There comes a point in every blogger's life where she (or he) is left unexpectedly agape, staring at the computer screen, with absolutely nothing to say. A landscape that once overflowed with bright reflections on an outfit or quirky statements regarding fashion had now become as dry and bleak as a desert landscape.
I love to write. I love brainstorming topics for blog posts. I love doing research and highlighting important points I want to explore. I love the click click click sound of my fingers excitedly running over my keyboard, typing furiously on a post I am hopeful will spurn interesting comments and conversation. I even enjoy those stressful moments when I'm not entirely sure how a post will come together. I accidentally discovered my love of writing as a high school freshman, when my unconventional English teacher encouraged us to free write in between assignments. Those ungraded essays introduced me to the satisfaction of finding the perfect word and exploring a writing style that was outlandishly descriptive. I loved those essays. I could write about anything, and I did.
Whether they jot down a couple of sentences or compose lengthy 1000 word posts, bloggers are writers. As such, many have trouble with writer's block at one point or another. There are a myriad of reasons behind this problem: Anxiety, the pressure to produce a "perfect" post, lack of inspiration, a life change. However, 99% of the time writer’s block is nothing more than fear. You’re afraid you’re out of ideas. You’re afraid your best work is behind you. You’re afraid that you’re a phony. You’re afraid of failure. You’re afraid you’re not the genius you wanted to be when you started.
Writer's block strikes me once every few months. During those moments, I feel hopelessly frustrated and confused. What happened? Where did my words go? My brain feels cramped and about as useful as a paper weight. The blinking cursor on my laptop seems to mock me with every flash. I feel ruined.
During the past year, I've developed a couple of techniques for dealing with writer's block. Each one has helped me at one point or another, and I thought it would be useful to share them with you.
- Implement a writing schedule: Every day, between eight and ten in the morning, I get on my laptop and I write. I ignore my writer's block and just jot down whatever is in my head - whether it's about fashion, or body image, or what I'm wearing. Bringing my fingers to the keyboard at the same time every day never fails to encourage me to post.
- Carry around a notebook: The best way to stay inspired is to consistently jot down ideas for posts as they come. Whether you use a notes app on your phone or an actual notepad, recording post ideas creates an archive of topics to draw from.
- Take some time off: Writer's block is frequently your body's way of telling you that you need a break to gather material and take the pressure of of posting. Time off from blogging might be all you need to become inspired to post again. Have you ever struggled with writer's block? How do you stay inspired to post? Do you have any tricks for beating writer's block?
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