How to Overcome writer's block in blogging

Image credit - africanplato

Most times it comes to a point in blogging when a blogger actually lacks idea about what to write or lacks the creativity to write. This is most times referred to as writer's block.

According to wikipedia, writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author or a writer loses the ability to produce a new write up. The condition ranges from difficulty in coming up with original ideas to been able to write about the little ideas gathered.

Writer's block can also manifest when a writer views his or her work as inferior or unsuitable.
I t was first described in 1947 by psychoanalyst Edmund Bergler. Another Author, Mike Rose, defined writer's block as an inability to begin or continue writing for reasons other than lack of basic skills or commitment.

When a writer enters this stage, writing becomes a very difficult because it's as if he or she is new to writing and finds it difficult to put words together and even when he or she does, the piece will actually look incomplete and does not really make sense to the writer.

Causes of Writer's Block

1. Lack of Inspiration/Motivation - This is actually a very big problem for writers. when they do not get that inspiration or motivation to write, it just looks as if their whole world is crumbling and this can actually lead to most bloggers just copying posts from other blogs.

2. Distraction - Been distracted while writing can also lead to writer's block. Most times when am writing and probably chatting with friend's on social medias, i get blocked temporarily and it would actually take a while for that inspiration to start flowing again and in most cases it doesn't come at all.

3. Fear of Reader's satisfaction - The fear that comes with writing an article that your readers would love can be sometimes be troubling. You may not be satisfied after writing an article hence you will conclude that it won't please your readers so you will end up not writing or publishing the article just because you feel it will be heavily criticized by your blog readers and do not not want to publish a sub-standard article.

4. Adverse circumstances in a writer's life such as physical illness, depression, emotional traumas, financial pressures and sense of failure; All these can lead to writer's block. It is very hard, for a writer to write well under these circumstances.
5. Inability to incubate ideas - Most times you might just go through this stage of not been able to incubate ideas that flow in and when this happens, you can not write them down.

It has been suggested by some doctor's that writer's block is more than just a mentality. Under stress, a human brain will shift control from the cerebral cortex to the limbic system. The limbic system is associated with the instinctual processes, such as "fight or flight" response; and behavior that is based on deeply engrained training.
The limited input from the cerebral cortex hinders a person's creative processes, which are replaced by the behaviors associated with the limbic system. The person is unaware of this change which may lead them to believe they are creatively blocked.

How to Overcome writer's block

1. Always move with a pocket-sized notebook in which you can scribble ideas for writing as they come to you. Ideas can come in as move along the road, while you are eating, or even while you are doing chores at home and when such happens, you can easily get your pocket-sized notebook out from your pocket and write them down so that you do not forget them and when you go through them later, they will still remain as fresh as they came in.

2. Exercise - It is very good to engage in exercises especially hours after been on your computer and working. You can check out Don caprio's pos on 3 recommended exercises for bloggers.

3. Read Quality articles from other blogs - This is a very good way to overcome writer's block because when you read articles written by others, you can actually be fixing the missing puzzle in your writing sense.

4. Find your Inspiration - This is one of the best thing to do when having writer's block. Every writer has something that inspires him or her to write well. When you are unable to write, all you need to do is find that inspiration again. It can be music, it can be exercise, I have a friend who said smoking inspires him though i do not know how true that is. Some people get their inspiration from nature; whatever it is, all you need to do is find that, which inspires you and your writing sense would be unblocked.

Over to You

Have you ever had writer's block? And if so, how did you overcome it?

Image credit - africanplato

Most times it comes to a point in blogging when a blogger actually lacks idea about what to write or lacks the creativity to write. This is most times referred to as writer's block.

According to wikipedia, writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author or a writer loses the ability to produce a new write up. The condition ranges from difficulty in coming up with original ideas to been able to write about the little ideas gathered.

Writer's block can also manifest when a writer views his or her work as inferior or unsuitable.
I t was first described in 1947 by psychoanalyst Edmund Bergler. Another Author, Mike Rose, defined writer's block as an inability to begin or continue writing for reasons other than lack of basic skills or commitment.

When a writer enters this stage, writing becomes a very difficult because it's as if he or she is new to writing and finds it difficult to put words together and even when he or she does, the piece will actually look incomplete and does not really make sense to the writer.

Causes of Writer's Block

1. Lack of Inspiration/Motivation - This is actually a very big problem for writers. when they do not get that inspiration or motivation to write, it just looks as if their whole world is crumbling and this can actually lead to most bloggers just copying posts from other blogs.

2. Distraction - Been distracted while writing can also lead to writer's block. Most times when am writing and probably chatting with friend's on social medias, i get blocked temporarily and it would actually take a while for that inspiration to start flowing again and in most cases it doesn't come at all.

3. Fear of Reader's satisfaction - The fear that comes with writing an article that your readers would love can be sometimes be troubling. You may not be satisfied after writing an article hence you will conclude that it won't please your readers so you will end up not writing or publishing the article just because you feel it will be heavily criticized by your blog readers and do not not want to publish a sub-standard article.

4. Adverse circumstances in a writer's life such as physical illness, depression, emotional traumas, financial pressures and sense of failure; All these can lead to writer's block. It is very hard, for a writer to write well under these circumstances.
5. Inability to incubate ideas - Most times you might just go through this stage of not been able to incubate ideas that flow in and when this happens, you can not write them down.

It has been suggested by some doctor's that writer's block is more than just a mentality. Under stress, a human brain will shift control from the cerebral cortex to the limbic system. The limbic system is associated with the instinctual processes, such as "fight or flight" response; and behavior that is based on deeply engrained training.
The limited input from the cerebral cortex hinders a person's creative processes, which are replaced by the behaviors associated with the limbic system. The person is unaware of this change which may lead them to believe they are creatively blocked.

How to Overcome writer's block

1. Always move with a pocket-sized notebook in which you can scribble ideas for writing as they come to you. Ideas can come in as move along the road, while you are eating, or even while you are doing chores at home and when such happens, you can easily get your pocket-sized notebook out from your pocket and write them down so that you do not forget them and when you go through them later, they will still remain as fresh as they came in.

2. Exercise - It is very good to engage in exercises especially hours after been on your computer and working. You can check out Don caprio's pos on 3 recommended exercises for bloggers.

3. Read Quality articles from other blogs - This is a very good way to overcome writer's block because when you read articles written by others, you can actually be fixing the missing puzzle in your writing sense.

4. Find your Inspiration - This is one of the best thing to do when having writer's block. Every writer has something that inspires him or her to write well. When you are unable to write, all you need to do is find that inspiration again. It can be music, it can be exercise, I have a friend who said smoking inspires him though i do not know how true that is. Some people get their inspiration from nature; whatever it is, all you need to do is find that, which inspires you and your writing sense would be unblocked.

Over to You

Have you ever had writer's block? And if so, how did you overcome it?