Are you in a writing funk?
Presently, I am but I will counteract this by writing about it! Corny, but it did set me thinking about how much I have learned in this area of writing.
Every journalist goes through it and it can be painful, especially during deadlines. But I hate to say this, there are no excuses. You are a professional so act like it. A lawyer wouldn’t tell you he couldn’t litigate because he was not in the mood.
It is the reality of all writers: this happens once in awhile, even to the most seasoned ones. Here are some strategies to fight this mental malaise. But there are no shortcuts and if you have to hand in your copy in the next hour, this blog entry will not help you.
Write often. When I had less opportunities to brainstorm and do actual writing, I became rusty. The one beautiful thing I found about having to write every single day for any one of my blogs is I don’t quite face “writer’s block”. Writing is like a skill you need to hone — practice, practice, practice and soon pouring ideas from your mind onto paper will become second nature to you. The worst kind of writer’s block I feel these days is the nagging worry and tedium of finding fresher and newer content, which is actually another challenge of journalism you also cannot run away from.
Do something related to your work. For me this would be reporting site statistics, sniffing around for ideas and trends, digging, stumbling, del.icio.using, reading blogs and leaving comments, peeking into online forums and browsing the news. Although this is “passive” work, it is still contributing to your future articles.
Take a break. Pop out to get a snack, or just chat to a friend online. Whatever it is, there is no point banging your head against something you feel is not going to be unstuck for the next hour.
Keep away from caffeine. It’s so easy to declare you need a pick-me-up so the first thing you would do is to down a cup of coffee or Coke, right? Unless you are seriously exhausted, I wouldn’t advise this. Caffeine, especially in consecutive doses drunk out of feeling fidgety, makes you even more agitated. You will often feel like you are moving at a million miles per second but you are seriously just jogging on the same spot — yet another pitfall of writer’s block, so drink something else.
Don’t let the guilt overcome you. Sure, you have a super strong work ethic, but why make your break so miserable? The point is to heave your mind out of the gutter and breathe deeply. I’ve found that feeling bad just drags you down further. Just know that it is temporary and you will get your groove back tomorrow. Sleep early and start the next day with vigour.
Read tons of articles. As a writer, you need to get your muse from somewhere. She doesn’t apparate out of nowhere, though — you create her. Follow columns, blogs, newspapers, and magazines to get inspiration. They help you give your text variation and freshness. Don’t keep writing in the same way because you will get sick of yourself soon enough. Repetitive tactics and expressions will not only bore yourself but your readers, too.
Be positive. The one thing in writer’s block that makes it insurmountable is it feels like the black hole of no return. Fear of failure cripples you and you need to fight that. You are the master of your own words so stop staring at that blank Word document gormlessly— draw diagrams, jot down notes and order your thoughts to get things going.
I am just sharing what I’ve found useful in the past several years of being in journalism. Believe me, I’ve had depressing moments but there is really no way around it but to keep going. Good luck.
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