How to Block Writer’s Block

Strategies to keep the creative juices flowing

“Writing about a writer’s block is better than not writing at all” — Charles Bukowski

After two years as a professional writer, I’ve never had writer’s block. I’ve just discovered strategies to keep the juices flowing. And so can you!

Here’s how:

Write about what you WANT to write about.

It seems easy enough, but as a freelancer, especially a newbie, it’s tough to find gigs you like. I’ve been there. One of my first jobs was blogging about period panties. Yes, you read that correctly: period panties.

You have to make money, but as a writer, you’ve also got to enjoy your craft. Even if you’re writing about coffee (or even period panties), try to dedicate time to write for YOURSELF.

Write here on Medium, start your own blog, free journal, but write about something you care about, even if you’re experiencing writer’s block due to a hovering deadline.

Our minds are tricky beasts, and writing about what you care about stirs up ideas for those topics you don’t like. If you keep digging, then hopefully the future will bring clients with engaging topics you love.

Read… a lot.

Thanks to the World Wide Web, we have unlimited information at our fingertips. When you find yourself lost for ideas, take a break, open your browser, and read what’s trending.

Don’t know where to start? Try this handy site where you type in a keyword to see what’s trending in that topic today.

Another resource that keeps my creative juices flowing: Brainy Quote. What better way to spread ideas than by reading smart sayings from famous people?

Consider yourself SPARKED.

Step away from the screen.

You can’t write forever because, eventually, your brain fogs up. When my sentences sound like chop suey, I know it’s time to take a break. This isn’t writer’s block. This is just your body telling you to regroup.

The solution: Go out to eat, run, watch reality TV, and then return. A change of scenery will beef up those ideas in no time.

Have a conversation.

Note: Talking to yourself doesn’t count because 2+ brains are better than one.

Many freelancers combat isolation. Again, I’ve been there. It’s incredible how many of my articles resulted from a chit chat with my mom or a humorous sentence from my hubby.

It doesn’t matter who you talk to, but talk.

My three year old has even sparked some gems.

Put a twist on an old article.

In no way am I advocating for plagiarism, but ideas are contagious. Go back to an article you saw online and liked. Can you put a spin on it? Is there a line that resonates with you that could translate into a story?

Go back and read your own work to see if something sparks. If an old blog post you wrote propels you to write a story that relates, link it later.

Write an interview.

Interviews are my thing. To this date, I’ve written at least 200 of those suckers. And the good news, interviews are a hot commodity that clients always need. Think about it: there are interviews in magazines, newspapers, blogs.. the list goes on.

And interviews don’t take a lot of brainpower because EVERYBODY has a story, and you don’t need to come up with one from scratch. Plus, quotes are accessible content to add that don’t require you to think much.

So what are you waiting for? Use one of these strategies to block writer’s block WRITE AWAY.

Amanda Clark-Rudolph is a freelance writer who specializes in interviews, education, and lifestyle blogs. To find out more about her work, visit www.writeonfreelancing.com.