Earlier this Halloween week, in Part I of this article, I shared several ideas for beating back the Writer’s Block Demon. Let’s look at a few more.

• Cut your writing task down to size.

Sometimes you may feel that your writing assignment is so overwhelming that you just freeze up. It seems like a big, tangled mess that you simply cannot bring yourself to tackle. Well, it may sound like a cliché, but if you zero in on smaller parts of the piece you are writing, you can break it down into manageable chunks. And if you list them all and cross off each one as you accomplish it, you can track your progress.

Set up milestones for yourself and celebrate when you reach them—with a little reward for a job well done, such as a favorite snack or a special outing. For example, you may set your goal at a certain number of pages per day, or a few paragraphs on a subtopic or two. As you begin to reach more milestones, your small bits and pieces will fit together into larger components that increasingly resemble your envisioned final product.

• Listen to yourself.

Sometimes people shut down when it comes to writing, yet are very free and easy with their speech. That can be a real strength! Since your writing should sound as conversational as possible, if you have a gift for sounding good in person, you are already halfway there.

My clients often know exactly how to say something orally, but that knowledge gets lost somehow in the writing process. I ask them to tell me what they are trying to say, and we just jot down their exact words. Give it a try yourself and don’t forget to go back with the eye of an editor and pull out the juiciest and more important pieces of information, word images, stories, stylistic turns, and the like.

• Use word association.

Brainstorm just a few central words about your topic. Then write down whatever comes to mind when you think of those words one by one. Just let your mind go wherever the words take it. Give yourself permission to think without boundaries, requirements, or stipulations. If you want, add arrows to show how each word relates to the next word or phrase. Got an artistic bent? Include some drawings to represent your ideas.

You will probably end up with a long list of places you might go with your piece. Try to map out or group related ideas, and you will eventually have a solid outline.

• Continue reading →

O.k. So the Writer’s Block Demon might not be quite as frightening as ghosts and goblins at a haunted house, but it can still do plenty of damage. Along our journey of “writing to make a difference” we all have to deal with it at some point. Guaranteed.

The dreaded attack may come at any time, in any place, and you need to be prepared. If you harbor memories of painful English classes or believe that you “can’t write,” the Writer’s Block Demon can be especially ferocious.

A typical scenario might be: You get a writing assignment and you just cannot seem to get started. You can’t think of an interesting word to say about your topic. It has all been said before—and oh, so much better. Besides, you suddenly see all of the absolutely pressing housecleaning or emailing or other distracting work all around you, just crying out for your attention. And then, hours or days later, you realize that you have barely enough time left to finish your piece before the deadline.

Sound familiar?

Here are some specific suggestions that have worked for me at different times. See what you think.

• First, step back a bit and find out more about your readers.

Sometimes you just have to know more about your readers to feel confident about engaging them. Consider getting more informed about their interests, hopes, and fears.

That might include reviewing client testimonials to uncover how they have used your services or products and how they benefited. What did they like most—and least? And what attracted them in the first place? You can also do some web surfing to find out what people are saying about trends in your field, related problems they encounter, etc.

If you are not in daily contact with your intended readers, you probably will need to speak regularly with people who are. Ask them what your clients and constituents think are the key benefits and features of your work.

• Prepare your writing area.

Clear your workspace so that it is comfortable, inviting, and not mixed up with your other work or personal things. If you can, try carving out a specific “writing area”. You might find that retreating to that place at the same time every day helps you focus on the task at hand. And when you are ready, you can just get up and walk away, knowing that you have completed your writing duty for the day. Continue reading →