Easy 3-Step Process To Overcome Writer’s Block

Here’s a guest column for UnderstandingMarketing.com that offers tips to help you overcome writer’s block for creative ideas and writing.

Does a blank screen give you the shivers? Do you dread writing projects? That dread leads to a lot of time-wasting procrastination. If you’re like most people, first you clean your desk, confirm appointments, check e-mail—anything but start that marketing proposal, web copy or blog.

Drawing a blank
A blank screen or empty sheet of paper is the biggest cause of procrastination. To get over that hump, try a simple but effective technique called Brain Dump. It can lead you to creative campaigns and new directions by tapping into ideas tucked away in that marvelous brain of yours. Brain Dump is the perfect antidote to fear, dread, ennui, you name it. It gets you fired up to write, helps straighten out the tangle of ideas in your head, and taps into your creativity.

Here’s how:

1. Timing is everything
Set a timer and write without stopping for five minutes. (You can go longer—but for now start with a short period of time.)  As you write, don’t stop!  That’s the key. Keep writing no matter what—even if you fill in with “I don’t know what to write.”  Just keep writing, because when you do, something magical happens. That ornery editor inside your head gets quieter with each tick of the timer, opening the way to fresher ideas and deeper insights. If you don’t know what to write before you begin, that’s okay too. Brain Dump will help you map out your direction.

2. Find the Nuggets
Now, set the timer again for five minutes and go back over what you wrote, circling the nuggets—the good stuff you got down—your key points. You’ll find plenty of chaff to sift out, but don’t worry. It wasn’t a waste. Even the rejects are part of the process that leads you from one point to the next.

3. Create an Organic Outline
Go back and assign each nugget a number. No. 1 should be the best information for the lead, or the opening of the document. No. 2 represents the information that starts the nuts and bolts of the document, No. 3 the next important, and so on. I like this organic form of outlining because it evolves from the material. You can still use Roman numerals and all those letters and indentations if that suits your personality. For me, traditional outlines are just another form of procrastination.

When you’re done, you’ll have a working outline to help you organize your document. All in less than 15 minutes! And if you find that you’ve left something out, you can always add to it. Or do another Brain Dump to fill in the blanks. There’s no limit to how many times you can practice this technique—or to the vast resources it can help you uncover.

Editor’s Note: Lynda McDaniel is the author of the award-winning book, Words at Work: Powerful business writing delivers increased sales, improved results, and even a promotion or two. She is the director of the Association for Creative Business Writing, an online community dedicated to bringing innovation and inspiration to the workplace.

Tagged as: blog, blogging, business outline, creative ideas, creative juices, creative writing, document, e-mails, lynda mcdaniel, marketing, marketing proposal, outlining, words at work, writers block