Summary

The article provides three unconventional strategies to overcome writer's block for both freelance nonfiction and creative fiction writers.

Abstract

The article addresses the common issue of writer's block by suggesting three imaginative strategies to help writers, particularly those under tight deadlines, to start writing. The first strategy involves pretending the assignment is a fun activity rather than a contractual obligation, which can help to alleviate pressure and stimulate creativity. The second strategy suggests creating a sense of urgency, as if the writer needs to complete the task before heading to the airport, to motivate focused writing. The third strategy recommends framing the writing as a letter to a friend or loved one, which can make the process feel more personal and less daunting. The article emphasizes that these approaches can shift a writer's perspective, making the task at hand more approachable and allowing for a smoother transition into the writing process.

Opinions

Writer's block is presented as a significant frustration for writers, especially when facing deadlines.
The article suggests that a change in perspective can be an effective method for overcoming writer's block.
The strategies are not meant to be taken too seriously, indicating a light-hearted approach to a common writing challenge.
The author believes that writing with a sense of urgency or for personal enjoyment can lead to better productivity.
The article implies that the initial draft does not have to be perfect, as there is always an opportunity to edit later.
The strategies are versatile and can be applied by both nonfiction and fiction writers.
The author emphasizes the importance of getting words on the page as the first crucial step in writing, regardless of the approach taken.

3 Serious Strategies For Writers Facing the Blank Page

Writer’s block doesn’t have to be a big deal.

Hey, does this sound familiar?

You’ve been handed an assignment from a digital marketing agency to knock out a thousand words on property management services. You’re getting paid pretty well, which is good because the cell phone bill is coming due.

You sit down and do some research. You bookmark a few pages to refer back to. You open up a new Google Docs file and…

Jeez.

Like a needle scratching a record, it abruptly comes to a stop. “How should I start this?” you ask yourself.

And you do that thing where you rub the back of your head and look around and then back at the page and still… nothing.

Sucks, doesn’t it?

For freelance writers who are often under constant deadlines, it can be very frustrating. Sometimes that frustration spins into a downward spiral that no amount of coffee-flavored ice cream will soothe.

The good news is that there are strategies for both freelance nonfiction writers and creative fiction writers to move past their writer’s block. I call them “serious” in the title of this piece but don’t take that too… um… seriously.

Read on. You’ll see what I mean. It all comes down to shifting your perspective a little.

Imagine this is for fun

What if you were writing your current assignment not as an assignment you are contractually obligated to finish but as something you sat down to write for fun?

Open your new, blank document and try spending five or ten minutes imagining what you’d write about your topic if you were doing it just for fun. How might you do it differently?

If you’re not the sort of person who does something just for fun, then still try to separate it in your head from the writing being a paid freelance assignment. Maybe imagine it as a personal blog entry. Or a long note you’re writing to yourself.

You can always go back later and edit it for your client. The important thing is to get the ball rolling.

Pretend you need to get this done before heading to the airport

Ever wake up in a panic, realize you’ve overslept and need to be somewhere soon but have to do a whole bunch of prep beforehand? Jeez. have you even started packing for your trip?

It may be a stretch, but try to summon up… well, maybe not that same amount of panic, but perhaps a sense of an unexpected shortening of the amount of time you have available to get a piece of writing done.

If it’s 9am and you’re having trouble getting started, imagine you have to turn the piece in by 10:30. You wouldn’t want to miss a deadline, would you?

Frame it in the form of a letter to an old friend or loved one

“Dear Chauncey,

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a will and a trust? Someone asked me the other day about this and I had to do a whole lot of research. These are some of the things I learned.

For instance, did you know that…”

Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Of these three suggestions, this is the one that has never failed to help me begin getting words down on a page when I, for whatever reason, just could not get started.

My writing rarely stayed in letter form but would eventually morph into the actual freelance writing piece I was assigned. Again, it’s a simple shift in perception of your work that can be all you need to get past your initial block.

And you can always go back and edit.

Not just for freelance nonfiction writers

If you’re a fiction writer who is having trouble getting that next chapter started, these strategies may work for you as well. A friend who has sold over a hundred short stories never thinks about writing a new story as a job but as something she does for fun. The editing part that turns it into a job can come later after some words are on the page.

Getting the words on the page is the crucial first step. It doesn’t matter how the process begins, only how it ends.

Why so serious?

Work is so serious. So serious that it can sometimes make us think the stakes are too high to make a mistake or to do a lousy job. As a result, we freeze up.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Lighten up and take a less severe approach when you find yourself blocked. No one has to know.

Sincerely…