Writer’s block is a universal struggle. You carve out the time to write, and yet after a couple of minutes – or more – you find yourself staring back at a blank screen. The blinking cursor judging you…and your lack of output.
The first thing you want to do is accept that it’s not a “you” problem. Even celebrated writers battle to get words onto the page. Authors like Maya Angelou and Stephen King have openly shared that words don’t always come easy.
Next, you’ll want to find strategies to get into the writing zone – that space where the words seem to flow. Ways to reduce the friction exist. Let me share a few of the tactics I’ve used with great success.
1. Write about something you know
Writing about something you know helps you get into the writing zone because you have enough knowledge to jump into drafting. Frequently so much of our hesitation comes back to one question: what do I write about?
As a professional writer, I’ve spent years working to understand complex topics. Most times I’d need to spend hours or weeks researching when starting with a new company or client. Writing took ages at the start. Not only that, but it was painful. Long stretches of writing felt impossible. Each recommendation or idea was run through subject matter experts, Google, Google Scholar, and other sources.
Once I developed a deeper understanding of the subject, the process was faster and easier.
When you’re trying to establish a good writing cadence, choose areas where you’ve built up topical knowledge. At least enough to write a first draft. Draw on your skills, expertise, and experience. You won’t need to toggle between Google Docs and Chrome to cross-check your thinking.
Beating resistance is key to writing more. Creating content around a topic you understand deeply removes a ton of reluctance right away.
2. Time box your writing
Set a time limit for writing and get as much done as you can in that slot.
Parkinson’s Law says work expands to fill the time. I’ve found that to be true for writing. Working in the newsroom meant tight deadlines. As a reporter for the daily newspaper, I often had three hours to research, interview, and write an article. Deadlines were never up for discussion. The printing press was going to run copies of the paper at a specific time. That piece of machinery was not going to wait for me to feel like writing.Those were my constraints.
I’m no longer working toward daily deadlines but I’m still most productive when I have a set time for writing. Giving myself 45 minutes to finish a blog post forces my focus. I end up doing the same amount of work as I would have done if I’d carved out 90 minutes for writing. In this way, I’ve trained myself to write faster, without sacrificing quality. And that’s the caveat: anyone can write up a few words in an hour. Whether you’re proud of the piece, at least proud enough to attach your name to it, is another story altogether. Personal metrics for publishing can help. Ask and answer the question: am I happy to share this piece of work with my professional network?
Experiment with different times. Challenge yourself. If you’re comfortably finishing an article in a week, aim to publish a blog post in a day.
3. Tune out distractions
Removing distractions when writing is the surest way to get into a state of focus.
Devices and social media steal our attention and break our concentration. As does switching between tasks. Researchers call this attention residue. Attention residue occurs when you switch from one task to another. In other words, your brain is still thinking about the previous task. As a result, you’re not fully immersed in your writing.
To tune out distractions, set up a writing slot that is reserved for writing and protect the time. Even if it’s just an hour on a Saturday morning, that time reserved for writing is sacrosanct. What this means is that social media, phones, and emails are off limits.
4. Create a writing ritual
Establishing a writing ritual primes you for writing. You spend less time thinking about how you’re going to write and jump straight into the act itself.
I first got this idea from Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, who spoke about a deep work ritual.
Your writing ritual might be as simple as opening your laptop to Google Docs and setting a timer for 45 minutes. The goal is that over time the ritual gets you into a state of focus faster.
My current writing ritual is:
- Make green tea
- Play focus music
- Set timer for 45 minutes
- Write
A writing ritual might change as you discover more effective ways to train your attention. Start with something simple and evolve the practice as you learn.
5. Create a writing environment
The right environment leads to more writing.
Author James Clear writes that environment is key when it comes to forming new habits. Taking the TV out of the living room reduces the amount of TV you watch. Putting fruit in a bowl on the kitchen counter – instead of the fridge drawer – will lead to you eating more fruit.
It’s the same with a writing environment. Design a space that supports writing. Don’t overthink it. This may be as simple as placing your computer on the table alongside a notebook and pen the night before your writing session.
Writing has many enemies. Self-doubt, procrastination, tech distractions, and competing priorities sabotage our efforts to produce writing work. But these enemies don’t have to derail your productivity as a writer.
Implementing these techniques create the mental and physical space you need to do your best writing.
Featured image credit: Photo by Heart Rules
