A simple tip for avoiding writers block - Leave a job half done
For someone who’s always banging on about being organised and completing tasks, it may seem odd to say leave a job half done, but it’s not as crazy as it sounds and it’s an approach I use daily in my article writing to avoid suffering from writers block.
Now I know that some authors are very sceptical about writers block, believing that it is a myth and an excuse for laziness. I don’t agree.
I absolutely love article writing and I have a large collection of ideas to write about. (At the last count over 1,000). However, a few months ago there were days when despite having the topic, the keyword, the article outline and any relevant research data my brain felt completely paralysed. I would type a sentence and then delete it because it was rubbish.
It didn’t matter how hard I tried nothing would flow and I could barely pull a paragraph together let alone an article. Two and a half weeks went by and I didn’t manage to complete a single article or blog. (I normally average 7 a day).
Eventually I managed to write a blog, but it took me about three hours which was painful when I’m used to writing one in about 30 minutes (including the editing). Although I was glad to be writing again, I wondered what I could do to stop it happening again or whether I’d just have to grateful that my writing drought had only lasted for two and half weeks.
But then suddenly I came across a tip suggested by someone I follow on twitter and bingo! The problem was solved.
He suggested that you should always leave an article half written at the end of the day (even if you want to finish it). The idea is that when you pick it up the next day you know what you’re writing about and as you have a half written article to read, you find it easy to start writing again. By the time you’ve finished that article your mind will be accustomed to the process of writing again and the next one should be easier.
Now it may not work for everyone and he didn’t suggest it would. The original idea wasn’t his own but one he adapted from a similar idea from Ernest Hemmingway (American Author and Journalist 1899 – 1961). However, I could see the logic behind the idea and thought I would give it a go.
For me it works a treat. Now I always leave that one article half written even if I find it’s flowing well. The next day I pick up my half written article and generally it takes me about 15 minutes to finish writing and editing. By the time that article is done and dusted I’m in the groove of writing again and away I go.
My writers block real or imagined seems to be a thing of the past and I’m very grateful for that. If you get stuck I suggest you give it a go.
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Spot on.. I have about 10 articles/posts/pages that I have started with a "seed idea" knowing I'll be back, I usually revisit the list every couple of days..
Nice one BIS.... Miss go getter .. let me know how the new install goes, PLUS if you are going to build a wordpress site may be worth keeping your eyes peeled ;)
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I do it slightly differently from you. II have huge lists of ideas and I have quite a lot of outlines, but I actually try not to have more than one article on the go at a time.
If I do I find that I then have lots of half written things and it takes me longer to complete them and I get stressed with the idea that I have all this half written work about.
The most important thing when writing articles or carrying out any other IM activities is that you have to find what works for you.
I love that term: Seed Ideas... I've never had a name for this.
I do this too. It just works for me. I don't see them as unfinished business. I see them as unpicked fruit. I harvest them in their own time, after I have all the other ingredients together to make something wonderful that compels my readers to devour it in one sitting. A real page turner! :0)
I had writers block once in 1972. I was on chapter seven of a scifi novel. I just laughed and chucked the novel in the trash can. That is how I got rid of it and I've never had it since. John
That's a great idea and may explain a lot of what I've been dealing with as sometimes the hardest part is coming up with that catchy first paragraph.
I have also fond that sometimes stepping away from the computer for a bit to take care of another task, like folding laundry sometimes gets my mind to think and come up with the perfect intro. Guess staring at a blinking cursor can be a paralyzer in itself.
Thanks for the great share!
Thanks Jennifer. I agree taking a break sometimes is a good idea. It helps to declutter your mind and then return to it refreshed.
That's a good idea. I'm going to try it. I generally write very rough articles with typos and misspellings, thoughts that ramble. I leave 3 at a time in that state, and come back to them in a day or two. The time space gives me perspective and clarity, so I pull them together at that point. Doing this takes some of the purpose tremor out of starting because you're not trying to be perfect or even good. And you're fresh when you finish the job. Works for me. Btw, I'm in total awe that you write 7 articles a day. Brava! I'm lucky if I write 2. Most I've written is 3 a day.
Thanks J - Good luck with it. I too have left articles half written for several days, but I tend to find it quite difficult to get back into them and feel like I'm losing focus. I'm always saying that people hve to find what works for them.
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Thank you Beverley, as I'm starting to learn what writers block really is and appreciate any pointers I can get to help prevent it.
Well this really does work for me, because it helps me to move on the next day. Also you can feel good if you don't have to finish something the day before. What I try to avoid though is to have lots of half written articles on the go. It works for some, but it actually just makes me feel more stressed.