Over the past week, I’ve had several conversations with clients about why they haven’t been able to get the ball rolling on their next content piece. I get it. You’re busy closing out the month. You’re trying to get some R&R over the Holiday weekend. Just don’t tell me you have “writer’s block.”

Most of you on this distribution list are highly motivated, well-organized professionals. I certainly wouldn’t accuse you of procrastinating. What you’re most likely suffering from is perfectionism.

Voltaire, the renowned French writer and activist famously said: “Perfect is the enemy of good.”

What this means is that you’re so busy striving for perfection—as you are with most other things in life—that you become your own worst enemy. Even worse, you don’t notice the progress you’re making toward being a better communicator and thought influencer.

In the 140-year history of Major League Baseball, pitchers have thrown only 23 perfect games out of roughly 235,000 games contested and none since 2012. Pro golfers hit a hole-in-one about 0.04% of the time. So, what make you think you should be perfect?

I’ve been in the content game for over 25 years. I’ve never written a perfect article or blog post. If I ever do, I’ll send it to you. Sure, English is a maddeningly complex language with more exceptions to the rule than there are actually rules (kind of like the IRS tax code). So, the best thing to do is just think about the SINGLE most important thing you want your readers to learn from your communication piece. Then focus on the best way to get the message across simply, quickly and concisely.

Don’t worry about being clever. Don’t worry about stuffing your content with the right keywords or links. Just get to the point and stop clearing your throat when you write. If you find yourself freezing up at the keyboard, step away from your desk and try another way of composing your thoughts.

Take out a legal pad and pencil (not a pen) and scribble away on your favorite deck chair. Or, you could dictate your thoughts into the voice recorder of your smartphone while hiking or walking the dog. Or you could try composing on your iPad while out at the beach. Anything to get your subconscious from thinking: “I’m stuck at my desk again staring into a blank screen — and I have nothing to say. Oy!”

Understanding the underlying causes can help writers find effective strategies to overcome or prevent writer’s block. Here are some of the other mental minefields that derail accomplished professionals:

1. Fear of Failure or Criticism: The fear of producing subpar work or receiving negative feedback can hinder the creative process. This fear can create self-imposed barriers that prevent writers from freely expressing themselves.
2. Overwhelming Expectations: External expectations, such as meeting deadlines or fulfilling certain requirements, can become overwhelming. The pressure to deliver can result in stress and mental blocks.
3. Self-Doubt: Doubting one’s abilities or questioning the value of their work can impede the writing process. Self-doubt can make it difficult to generate ideas or find confidence in one’s writing.
4. Perceived Lack of Time: Feeling overwhelmed by other responsibilities or perceiving a lack of time can create a mental block. The sense of not having enough time can hinder focus and creativity.
5. Distractions: Noise, interruptions, or a cluttered environment can disrupt the writing flow. External stimuli can divert attention and hinder concentration.
6. Lack of Structure or Direction: Uncertainty about the structure or direction of a piece of writing can create confusion and make it difficult to proceed. Without a clear roadmap, writers may feel stuck or unsure of how to continue

How many of these mental barriers sound like you?
Here are some additional tips from breaking through your perceived writer’s block:

1. Free-write: Set aside a specific time to write without any constraints or judgment. Write continuously for a set period, allowing your thoughts to flow freely. This can help break through the initial resistance and stimulate creativity. Don’t worry, your first draft is supposed to suck.
2. Outline: Create an outline or structure for your writing project before diving into the actual writing. Having a roadmap can give you a clear direction and make it easier to start and continue writing.
3. Set realistic goals and deadlines: Break your writing project into smaller, manageable tasks and set realistic goals and deadlines for each one. This can help you stay focused and motivated, as well as give you a sense of progress.
4. Eliminate distractions: Turn off notifications on your phone, close unnecessary tabs on your computer, and create a dedicated writing space that is free from interruptions.
5. Write at your most productive time: This is my personal favorite. Pay attention to your natural energy and productivity patterns. Some people are more productive in the morning, while others find their creative flow in the evening. Schedule your writing sessions during your most productive time of day.
6. Take breaks: Take regular breaks during your writing sessions to relax and recharge. Engage in activities you enjoy, such as reading, listening to music, or practicing mindfulness. Don’t try to push your way through a mental block. Most people can’t.
7. Seek inspiration: Read books, articles, or blogs related to your topic or genre. Surround yourself with creative works that inspire you. Attend writing workshops, conferences, or join writing groups to connect with other writers and gain fresh perspectives.

Conclusion

Screenwriter and TV producer John Rogers may have said it best: “You can’t think yourself out of a writing block; you have to write yourself out of a thinking block.” Contact me any time for my tips and inspiration.

#practice management, #writersblock, #effectivewriting

There’s no magic formula or pill to take, but these (mostly) old-school techniques still work

As the famous line from Alice in Wonderland goes: “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.”

Not to be your high school English teacher, but trying to write something without an outline is like trying to build a house without blueprints. You might be able to throw up a wall or two, but sooner or later you’ll get painted into a corner or the whole structure will come tumbling down on itself. That only leads to wasted time, money and frustration.

Outlines for real-world business people

With all due respect to my superb high school English teach Mr. Hallowell (see Stop Clearing Your Throat When You Write) I hated the academic outline protocol: Roman numeral I., subtheme A. and supporting point 1. That doesn’t work for many people who aren’t in academia and I won’t subject you to it. Instead think about how you’re going to “sell” your content to your target audience. I know you know how to sell!

1. Identifying the problem. Start out be clearly stating the problem you’re trying to solve for the reader. Even better, assure them they’re not the only one facing this problem. Sharing stats from a reliable source, quotes from a recent article/broadcast clip or a client example are great ways to draw readers in and convince them why they need to read your words right now! 
2. Explain what happens to the reader if they continue to ignore the problem. Life gets worse, they lose money, the leave big opportunities on the table, they have a less than satisfying life. Maybe explain why skeptics don’t want you to address this problem. You get the picture.
3. Briefly explain the solution, i.e. “there’s got to be a better way.” 
4. Show the reader how much better their life will be by following you the solution. Include compelling stats or anonymous examples of clients who followed the advice and are much happier for it.

VERY IMPORTANT! Don’t give away the whole solution here. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing a short post or a feature-length book. Just give them a taste….not the whole meal. Show readers you know what you’re talking about, but if they want the full solution, they must book a discovery meeting with you to learn more. Make sure your Contact Me link is working on all of your digital points of presence and make sure it’s not too salesy.

5. Conclusion. Summarize the argument you just made and inviting them to contact you for a more detailed conversation about the topic. Share links to related resources on your website if possible.

Your finished outline should look something like this:
1. Intro: Identify the problem
2. Find common ground. Show readers they are not alone with this problem.
3. Explain dangers of ignoring the problem.
4. Introduce the solution.
5. Show reader how much better life is with solution in place.
6. Conclusion (with calls to action).

Outline complete: Now sell the Content
Now that you’ve completed the outline, don’t start fleshing out your piece yet. First think about how you’re going to sell it. You need to think about your headline (or book title) and Key Takeaways.

Headline
Start noodling around with some catchy headlines to hook in your busy readers. I’m not suggesting you engage in click bait or search engine optimization. Just ask yourself what will make a super-busy person you’re targeting take time out of their busy day to read what you have to say.

TIP: See what the headlines you’re considering look like in the subject line of an email. Do a few test-emails to yourself or better yet, send to unsuspecting colleagues and see which one gets the most (or quickest) reaction.

Key Takeaways
What are the three key things that you’d like the reader to take away from your article, post, white paper or e-book? Many of you follow our Key Takeaways protocol at the top of your writing. Trust me, in this attention-starved mobile age, there’s no better way to make your content skim-able and worth reading (and saving).

Now that you’ve got the outline and sales pitch for your content, you’re almost ready to start fleshing it out. But first, think about how this content will fit into your overall content schedule for the weeks and months ahead. Will it be duplicative or overkill? Should it be standalone or part of a series? Should it be the intro 101 version of your expertise, or is it more of your “advanced course”?

Map out your content schedule

Just as we never recommend writing anything without an outline, we don’t recommend writing anything in a vacuum, i.e. without thinking about how it fits into your overall content cycle. Think of yourself as sharing a body of work—not a series of random one-off takes about a subject. We recommend laying out your planned topics 12 to 24 weeks in advance. You don’t have to stick to the schedule as real-world conditions make certain topics more urgent than others. But following these tips will ensure you have solid “blueprints” in place and you’ll never be up late at night staring at a blank screen wondering: “What should do I have to write about next?”

Even better, once you have your content calendar laid out in advance, it’s amazing how many nuggets of great information you’ll start accumulating weeks, if not months, before you have to write your piece. It’s like having a “rainy day fund” for your content ideas.

Conclusion

You wouldn’t have clients invest their money without a plan. You wouldn’t hire an architect to build your dream house if he or she didn’t use blue prints. So, why would you start pushing out content to your universe of followers without a plan? Familiarize yourself with the 1-7-30-4-2-1 principle. My post The Power of Content Calendars has more.

#betterwriting, #outline, #writersblock, #productivity