberg in an earlier piece of mine and I will do it again and again. Natalie is a renowned author and teacher of writing workshops. Get her book and thank me later!
Why am I bringing her up? In Writing Down the Bones she says this:
When you write, don’t say, “I’m going to write a poem.” That attitude will freeze you right away. Sit down with the least expectation of yourself; say, “I am free to write the worst junk in the world.” […] If every time you sat down, you expected something great, writing would be a great disappointment. Plus that expectation would also keep you from writing.
If you can’t write the piece you imagined, write the piece that you can write today. A good practice is to go the ‘Less is more’ route. Write 300 words. Build your article around 3 bullet points. We all have short attention spans anyway.
Take Carl Jeffers for instance. Lots of his pieces on Medium are short and sweet. This way he stays relevant, and memorable and leaves his readers hungry for more.
4. Use timed writing
Natalie again. I’ve previously talked about how you can use timed writing practice to break through writer’s block and discover what you are trying to say in your writing.
In short: Set a timer for 10 minutes, take a pen and paper, and start writing. Keep going, don’t let the pen stop if possible. Resist the urge to cross out. Follow your mind wherever it wants to go. Even if you start complaining, that will get old fast and you will find yourself exploring the thing that’s really on your mind.
Try it out.
5. Just do it!
The last one is the easiest and the hardest piece of advice I can give you.
If you don’t know what to say and how to say it, open a blank page and start doodling. Put “IMAGE” where the image is supposed to go. Name your headline “Headline” instead of wasting time coming up with an eloquent slogan and continue writing.
You can note down thoughts in bullet points or full sentences. Before you know you’ll be in the flow and wonder what took you so long. Writing is always its greatest reward.
Ever struggled with the blank mind and the blank page?
- Leave me a comment and share your best practices.
- Clap once for every time you felt like you did the thing you thought you could not do.
- Follow me on Medium so we can keep pushing each other.
Thanks, and see you tomorrow! ❤️✍🏻
Part of my Medium challenge — 30 Posts in 30 Days
Day 18/30
