Battle Writer's Block With 7 Tips From Our Expert Writers And Editors

When I find myself in a writing slump, I always take a deep breath – and maybe a sip of coffee – and turn to research. By simply researching the topic at hand and jotting down little bits of information in bullet format, it becomes easier to identify key themes and patterns. This method is particularly useful when crafting landing pages and blog posts where subheadings are required to break up the content. Once the headings are in place, all I have to do is add the information I found to the corresponding sections and flesh out the text to tell the story I want told. It’s like creating an outline, but without the restrictive, linear approach that can dampen creativity.

When I’m really stuck or don’t know where the topic needs to go, I get up from my desk and perform a thoughtless task to let my unconscious mind work on the issue. If I’m working with a strict deadline and can’t afford to let my mind wander, I’ll write the first draft – no matter how bad the writing has to be – just to get it done. Then, I go back and use my editor brain to fix it.

Sometimes music can help, and sometimes it can be distracting. It’s just a matter of knowing yourself and what works best for you. Depending on what I’m writing, you can either find me sitting in silence or blasting angry rock music. Along those same lines, sometimes, I can’t focus on what I’m writing because of other activity around me. You might not think that the sound of the printer running could cause writer’s block, but for me, it can. I use music as a way to tune all of that out.

I’ve always struggled with writing on a computer for extended periods of time. There’s something about the glare of the screen and the garish whiteness of a Word document that makes my thoughts feel entirely disconnected from my fingers on the keyboard. Whenever I confront writer’s block, which in my case is almost always due to screen fatigue, I find it helpful to take it old-school – pen and paper. My thoughts flow much more naturally when I’m sketching out ideas and outlining blog posts with my Pilot G-2 gel pen in hand and my yellow legal pad in front of me.    

My least-favorite PR professor at school left me with one valuable lesson – that shameless theft is sometimes required to help you keep up with the game. Proofreading is obviously necessary as an editorial feature, but it also exposes me to the ideas of my exceedingly clever colleagues, which I often appropriate and customize for my own purposes. It can be as simple as clever word use and as complex as overall content structure. Whatever gets the job done, right?

When I’m having a really hard time writing, I like to reward my brain with a little fun. Whether that’s finding out which comfort food dish I should make this weekend via Buzzfeed quizzes or reading a celebrity gossip blog, it really helps to shut down the writing part of my mind and give in to some meaningless entertainment. Once I go back to whatever I’m writing, I feel refreshed – and I might even have a fun idea to incorporate into my work.

I like to listen to the same song on repeat. Sometimes, I will listen to the same song for 4+ hours straight. The reason I find this effective is because it gives me a rhythm and cadence for writing without pulling my attention away to sing along. Once I’ve heard the song a couple times, it starts to feel more like background/elevator music, so I focus on the beat more than the vocals to get me in a groove.