7 [Real] Ways to Unleash the Top Writer in You When You’re Hustling in Writer’s Hell

Get unstuck’ed

It is tough when you want to be consistent in writing…

… And you are having a bad day.

You want to, but you cannot. That wretched flashing cursor won the day.

But not for long. Its days are numbered.

Because now, you know what to do.

1* Start with conversations

I know how it feels when I wake up feeling word-stuck.

• I am not waking up to a raw headline,
• Nothing around me inspires writing some words,
• I would look for investment ideas rather than ideate for writing.

In short, I’m stuck.

I used to allow myself to be stuck. I would tell myself that it is okay, that I am having a wretched day, that I need a break, and that I’ll be back in full force tomorrow.

I’ve evolved.

Now, I know [exactly] where to look for inspiration.

Conversations.

I tap into What’s App and search for unread messages from my Medium chums, mates, pals, and gal. I go through their texts, thoughts, and ideas.

It can be about,

• Money,
• Writing,
• Wealth,
• Shoveling snow,
• Eating ice cream with their girlfriend(s),
• Bringing their kids to the Swiss Alps for hot cheese,
• Simple laments over boosted stories and why they earn less than unboosted ones.

30 unread messages in, and I will be ready to tap my next 60 minutes away.

Yes. Trust me. We [just] need our brains to start rotating.

And we’re back in business.

2* Have the guts to disagree

Sarina Chiu wrote a piece on being happy with $132/day.

This is the article.

I had the honor of reviewing her unpolished draft before publication. I will spare you the agony I went through.

In short, it violated every blood cell and neuron in me.

It was an upsetting read [actually].

It baffles me how and why people would want to live a life of financial defense in the name of A Good Life instead of proactively seeking growth and abundance.

But that’s me. Not Sarina. I respect her ideas. It was very well flashed out.

But.

I got annoyed.

It triggered me to write an article in response. It was a conversation I had with my Mum months back.

I wanted to present the forgotten side of the coin.

You can do that too.

• Go find an article you disagree with.
• Write an article with your counterarguments.
• You can finish the raw draft within 60 minutes. Maybe less.

Yes. It works. I promise.

3* Eavesdrop

Ask Matt | Financial Imagineer, and he will tell you this.

I am a Master Eavesdropper.

I hang around cafes while in between client offices. It is my way of winding down before I prepare for the next round of client hi’s and bye’s.

I tap into the conversations around me when I sip my cup of black.

People talk bad about their bosses, complain about their meager salaries, and talk big about their profits from cryptocurrencies and how they will retire in 5 years if not for the giant crash in 2018.

Blar, blar, blar.

Well.

They might be whining. Or pissing their thoughts here and there. I don’t chime in. I collect their wasted thoughts and convert them into articles.

I thank them when any of “their” articles hit a home run.

4* I rewrite my friend’s articles

With their permission, of course.

I do that with Denis Gorbunov, Matt, and Sarina. We experiment actively.

We wanted to prove that our writing ideas work. Especially those that have low readership and engagement.

So, we ask others to rewrite our articles their way.

It helps us see what we miss.

It helps us see how different people perceive the same topic differently.

If I have to pick that one lesson to supercharge our writing — This is it.

Rewrite.

Do it when you are out of ideas.

Of course, get permission.

Your friends will be happy that their ideas get a second chance.

5* Talk Money

This is, by far, the easiest topic to write about in my personal experience.

No one, no one, can escape the clutches of money.

Everyone thinks about it, frets about it, or actively dismisses it.

I don’t know where you stand, man. But that is not the point. This is.

With money,

• Millions of people say more is good,
• Millions of people think less is happy,
• Millions of people aim to be wealthy without putting in the work.

It does not matter.

Pick a stand.

You win fans from one camp and offend the other 2.

No matter what happens, you get eyeballs. Maybe not a million. But a healthy some.

6* Big markets win

Firstly, I am not against niching.

It provides focus.

But you must know where the eyeballs are. Don’t get too niche to a point where only 3 readers will read your craft.

Start from the big markets, experiment, and then narrow down.

Start here.

• Money,
• Health,
• Retirement,
• Relationships,
• Self-improvement (whatever that means),
• Writing,
• Travel.

You will get some eyeballs. You will.

If not, read # 7.

7* Work on your headlines

This is my recent epiphany.

Rewriting my headlines gives me a fresh new storyline. No kidding.

Imagine I am inspired to write this article.

‘7 Ways to Be Rich’

I can expand it by rewriting this headline.

• ‘Matt is a Quiet Millionaire. Here’s How He Got There.’
• ‘My [Really] Boring Cousin Made Millionaire at 37. Here’s What I Learned.’
• ‘I Tried Convincing My Mum $150/Day is All We Need to Be Happy. She Said I’m Naïve.’

In each expansion, I added a different protagonist, spin, and perspective, creating a different storyline, thereby branching out from the initial topic umbrella.

Denis is right.

He works on writing 10 headlines daily.

I share his sentiment.

I craft 10 storylines daily.

It oils the inspiration cog.

Take your pick. Both methods work.

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Oh, oh, you can buy me a cup of black too! Thank you!