I just noticed that it is 3:30, and my blog post isn’t finished yet. Not only is it not finished, it is barely even started. I started around 10:30, and since then I have been doing everything but writing.
This is the daily struggle of the self-employed writer. Or it will be your struggle if you let it be. I have some tips to help you bust the block, and get shit done.
- There is no such thing as writer’s block. There is no such thing as writer’s block. There is only not writing.
- Recognize that you’re procrastinating. No, you do not need to read one more article about how to blog successfully.
- Just write something. Why, you could even write about procrastination.
- Know that the stakes of any one blog post are pretty low. Ask yourself what could happen if your post really is terrible — then ask yourself if that outcome is realistic. Most likely, it won’t matter at all if one of your blog posts is lacking.
- Sometimes you really don’t know enough. Get a teacher if you think you need to learn more. If not, just sit down and write.
I am relatively new to blogging, but I do know something about not being able to write. For many years, I believed I was suffering from writer’s block. The truth is that I was just too scared to do it. I was scared that I would suck, and that all of my dreams would die, and that I would never have a chance to do well again. The only cure for that kind of thinking is to just move through it. You have to write or blog or whatever else you’re avoiding even though you’re scared.
You really can just stop and feel your fear. Watch it, interrogate it, and then start writing anyway. Before you know it, your post will be done.
