One thing that I hate is writer’s block. It stops me in the middle of a story, article, or blog post, and it leads to half-finished work. It prevents me from making money blogging.  I’m sure you’ve suffered from it, too, and it often leads to procrastination.

The sooner we get over writer’s block, the better.

The trick is to figure out why writer’s block has occurred. To do this you’ll want to take a step back from your work. I get that it’s going to be hard for you. You make money online from your writing. You can’t just take time off. That’s the thought, anyway. The truth is that you need the time off for a clearer mind to improve your ability to make money writing.

Trust me when I say that I’ve suffered from writer’s block. I still suffer from it now and then, mostly with my fictional writing. Writer’s block isn’t something that just magically disappears.

Any writer who tells you they don’t suffer from it (and some will) isn’t telling you the full truth. Nobody is that perfect! They just may not call it writer’s block.

It’s all about how to handle the problem. You need these writing tips to get over it as soon as possible.

So, these are the steps that I take to deal with writer’s block.

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Why am I writing?

I usually struggle with writer’s block when I’m not doing something I love. Why keep doing it, you may ask? It may be because it’s a piece for a client that I’m just not that into.

This is a problem when you only write for money, which I why I have fun with my writing. The thing that makes it worse is that you know you need to write to make money. I take a break from the piece and move onto something that I will enjoy. This usually gives me the steam to continue with the money-making piece after about half an hour of working on something I like.

There are times that I’ll write for fun – and often make no money from it at all.

I also use the Pomodoro technique when writing for a client. I’ll set the timer for say 20 minutes and just work on that piece of writing. I’ll focus my efforts on it to avoid procrastination. Uncontrolled procrastination makes writer’s block worse.

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Do I need a break?

I’ve been known to burn the candle at both ends. This is a problem with writer’s block. When the brain needs a break, it won’t give you any more ideas.

When this happens, I need to take a step back and do something else that I enjoy. This could be cooking and baking, arts and crafts or exercise. Sometimes I do something that I’ve been putting off for a while like cleaning the house or organizing my desk.

When my brain is telling me it doesn’t want to work, I have to listen to it. Otherwise, I go into work halfheartedly and get stuck part way through pieces.

I need to give myself the break to recharge.

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Is that really in character?

If you’re fiction writing and struggling with writer’s block, you could be making your characters do something that isn’t quite in their…well, character.

Sound strange?

When you write your characters, you give them personalities. I’ve found that they take on a life of their own and tell me what they want to do next in the story. If I try to make one do something that uses the personality of another, it’s like they all go on strike. I can’t get past it until I realize I was making them doing something out of character.

Take a step away from the scene and think about the characters you’re writing about. Sometimes, they’ll tell you what they want to do and it’s up to you to work that into your story. Other times, they won’t really know themselves and you have to find something that works for them. This can take time.

This is why I have many projects on the go at the same time. I need something else to work on if my creativity struggles with something else.

Could I revamp a post instead?

If you really need to make money blogging or writing, you may think that you need to create new content. Well, there are times that new content is good, but you could always update old content.

This is a trick I’ve been using lately. In fact, I’m doing it as I type. This post was originally done in March 2013, but I updated it and added in this section in April 2017! I’ve added new information in August 2019 as I’ve transferred it to a new blog. New information needs to be included as we get better at writing or as we develop our blogs.

Revamping is always much easier. You can come up with an extra 200 words or so for an already written piece than try to come up with 1000 words or so based on a blank sheet.

 

Can I move onto another client?

Writer’s block isn’t always a problem across the board. It could be just with one particular piece of content. There’s nothing wrong with rearranging your day slightly.

Instead of writing for one client in the morning like I usually do, I’ll look at doing a blog post instead. Or I may look at the Entertainment News for a few sites. TV show recaps can sometimes be the break that my head needs to get on with client work.

Writer’s block is annoying but you can take control. The more you worry about your writing, the harder it will be. Take some time off, have fun baking or go for a run. Find something that works for you. Once you do that, you’ll find your brain can recharge and helps you get past your writer’s block.

If you need help getting over writer’s block and getting ideas for posts, don’t forget to sign up for my new email list. I’ll bring motivation and ideas straight to your inbox.