Busting Through Writer’s Block

Whether it’s an office memo, resume cover letter or the first line in a novel, most people have experienced the misery of writer’s block. In a world where clutter runs amok, how can a blank computer screen or lined sheet of paper stay so annoyingly pristine?
As someone whose career relies heavily on writing, I’d like to think that I’m immune to writer’s block, but words fail me quite often. Some of the best communicators I know confess that while they can converse for hours, they tend to go “blank” when asked to write a report or company newsletter article.
Perhaps the pain begins in elementary school with those short story assignments. It always seemed to me that all of the best openings had been exhausted-“Once upon a time,” “It was a dark and stormy night,” even “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” All taken.
What can you do to move past the writer’s block when the words just won’t come? Here are a few tips I’ve used to jump start the writing process.
· Remember the 5 W’s and the H from high school yearbook class. Who, why, where, what, when and how/how many? Answering these questions can get you off the starting block and lend structure to a writing assignment, whether it’s a school essay or customer letter.
· Start with an anecdote to make the topic more relevant. There’s something about creating a visual scenario that makes it easier to draw a reader in.
· Tap into the power of Google to give direction to a general subject. Unsure how to launch into a broad topic such as the 2012 Olympics or local food systems? Type the topic word into the Google box. Similar to a thesaurus, the Google window will start filling with related phrases which may prompt an idea about how to broach your topic.
· Start with a number. 99% of writers suffer from writer’s block. I’m making that statistic up, but numbers are an easy way to launch into a topic almost 100% of the time.
· Begin in the middle and start with what you know. On a digital platform, there is no need to follow a linear writing process. Jot down the information that comes to mind before worrying about the beginning and closure.
· Don’t become a servant of the “word count.” Watching the word count box in the lower corner of your screen is like the proverbial watched pot that never boils.
· Few things impede the flow of words like the tyranny of the clock. Avoid waiting until the deadline is imminent.
Finally, if you just can’t get started, consider this wisdom from one of America’s greatest writers, Mark Twain: “The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”