It hits every blogger at some point in their blogging – bloggers block.
Whether it’s not being able to come up with a topic or whether it strikes midway through a post in which you just can’t seem to find a way to express yourself – bloggers block sucks.
So how do you over come it?
I once wrote a series of tips on the topic of battling bloggers block – but I’m interested to hear your own techniques for getting through these tough patches on a blog – what advice would you give a blogger struggling with it?
I just put blogging on the backburner and make sure to read other blogs in a variety of niches. Something will spark after reading enough.
Open up Text editor and start writing. Even if it’s nonsense.
Because most of the time it IS!
But…
at some point I remember things I have to do or are important and most of the time that will trigger a topic that I can write about.
Sounds stupid, but it often helps.
Usually I just don’t post until I’m inspired again.
But here are a few ideas:
*Check out the news and see if there’s anything that gives you ideas.
*Go to your forums and see what people are asking and talking about.
*See if there’s another part of your niche you aren’t exploring. Example: I’ve started a “stop smoking” section on my fitness blog.
Rewards!
For example, give yourself a target of 10 posts and then once you’re finished give yourself some treat, maybe that book you wanted but was a little too expensive.
Whatever works…
One thing that helps is finding the right topic to write about. If I’m halfway through a draft and seriously stuck, I’ll usually save it and try tackling a different topic. Rinse and repeat until I find the one that clicks.
It’s also helpful to go browse through my RSS reader for a while looking for ideas. Or, as I’ve been doing a lot more lately, going to Google Blog Search and doing some detective work. As an added bonus, I often find great posts to link to.
I’m also becoming aware of how important it can be to let go of what you’ve already written. Sometimes I get very attached to the draft of my post, and it’s not until I force myself to delete and start over that I get past the bloggers’ block.
I guess the last thing would be knowing the difference between bloggers’ block and laziness. If you’re really and truly stuck, it might be time to take a break. But if you’re stuck because you don’t feel like giving a difficult topic the effort it deserves, then it’s time to push yourself forward.
I use a simple text file saved to the desktop and jot down every single phrase that might flower into a full post one day. I’ve even actually used some of these ideas a few times! But the real value of this for me is in pre-sensitising my personal radar so that I better recognise, and respond to, the the things and events that are always around me.
My blog (which, granted, is still in its infancy) is about food. And, since we cook and eat every day no matter what, I have so far not experienced a shortage of topics. It’s just a matter of writing it all up after eating. :-)
I have your 31 days book Darren, and when I have a block I get it up and read through it. Generally after looking over a few days worth I start getting ideas and am able to get something written.
In fact last time this happened, I got inspired (not sure how, these things just happen) to do my Urban Myths series http://landlordlaw.blogspot.com/search/label/Urban%20Myths, which is now one of my fallback topics!
So thanks for doing the book. It was well worth the money.
I just start writing anything. I have a lot of pages filled with, “Jeez! Here I am again with nothing to say. I HATE this. OK…so…boy these socks are really stupid looking. Why would I pick these out. Why and how did we decide that tube socks aren’t cool anymore?” And then some how…some way…lessons present themselves.
I’m lucky because I don’t write about anything really. I just write about me…and what I see. I marvel at tech writers and such. How you know all that stuff I’ll never know.
When I’m suffering a bloggers block, I search for the trending (hot) topics on the Internet, research one of them, and write about it.
This usually cures my block for a while. I can then go on to doing my own thing until the next time.
This serves me in two ways:
1. I get to write something (anything).
2. Visits to my blog encourages me to blog again.
Hope this helps.
Jeffrey T, I totally agree with you . I think it’s very easy to chalk up lassitude as writer’s block. It’s a clever way out, but we should be aware of this trick and tackle it head on.
Well, this is a sticky situation. Throughout my daily activities, I always have a pen and a small pad of paper. If I get a brainstorm about a great subject that I feel would contribute to the masses, I jot it down on the paper. These small pieces of paper can hold about 10 quick notes. I do this constantly, and keep all of the papers in a drawer in my office. If I do get bloggers block, I dig into my collection of idea notes, and usually, can trigger a ‘thought-train’ that can help me complete the entry, or, if I’m really stuck, I can quickly pick another subject and it just seems to ‘flow’ because the notes on my papers were my original ideas to begin with.
mine’s more of a diary blog and since i made it through a particularly horrible (and unusual) childhood, there’s no end to the material i can write about when i’m reminiscing (especially when i find a LOLcat that says it all).
when i’m too busy working to really get into it, i usually use a quote by a famous person, a friend or whomever else as a jumping-off point to indicate how i’m feeling on any particular day.
I look for ideas in the writings of other bloggers in my niche. Sometimes I create an entire blog post: What other bloggers are saying” and comment on their posts.
I run an education site (options) and reply to reader’s questions – sometimes in the comments section, but often as a separate post.
Get away from the PC, get into the fresh air and walk for an hour or two. In a city, in the country, anywhere. Just getting some decent outside stimuli flowing always works for me.
Jump on Twitter, do a few searches for keywords in your niche, see what the latest buzz is, and jot down a few repeated themes. This can help jump-start the creative process and give you relevant ideas that people are currently discussing.
Rob – LexiConn
Leave ur blog for a while ,chill hang with your frnds raom in fresh air.
Why is it only writers who get blocked? I don’t know of any other profession or trade where you can say I can’t work today?
Now that might make an interesting blog! I’ll start researching. Thanks for your post!
Blogger’s block, writer’s block….however you might call it. Personally, I 1.) blog about something else other than what I intend to write, 2.) eat chocolates 3.) get off the computer and give in to the temptations of my bed 4.) read some things – I might get an idea or an inspiration or 5.) play the piano or the guitar.
I think that block is a way of saying that ‘hey, you’re pushing yourself too hard,’ or perhaps ‘yes, you’re lazy. go and be lazy for an hour or two.’
Sometimes you just have to give in to those pleasures, and be in a better mood. Once you’re there, words would simply flow.
Bloggers block usually goes away on its own after a day or two for me. I have found, however, I can get back to blogging faster by reading other blogs, searching out news on my topic and not getting stressed out about it.
I think it’s good to get away from the blog and do something active, like go to the gym to get the blood moving. My best blog post ideas always come when I’m away from my computer.
Lately I’ve been pulling out a piece of paper each time I get the “block”. I sit down and write down anything little slice of information that comes to mind. 95% of it is useless but from that list I seem to get a spark and finally back in the groove.
I would ssay visit forums in your nieche. You can find lots of questions asked by the members and try to answer those questions in bit detail as a blog post.
What really helped me was trying something new now. Maybe do an experiment or trial and post the results for the next two weeks/30days/etc. You could test out something that someone said or some fact that people regard as a given. Here’s some advantages I’ve found with my latest trial.
1. You won’t have to “come up” with content because you just post what happens. During this time you’re a reporter more than a creator.
2. You get into a blogging rhythm and you’re less likely to slack off because you’re accountable to your readers to post daily.
3. However long the trial/experiment is = how much time you have to think about other ideas to blog about.
Before you do this make sure your readers would be interested in reading about the trial and try to keep the quality of the posts up.
I keep a running list of potential topics and I try to jot down as much detail as I can about the topic when it first pops in my head because it’s often difficult to rejuvenate the excitement about the topic later on. Also, but having a list, sometimes I’ll just hop over to a different topic and see where I can take that one. If all else fails, I just think “It can wait ’til tomorrow. My readers would rather wait an extra day for a good post than read something half-ass because it’s Wednesday and it needs to be published.”
I did 3 things with moderate success
1.I used plinky(http://www.plinky.com/) to think on behalf of me
2.i use reblog feature on http://www.mybloglog.com
3.i keep looking for inspiring surroundings or people
I find taking a moment to open my iGoogle page and commenting on a few blogs always helps. Something about reading a few posts instead of writing changes my thought process.
Of course standing up and walking away for a few minutes, going outside, changing your environment, going for a walk or to the gym seems to help me as well.
When I get in a lull, I get videos off of YouTube and post them with some fairly minimal commentary on my part. This lets me keep up my post-per-day momentum while only writing a sentence or two.
I take the slack that the Youtube vids give me to rest, read other blogs, and exercise. That has (so far) always worked for me.
Personally, I cruise around the net commenting on blogs… kind of like what I’m doing right now. Or, I leave the house and walk around a store, particularly a bookstore, and my mind races.
I read blog posts and comments on other blogs of my niche.
Even when any idea spark in my mind that goes on the paper.
I used to have that problem of not knowing what topic to write on next, but I’ve since passed through that.
In fact, the problem I’m having now is finding the time to write the loads of topic ideas I have for my blogs. How I get topic ideas? Simple.
1. From the email messages, articles I get from a number of more experienced and successful Internet marketers and bloggers.
2. From reading blog posts of the gurus in my niche, visiting forums and reading comments and posts.
3. From private label articles that I buy.
4. From researching keywords, I get ideas of what topics people could be looking for to read.
5. From the news, including online news media.
Hope this helps.
Well, maybe this doesn’t apply to me, I have been blogging for only 10 months :) But so far I have not gotten blog-block! My problem is too many ideas and not enough time to write them all.
I have a little notebook in my purse, and one on my nightstand and I jot down little phrases or ideas as they come. I also have a word document on my computer that I am adding to every time I work.
I think if I seriously couldn’t think of anything, I would just spend the day with my kids and forget about it. Honestly, sometimes I wish my brain WOULD turn off!
Thanks Darren for bringing this up.
I basically use a combination of two sources to get article topic ideas for my site.
One, from private label right articles, which are highly informative and valuable to readers. However, I make sure to rewrite them before use.
The second source is comments and posts at forums.
From these sources I get lots of topic ideas, such that Blogger’s block hasn’t been a problem for me.
I just keep writing – any old rubbish, no worries about grammar, style or anything. Or even subject matter. And stop when I’ve hit the number of words I want. Then I can walk away and come back and polish later. It’s a bit like the morning pages of the Artist’s Way.
I try to pre-empt blogger block by having certain types of posts that I do on a regular schedule. I always write a post about what I am thankful for on Tuesdays, on Wednesdays I am Wordless, on Sundays I post a weekly reading list of links I found interesting and think my readers would find useful, on the first day of a month I write about a theme for the month and at the end of the month I sum up how that theme played out during the month. Keeping to a schedule helps me keep going, and that helps me keep my blogging muscle strong!
Practically speaking, my advice would be the same as most of the above suggestions.
However, there’s one “technique” I use for sparking the ideating engine. It’s pretty simple. I find a “virtual” friend on chat, ping a couple to find one that’s not busy, and start up a conversation. I ask questions about them, looking for anything that might be interesting in the life of someone else.
I find that the most innovative and interesting things I blog about come from the relationships in my life.
I have a tendency to mark a lot of webpages on stumble or digg. When I am having a hard time figuring out what to write I just start going back through things I have enjoyed in the past.
More often than not, I’ll come across something I thought would be good to write about and forgot about it.
The wonder wheel on google is also really helpful. Just search for a topic. The hit the show other button at the top and a sidebar will show up. About halfway down is the wonder wheel. It is a cool way to get from one idea to the next.
I agree with a lot of the others. I step away from my computer and get some fresh air. Jogging is great because it just seems to open your mind to a flood of new ideas – well it does for me anyway.
I’ve found that by doing the following things, I can keep new material on my blog site rather consistently:
(1) If you have an idea, any idea, for a blog post, do something to capture that idea. For me it is making a voice memo to myself on my iPhone.
(2) If you see something interesting on the Internet, use it as a blog post, add a few of your own comments.
(3) SCHEDULE, SCHEDULE, SCHEDULE . . . build up a couple weeks worth of blog posts so that when you hit a dry patch, it won’t prove to be as problematic.
(4) Don’t feel the need to pump out a new post every single day. I like to schedule every-other-day posts, then when I find something new or have an idea for a new post, I can plug them in on the “gaps” between days.
(5) Feature regular “topics” that you post on without fail. Devote certain days of the week to certain topics.
These things have worked for me.
I publish different things on different days of the week: one day a recipe, one day a craft and so on so its never stale… I have a diary that I carry around and as soon as I get an idea I pop it onto the next available day on that topic… I always have topics a week or two ahead… sometimes I just have to say something out of sequence, but mostly I just work through my diary…
Inspiration is in the eye of the behulder – I am always looking around – surfing mostly: not other mom-blogs that’s too close to my niche: I surf crafts, design, recipes… for inspiration. And if I am desperate for inspiration: people watch! Other folk are full of ideas and I just pop the ideas into the next page in m diary…
Ha ha about going “jogging” to generate ideas. If *I* went jogging, all I’d have to blog about is my trip to the hospital.
And now I feel compelled to leave a *real* comment.
Whenever I get blogger’s block, I look for a carnival to be a part of — where someone else has set the theme.
I guess this blog post was a question rather than an answer.
Oftentimes my best cure for “bloggers block” is, as another poster mentioned, a run. I experience tons of creative ideas while out running through the woods (unfortunately my brain is like a sieve and I retain half of them :-).
Conversations with clients will often stimulate blog posts, as will Twitter topics. Readers (and fellow Tweeps) seem drawn to the “7, 6, 10, 15 Ways to … fill in the blank)” topics so sometimes I just start with a number. I’m consistently surprised by how well that works.
Another good way to overcome “bloggers block” is to ask your readers a question :).
I always have a few backup posts that I write as extra on “hyperblogging” days (that’s my made-up-on-the-spot antonym to blogger’s block) to make up for those times of mental deficiencies. It also can remind me of interesting stuff that I thought of before.
I do not force myself to combat bloggers blog. If I face such a situation, I usually post a small poll on the blog or do not post at all.
I’ve not faced bloggers block but it’s great to read how others handle it so that if it happens to me I’ll have advance ammunition.
When I feel a block coming on I find it best to remove myself from the situation. Sometimes a walk or some time away from the computer (doing dishes or playing with the kiddos) does the trick.
I blog about my area which happens to be a tourist destination, so I often blog about stuff that I can physically visit. That helps me more than anything. I love packing up the laptop and sitting onsite somewhere blogging.
I would hope there is always the consideration, to question the block without bias judgment. Meaning, lets also consider the idea that this block is a signal of personal direction.
It’s not always something that needs pushed through, as if your required to overcome it.
Just write. I agree with comments above: give yourself permission to write crap and then go ahead and do it. You need not publish it until you are happy with the blog’s revision.
I just read others article and surely some of topic will come to my mind. This technique never fail to overcome my bloggers block.