In the immortal words of Bill Watterson, “You can’t just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood.” Unfortunately, sometimes it’s hard to put yourself in the right mood to be creative when deadlines are looming and you need content for your blog or social media immediately. How can you jumpstart your creativity or find any writing inspiration when you’re in panic mode?
Out of ideas for new, interesting content? Jumpstart your creativity with these proven strategies and beat writer’s block! #ITVibes Share on X
Beating Writer’s Block
Every author knows the feeling all too well. You sit down to write and find your mind is as blank as your computer screen. Alternatively, maybe writing feels like a chore more than an enjoyable part of your job, which makes you find any excuse to stall. If these problems sound familiar, it’s time to defeat your writer’s block! These strategies can help you get started:
- Learn to get excited about writing
- Find topics that interest you
- Develop your original voice
- Create your writing process
- Build a habit of brainstorming
1) Learn to Get Excited About Writing
You probably started writing because you enjoyed it. When and why did that change? If writing feels more like a chore, it’s time to rediscover your passion. Remember why you started writing in the first place. When you approach your writing schedule with a genuine desire to write and produce excellent content, you’ll find your original love for writing again.
2) Find Topics That Interest You
Obviously, you can’t write solely for yourself–you have to appeal to your audience, too. But there is almost always an overlap between the two perspectives. If your audience loves reading about social media trends and you enjoy writing about online marketing, write about how social media is a crucial tool to get your brand in front of consumers. A genuine passion for your topic will motivate you to do an excellent job as you write!
Pro Tip: The age-old advice “write what you know” still holds true. If you know a lot about a particular topic and are passionate about it, your passion and knowledge will result in a very well-written piece!
3) Develop Your Original Voice
While there are multiple purposes for writing, no author will deny that one primary reason to write is to express yourself. Everyone has stories only they can tell and a unique perspective that only they can bring. The best way to develop your own voice and writing style is to find what’s unique about your contribution. What can you bring to the table that no one else can? Find your unique edge and display it for the world to see.
4) Create Your Writing Process
Different authors write at different paces and using different strategies. Some may sit up well into the night to finish a particular piece and ride the wave of inspiration as far as it will go. Others get momentary flashes of ideas that they rush to capture and return to later. How do ideas come to you?
If you’re trying to rebuild a habit of writing or stick to a schedule for content (especially if you write for time-sensitive work like a blog), try a strategy of writing that keeps you on schedule and helps you avoid procrastinating. LifeRich Publishing suggests this 5-step approach to writing:
- Prewriting: find and plan your idea
- Write a rough draft
- Revise your content, voice, style, etc. as needed
- Edit your work for grammatical or factual errors
- Publish your completed work
5) Build a Habit of Brainstorming
Finally, never let yourself run out of good ideas! Make a habit of coming up with questions to answer or topics to research for your next project. Set aside time every so often to dedicate to brainstorming and researching. Most importantly, when you get a great idea, write it down immediately! Don’t let it slip away.
Keep Your Creativity Going!
Creative writing is a challenging job, but when you learn to find inspiration and produce content only you can create, it’s one of the most rewarding things you can do. Find your specialty and a great source of inspiration to get you started. What will you create next?
Connect with us to show off your work and get more ideas from fellow authors and creatives!