Mind Games
I've found a solution of sorts for those occasions when my brain turns to a lump of clay, and I can't get my teeth into writing.
I play a mind game with myself.
Let the Games Begin!
Oddly enough, I found that procrastination cures writers block. Who knew?
I start with a blank screen or piece of paper, do a bit of keyword research in my niche, and jot down a related topic in the WordPress editor. Keyword research is kind of fun; certainly there's nothing creative going on.
When doing keyword research, I just have a few rules. I'd like the monthly traffic in the Keyword Tool or in Jaaxy to be over 100 (but I'll take less), and that the competition in the Keyword Tool (which is the QSR in Jaaxy) is well under 100. Perhaps most importantly, I check to be sure the first page of Google for my keyword isn't jammed full of websites I have no hope of outranking. If I can't get on the first page of Google, I may as well stay home.
I can cope with keyword research even if my brain has taken the day off. Note that I'm just taking some notes, not really writing content. Just making a list of things I found interesting.
For my next trick, I pick a single keyword and search in Google for it - looking for an exact match "in double quotes". I do a little reading, and perhaps take a few notes as I go.
Mind you, I'm just checking into one of those interesting topics. At this point, my brain is completely sucked in, and thinks this is all part of my normal procrastination. Ha!
I jot down all the big pieces that describe the topic while I'm reading material in Google. I jot down those that are most related to my interest - just listing them in the editor. You'll notice I'm beginning to make an outline here. Let's keep that just between you and I. As far as my brain is concerned, I'm still not writing. My brain is barely aware it's in use.
What's more, I have no concern about what anyone else will think of my little list. I haven't published anything, and there's nothing "out there" for others to critique. I'm safe; I'm just researching. My brain is still idling.
Before you know it, I have 6 or 8 central pieces to my little outline that I can expand. I exit my browser, and start adding thoughts under each of those central pieces. Mind you, I'm just fleshing out my outline with some related thoughts. It's still just a draft, you understand, and no one can see it but myself.
The Hat Trick
I'm couldn't live with myself if I left it like that though. I mean, I don't even send out an email looking like this. Sentence fragments abound, and capitalization and punctuation are all wrong... so I put on my proofreader hat. Since I'm creating actual sentences and tying them together, I begin creating little transitions from one paragraph to another. Mind you, I'm still not "out there", I'm just proofreading - the same as I would before sending an email. I haven't sent anything to anyone, and (heaven forbid!) I haven't published anything.
It's finally beginning to look like something finally - a research paper! Boring!! Off comes my proofreader hat - it's time to don my editor hat. It's time to add a title on it (an H1 tag) and sprinkle some H3 headers where the major parts of the research outline create logical breaks in my creation. Oddly, the new headers make the whole thing look better; the whole thing is getting engaging and sucking me in as I read.
I'll just add a picture or two, and suddenly the whole thing is beginning to look even better! Wait... there was something else... what was it? Ah - the keyword! I just need to make sure it's in my H1 tag, and make sure I've worked it into my first paragraph! Done!
The editor is pleased. It's time to push the "Publish" button.
Wait! What? It's done and out there for all to see??
Well, OK - perhaps it's not too bad, coming from a lump of clay!
So I re-read the article, and decide that it really looks pretty good - and traffic from 'out there' on the Internet begins trickle to my well written, carefully proofread, and masterfully edited work of art!
Oddly enough, it appears procrastination cures writers block!
Good luck with your articles!
Dennis
Could you use a couple of free tools to make Brainstormin' easier for your writing efforts? Check out these two blogs:
Recent Comments
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That's pretty nifty. I use something like that when I'm stuck on doing a webpage. I have fewer problems with blogs. But webpages, oh, man. My brain freezes up like an ice cube.. So I fall back on research. I used to be a librarian. And an English major and grad student. I know how to do research. I can research you silly. So that's what I do. Until it starts to look like something. Just as you do. It is the only way I can function. Otherwise I'd be staring blankly at the screen all day, chewing on my fingers. But thanks for writing up the process. It helped me clarify what I do in my head. That was helpful. Thanks.
Sheila
It's good to hear that no one is immune to the brain-of-clay syndrome, Sheila! Thanks for chiming in!
Dennis
Love it, I left you a comment on your website. I do similar, but your article has reminded me to go with a little more research on key words and additional research. Thanks.
Hi Dennis,
Good picture - the brain looks like a lump of clay ... lol.
Great website, have given you a comment.
Thanks for taking the trip and making the comment! Give me a nudge when you'd like a comment made on your site. Just pass along a URL - it would be my pleasure!
Dennis
Thank you Dennis.
If you haven't been to our site cheekychihuahuaproducts.com feel free to have a good browse.
By the way we just sent your URL to DianneF to have a look at your how to cure writers block blog.
She has a similar blog out there as well at the moment.
I stopped by Dianne's profile and site, and left a note on her profile when I began following her. Hmmm... I sound like a stalker.
I visited your web site and left a comment. You're very knowledgeable about Chihuahuas - and I'm doing well just to spell the name of the breed correctly.
You may be chuckling now, but I just went back to your site to copy the word so I could paste it here. So sad... I have so much to learn!
Dennis
We all need a good laugh Dennis.
Thank you for commenting on our site as well.
We have Replied to that comment on http://cheekychihuahuaproducts.com/health
I get overwhelmed sometimes trying to choose the most effective thing to do right now, and end up doing nothing. So at those time I just pick something trivial and ineffective to do because something is better than nothing. Those trivial things add up over time and after awhile you realize that a lot of real work got done.
Hi Gary -
I put most of the original content from this blog up in response to a blog comment by Anny (Andziabel) at No Cyber-Cred Then I realized my response was a bit long and that I could 'pretty it up', so I moved to this page as a blog entry. I left a link at Anny's blog where my original lengthy answer had been - so visitors there would arrive here.
Finally, figured it would be best if I moved the whole thing to my web site, for a couple of reasons:
- I could align images left, right, and center
- I could play with other formatting changes
- and last but not least, my blog page would get a backlink from a PR3 web page at WA (this page).
So... my question to you. Did you find it a hassle to go to the web site to read the page? Did you read the whole thing, or just the bit that's here?
Thanks for your thoughts.
Dennis
I was just commenting on this page. But I have seen your web post now. It is amazing how a little idea can take root and grow to something much bigger. In a year your big decision will be to publish PROCRASTINATION as hardbound or just go with paperback. :)
Spectacular!
Everyone comes pre-wired to procrastinate when confronted with something we don't want to do. Why not take advantage of that tendency, play around a bit, and pleasantly surprise yourself when an article suddenly materializes in the WordPress editor?
Best of luck with it!
Dennis
That's it for me though! I've completely burned out all my neural circuitry. Psychologists are even now responding to an emergency call for reconstructive therapy.
Good luck with that!
Dennis
P's I've aded a cupple of snippets for you to punctuate y just incase the clay is setting :)
Very interesting g method you have going on there and one that I am going to be utilising soon! great post as always ;)
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Hi Dennis,
I left a comment on the post. Your website is just great. Very professional. Could you comment on one for me? http://blogliving.net/7-reasons-to-start-a-blog
Every time I see your profile pic, I crack up. I know it isn't really you. You are a funny guy. Also, I like the back of the bald head pic. You must be fun at a party!
Thank you,
Gina Gonzalez
Hi Gina -
It's fun to play a bit while writing, kind of like whistling while you work. My challenge is to avoid going back and massaging what I just wrote, wasting large chunks of time.
Come to think of it, that may have been my New Year's resolution back in '03.
I'm off to check out and leave a comment on your site. Good to hear from you, and thanks for the comment!
Dennis