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I’m going to share some practical writing tips with you.
Things I know you get stuck on from time to time.
We all do.
Even the greatest writers in the world have dry spells so if you get it don’t freak out!!
Trust me, there’s nothing more terrifying than a big story breaking and the bulletin is in 5 mins and you can’t think of an intro!!!!!!
When faced with a problem like that — here’s what you do.
1: START WRITING FROM BOTTOM UP — so whatever you are writing — write the end first. If it’s a sales letter it’ll be a call to action with a payment button or if it’s a blog it’s your PS and sign off with a signature.
2: FREE WRITE FOR 5 MINS THEN EDIT — just go with the flow and don’t even think about it write any old garbage down it doesn’t even have to be connected to what you are writing — just get your brain engaged and your hand moving.
3: DICTATE YOUR THOUGHTS INTO YOUR PHONE THEN TRANSCRIBE — You should be writing as if you are speaking anyway so this is great practice.
4: DO A VIDEO BLOG INSTEAD — who said blogs have to be written? Gary Vee does very well out of just a video!
5: DO A PRESENTATION BLOG INSTEAD — Go for it — you only have to write a few sentences on each page — make it look good with some graphics and go for it — makes a nice change especially if it’s an educational blog you are doing.
6: DO AN AUDIO PRESENTATION INSTEAD — who said you can’t do audio — plenty of people have podcasts nowadays (me included check it out on iTunes, yes this is a blatant plug. What? I have to spread the word) Now you don’t have to go to the extreme of setting up a Podcast Show you can use Soundcloud to record some funky messages. It’s free and a lot of Podcasters actually use that platform for their shows too so you will be in good company.
7: PUT THE BASIC FACTS IN AND THEN JAZZ IT UP AFTERWARDS — Honestly this works a treat. We would write down the basic facts of the news story and by the time you got to the bottom, you would have your intro.
8: DO YOUR BLOG IN A QUESTION AND ANSWER FORMAT — People love reading this kind of blog. No-one wants lots of text — you can use it in your sales copy and on your website too.
9: USE PICTURES TO ILLUSTRATE WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO SAY — Comic books are still as popular as ever and sometimes it’s a great way to illustrate what you are trying to say.
10: GO AWAY FROM YOUR DESK AND DO SOMETHING ELSE TO CLEAR YOUR HEAD THEN COME BACK — I used to escape from the busy newsroom and go to the loo for 5 mins. Just sitting still and clearing your mind will allow your thoughts to flow easily again — in fact, try stopping them.
And there you have it.
My tried and tested formula for getting over Writer’s Block.
What do you usually do to break through Writer’s block?
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