If you’ve ever worried that you don’t have any ideas for your blog, here is how to conquer blogger’s block.
Blogger’s block is a special kind of writer’s block. A fiction writer may get stuck in a story because something is missing: a plot element, a needed character, or even the reason she’s writing this endless tale. In writing The Stand, Stephen King discovered that he had to kill off half of his characters in order to move forward.
Writers of short and longer nonfiction may discover that they don’t have enough information to proceed. They may realize that they haven’t thought their ideas through to a logical conclusion.
Blogger’s block refers more to running out of ideas—or believing that this will happen, which often brings the fear to life. It’s an unhappy state of mind that can be frightening.
People like your blog. They look forward to reading it. Maybe you get income from it. You can’t stop, but you can’t move forward.
Don’t Panic When You Detect Blogger’s Block
The best way to beat blogger’s block is to prevent it. Plan ahead.
Don’t rely on inspiration to provide material for your blog. Be alert and ready to see opportunities for a story.
Maybe you read a news item about battles between high-school students and teachers over cell phones. This would make a good subject for your parenting blog.
The story of a frozen kitten saved by a caring family could inspire a pet blog post, but your blog focuses on the subject of the importance of kindness, you, too, can use this.
While it’s important to be ready to find ideas, you can also look for them. Read what bloggers whose subject matter is similar to yours write.
Important Warning: Don’t Plagiarize
When you read their posts, you may find that you have a different perspective on the subject. Don’t use their material verbatim. You may have had different experiences. Read their posts thoughtfully, and let their material marinate.
You might read a post about the best way to discipline children who won’t do their homework and realize that you have another approach. This will make a good subject for your blog.
Build a File of Potential Subjects
Briefly write about every potential topic. Write whatever ideas come to you, and stop when you run out of ideas. You will return to the subjects later. You can even save these ideas as partially written blogs in draft mode in your website.
Also take the time to periodically brainstorm. Write down every subject you can think of. Don’t worry if some of them don’t seem particularly inspiring. When you brainstorm, you don’t censor. You invite your creative self to provide ideas.
Think of this as planting the seeds for future blog posts. While resting in the file, they are also growing in your mind. You can’t see them yet, but when the time comes, you can have an abundant harvest.
Whether you’re a beginning writer, you want to polish your skills, or you need the determination and inspiration to finish a project, this book will help you. It covers a range of subjects from grammar explained simply, how to skillfully edit your work, essentials of blogging, and how to capture and keep a reader’s attention. 52 Writing Tips: Fast and Easy Ways to Polish Your Writing is the guide you’ve been waiting for.
The book includes 12 chapters just on blogging!
Pat Iyer is an editor, author, book coach and ghostwriter who helps individuals create books that encourages their expertise to shine and advances their businesses. She has written or edited 48 of her own books.
Pat began blogging in 2009. Since then, she has written over a thousand blog posts for entrepreneurs, attorneys, legal nurse consultants and patients.
