5 Ways to Unblock Blogger’s (Writer’s) Block

August 8, 2016 / 53 Comments

If you are a blogger or a writer or involved in any creative pursuit whether it be for income or for pleasure, then I am sure that you are all too familiar with writer’s block (which I like to call blogger’s block) or creative block. Simply put, it is the inability to think of something to write (or paint or sculpt or sketch or create) and the condition of being unable to proceed with your creative endeavor. Speaking from the viewpoint of a blogger, we are faced with the challenge to create new and interesting content every time we sit down to draft a new post. And for me specifically, I am a terrible photographer (which is not the best quality for a fashion/lifestyle blogger), so if I want to get your attention then I really had better have something interesting to say.

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A few weeks back, I wrote a post about my struggle with blogger’s block and since writing that post, I have been brainstorming ways to unblock the block. The result of my brainstorming is this list of methods that help me jump start my brain and get the creative juices flowing again. In hindsight, writing that post about not being able to write actually gave me the boost in creativity that I needed.

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Granted there are tons of articles listing ways to overcome writer’s block or creative block. Just type “writer’s block” or “creative block” in a Google search and you will see for yourself. I have not read any of these articles as I wanted this post to be the ways I personally have discovered to help beat the blogger’s block. But, to be honest, I will probably go check out some of the other tips out there when I am done writing this post.

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So let’s get on with it…five tips, uninfluenced by outside sources, that I have discovered to beat blogger’s block.

1. Just start writing.

I already stated that writing a post about having nothing to say was probably the best step to take when confronted with a brain filled with absolutely nothing original to say. The act of writing, in and of itself, is enough to kick the creative part of the mind into action. Eventually you stumble upon some interesting topic that piques your interest and then you run with it. So I started writing about how I Literally Have Nothing to Say and eventually I discovered that I was saying something. And it turns out, I was saying something that readers actually were relating to!

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2. Read what others are writing.

This is a big one for me. When I am totally lost and uninspired on my own, I seek it out elsewhere. And being a blogger, I have an endless list of other fabulous sources where I can look to find inspiration. Getting super bogged down with managing my own website as well as managing a household and tending to two young children, I definitely don’t keep up with following along as much as I would like. So I take advantage of my blogger’s block time to catch up on reading some of my favorite blogs, websites, and magazines. You can check out who I look to for inspiration here. My post Are You Irresistible? came into existence just this way…I took an interesting article that a friend had sent to me and I created an entire post built around it.

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3. Find a favorite quote.

This tip has never failed me. If I am completely stumped on where to even start, I look to some of my favorite quotes (which I have jotted down in various journals and elsewhere) and I build from there. Sometimes the writing goes in an entirely different direction from where I began, but I don’t mind that so much as the point was really to just get started. For example, my post Mind Your Words has its origins with a quote that ended up buried deep in the body of the post, not at the forefront at all. ( “…for what are words but the body and dress of thought? And is not the mind indicated strongly by its outward dress?”) And this turned out to be one of my favorite posts. And to think it started out with blogger’s block!

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4. Ask for ideas.

Oftentimes, the easiest way out is actually just that…easy! And there is nothing wrong with taking the easy route every now and then. If you are coming up blank, just ask others for ideas. Ask your friends, your spouse, your kids, your readers. Especially your readers. I did just that at the end of my post Exciting Things are Happening on the Edge and many of you offered tips, ideas, and topics that you would like me to address. I received suggestions in the comments and via e-mail which is super exciting because I now have a list of ideas for future blog posts! And that leads me to my last tip.

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5. Keep a list of ideas.

I keep notepads on my bedside table, on my desk, on my coffee table, and in my kitchen. Oh, and one in my purse. If an idea strikes me, whether it’s a good one or not, I write it down. If someone gives me a suggestion, I write it down. So now, just 2 1/2 weeks after posting that I had nothing to say, I have list of 20 different topics for blog posts. I don’t know if I will actually create blog posts based on all 20 of these things because I am sure that new and better ideas will come to me in the meantime. But I still maintain my list just in case! And this post itself was plucked directly from my list as I sat at my computer to write and thought, “Hmmm. I’m not really sure what I want to say right now.”

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What are some tips that have helped you unblock the block? I would love to hear in the comments…and maybe at a later date I can publish an even more extensive list of tips to keep the creative flow going!

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Outfit details:
Jeans: Gap Factory Legging Jeans in Medium Wash.
Tunic: LC Lauren Conrad for Kohl’s (from last year). This Lace Yoke Swing Top in Faded Rose is similar but with short sleeves.
Cardigan: Ronni Nicole purchased from the Fort Drum Exchange. Shop other Ronni Nicole styles at JCPenney or Kohl’s.
Sandals: Joe Boxer for K-Mart (from last year). Similar here and here.
Necklace: Kohl’s Clearance. Similar here.
Earrings: Fort Drum Exchange.

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Unblocked on the edge (for now),

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Ups Where I Link Up

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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