Twenty Ideas for Writer’s Block

1. Learn something new by googling a topic you are interested in or statr with Wikipedia.

2.  See where this leads you. I sometimes read a Wikipedia post on one topic and become introduced to a new phrase, inventor, author, or concept during the post.

3. Check out the highlighted words and phrases in the post you are reading. They can lead you to more highlighted words and phrases. (I have come up really cool new ideas for what to write about by doing this. )

4.Watch a youtube video about the most interesting idea you have found…or start with YouTube for researching topics to begin with.

5. See if anyone else has posted about this topic and form your own opinions, choose a side, expand by adding a new perspective or write a poem or short story about it.

6. Let the things you learn about inspire new ideas. Draw from your personal experience and your imagination.

7. You can use things you learn to write a researched post, an editorial style post, a self help post or a fictional story.

8. Try a new writing genre once in a while.  You may be pleasantly surprised that you can write outside of your usual nitch.

9. We tend to go with what is familiar. But it can become uninspiring. Let your brain be creative because the challenge will get tbe dopamine flowing.

10. Think outside the box. Just because no one has ever thought of something in quite the same way does not mean you cannot write it.

11. Think of the reader. What is the goal of the reader? Why do they read your blog? What else would they like you to give them?

12. Be authentic and write from tbe heart. You may think that no one is interested in your feelings, perspectives ad ideas but then again…you might be pleasantly surprised.

13. Blog about a question you have or something you are searching for answers about. Pose the qiestion to the readers. Tell them what this question means to you and why it is important to you.

14. Get ideas from the comments other bloggers leave you. Reading and replying to comments is a great way to find out what your readers are interested in and more importantly …why they are interested and what things mean to them.

15. Try a new medium or craft like photography, drawing, zen tangles. Post a picture of what you did and tell the readers you are learning this and why. Tell them why it is important to you to learn something new, why you chose this particular thing, etc.

16. Blogging is all about the individual perspective and what things mean to you. Even fiction writing has to do with the uniqie view of the person and the meaning of ideas to them.

17. Write something short. I have seen bloggers write one or two sentences that were thought provoking. Leave it up to tbe reader to add their personal meaning and fill in their own mental pictures.

18. Sometimes less is more. Do not feel obligated to write 600 words. People read books when they have more time and blog posts when tbey are short for time…or short on attention ability due to the stress of life.

19. Give people something to ponder. Give people something to work with in tbeir brains to get tbose creative juices flowing. You do not have to always ecplain things to death.

20. Try creating a meme with image chef. You only have to write one or two inspirational or thought provoking lines.

Therapeutic Value to Various Blogging Methods

Blogging as Therapy?

Can writing be therapeutic for us? Many bloggers would say that they find blogging very therapeutic for them. Sitting down at our computers and writing our thoughts and feelings out, gives us an outlet for our emotions.

It is a way to let our feelings out and not keep them bottled up inside. When there is no one to talk to, we can sit down and talk as much as we need to.

Types of Writing

What  different methods of writing have you found to be beneficial to you? Do you write with a main topic in mind and then let it flow? Do you create an outline, with the main ideas and subtopics on a piece of paper first?

Perhaps you have experimented with a  free writing or  “stream of consciousness”  way of writing. Or maybe you do some research before or during your writing process.

All of these methods are valid. One is not better than another. People tend to have one preferred method of writing. Although they may utilize one or two the other methods as well.

What is your primary method for writing for your blog posts? I am sure you can picture yourself sitting down to write about something right now. How would you begin?

Writer’s Personality and Preferred Writing Styles

The therapeutic value, to the various writing methods, is a bit different because each one requires a different type of organizational and thinking process. Your primary method of writing is tied to your personality.

Even the number of methods you use on a regular basis has to do with your personality. A person who has a regimented, scheduling type of personality will most likely stick to their tried and true method, without straying too far away from it. A more eclectic person will most likely want to utilize more than one writing method.

Mood of the Writer

Someone with a wide range of personal mood fluctuation, like myself, will select their writing method, based on the mood or mental state they are in at the time. There is no right or wrong to your choice of writing methods. It is an individual thing.

A new writer may use a certain method because it is easier for them at the beginning. Most likely this would be a method that requires some pre-planning in order to feel confident before beginning to work on the piece.

Experiment with Different Writing Styles

As you grow in your writing abilities, you can experiment and be a bit more playful with your writing style and experiment with various writing methods.

To expand your view and enhance your writing, I would check out all different kinds of blogs. You will see that there are very different approaches to writing that end up with very different results.

Various Types of Blogs

Also some blogs are focused around the person themselves, while other blogs are about a general topic or concept. It is fun to make it a game and see if you can identify what writing method the writer likes to use.

Journal Style Writing

Some people write their blogs in journal style. That is, they write what happens in their lives from day to day. This type of blog is in chronological order and is usually started by the writer with the intent of being a therapeutic outlet.

The original purpose of this kind of blog is met, as the blogger writes out their thoughts and feelings. The subsequent benefit is a self esteem boost, when the blog becomes more popular.

Research Method of Writing

It may surprise you that writing by using the research method, can be therapeutic as well. If you are having anxiety, the act of going through the research process, will focus your brain on what you are learning. There can only be one part of the brain dominating your mental state at one time.

If the rational, analytical part of the brain is switched on, then naturally the other functions will become subordinate. The amygdala, which is the fight or flight part of the brain, is in charge, when you are in a state of extreme anxiety.

You mind may have trouble focusing at first, depending on how severe your anxiety is, but the more you get the analytical part of the brain turned on, the less your brain will be able to continue with the racing thoughts that are causing your anxiety, Your fears will be able to calm down.

Stream of Consciousness Writing

Another method of writing is called “Stream of consciousness” writing, This method is at the other end of the spectrum from research writing. Whereas, in research writing you are being very organized in your writing, in stream of consciousness writing there is no organized structure.

I am a musician and in music we would call this “improvising.”  You are letting the music stream out of you as it comes to you. In the case of writing, you are letting your thoughts flow out, by way of your pen or keyboard.

Writing to a Prompt

There is also “prompt” writing, where someone gives you a writing prompt and you have to base what you write around the original prompt. This is sometimes done as a contest or a game, given by other bloggers or writing sites. A prompt can be a line from a story, a famous quote, a photograph or any other bit of inspiration.

Which Type of Writing is Best for You?

All of these methods are valid, and you can create amazing posts by experimenting with each one of these. The more things you learn about and try, the better of a writer you will become.

Even if you experiment with a method and decide it is not your forte,  you will still gain some insight into yourself,  by doing some writing in this style.

You do not have to post your experiments, unless of course you want to. This is an exercise for your brain, in order to stimulate creativity.

Have Fun and Grow Your Strengths

It is also a way to get in touch with possibilities and tap internal resources you may not be aware of. The more different types of writers you read and the more methods you try, the more versatile of a blogger you will become.

As you explore your personality and find your voice as a blogger, your self esteem will be boosted. This has tremendous therapeutic value, in addition to being able to write out your feelings. Many bloggers find that blogging is very therapeutic for them, including myself.

Happy blogging! Have fun with it!