Defeating writers block

I'm sure most of you reading this are all "writers" in some way.

If you have an assignment to complete, an email to send, a letter to write, a book to edit, a website to fill with content, a news piece that needs completing then you are a writer.

How many times have you stared at the screen / blank piece of paper, decided it was too hard and decided to leave whatever it was to another day?

In a traditional sense, you can call this "writer's block" . In reality it may just be, we're really not sure what we want to say "so we'll just think about it for a minute or two", in other terms we could call it procrastination.

The best and easiest way to get over this - well I'll give you 2 ways (well three) and they can be combined quite easily - these are:

1. Write as if you are "speaking" to another person and someone you know. Explain to them what the problem is and explain how you intend to answer the problem / question.
2. Don't start at the beginning. Many a writing project has been stalled because you can't write the introduction. Answer - don't write that part first.
3. Read it out loud. It is amazing how slack our writing can sound when we read it out loud.

I do a lot of my preparation work on paper. Yes with a pen so I can scribble, cross out, change. But that's up to you. Only when I think I know what the structure is going to be do I transfer that to the computer and write in the headings / points I want to cover.

Once that part has been completed, I choose one of the headings and I write the contents of that section. Where you choose to start writing is up to you, but I choose an area I feel I know the most about. Once I have written the first draft of that "bit" I move onto the next bit. Once I think I have covered most of the sections, I close down the document and do something else. Yes you heard me correctly.

I never write and edit a major piece on the same day if I can help it - and the why is interesting. What you think is a coherent sentence one day may sound like utter drivel the next. Every one of my articles and books have been written in that way - and believe me I am quite prolific in the writing department and not just on motivational topics.

When I next sit down at my computer (usually the following day), I open up the piece and I start reading and editing the main body of the work (those "bits" I'd written before).

When I read, I start at the first point of writing, and add "joining" words and sentences so the writing flows easily from section to section. You will understand what we mean by "joining sentences" when you read a sentence, read the next sentence and realise something is missing in between. Once I have read it and edited it back, I then add the conclusion. Only then do I write the introduction / abstract and / or executive summary if necessary. Then I create the table of contents page, add a front cover (if required) and save it. 

Believe me when I say the day 2 editing and reading process takes a fraction of the time you think it will but it hones and tightens your writing like nothing else can.

If you have the time, and really want to tighten the piece, start from the last paragraph and the last sentence of the last paragraph. Read that. Does it stand alone? Move to the next sentence and read it on it's own - does it work as a sentence? Repeat the reading process backwards sentence by sentence. Once you have reached the start of the paragraph, then read the entire paragraph, does it stand alone as a good piece of writing on the particular point you are trying to make?

You can overcome writers block when you are not constrained by the normal process of writing and starting a piece at the beginning and writing until you think it has been completed - so if you do struggle to work in a traditional beginning, middle and end structure, don't do it.

As always - with many thoughts