Want to learn how to overcome writer's block? You've come to the right place. That's exactly what we're going to teach you today. This is something every writer struggles with at some point - you just can't seem to get those creative juices flowing. And whether you're writing an SEO blog post or an informative essay for school, it's frustrating.
Fortunately, the solution is often easier than you may think. No - you don't need to go outside and meditate for 30 minutes to reset your brain. No, you don't need another cup of coffee. You simply need to give yourself a bit of direction. The one tip we'll share below will help you overcome writer's block for good.
Before we teach you how to overcome writer's block once and for all, let us break down what exactly we mean when we talk about writer's block.
First - What is Writer's Block, Exactly?
All the writing advice in the world doesn’t matter if you can’t get the words to come out.
Which is why so many writers struggle with “Writer’s Block.”
Writer’s Block is this feeling where you sit and stare at a blank page, unsure of how to get started. It’s an uncertainty as to where you should begin, how you should structure your thoughts, and how you can assemble this piece of writing in a way that grabs the attention of your readers.
Well, here is the ultimate cure to Writer’s Block.
How to Overcome Writer's Block: Follow Our “Prep The Page” Approach to Starting Your Writing Process
Ready to learn the secret of how to overcome writer's block? As mentioned earlier, it's far easier than you may have imagined. The easiest way to ensure you never have to suffer from Writer’s Block again is to organize your writing visually, first.
Some people call this “outlining.” Others call it “creating a skeleton” before you start writing. I like to call it Prepping The Page. And all “Prep The Page” means is giving yourself a roadmap for where things are going to go.
And, here's how it works:
A simple “Prep The Page” example would look something like this:
- Headline: What is this piece about? Who is it for? What will the reader get in exchange for reading through to the end? AND, why should they trust you (what’s your credibility)?
- Introduction: (Repeat the information from the headline with slightly more detail.) What is this piece about? Who is it for? What will the reader get in exchange for reading through to the end? AND, why should they trust you (what’s your credibility)?
- Main Points: What “proven approach” are you using to organize this piece? (Is this piece organized by Steps, Lessons, Mistakes, Tips, etc.?) How many do you plan on including? 3 Steps? 4 Lessons? 5 Mistakes?
- Conclusion: What’s the final takeaway? What do you want readers to walk away with after reading this piece? What’s the morale of the story?
By “Prepping The Page,” first, it becomes significantly easier to know where to start.
Because nobody likes staring at a blank page.
Use Headings to Build Your Wheels & Spokes
Taking the information above, you may feel inclined to open up a fresh Google doc - or pull out a sheet of paper if you do things the old-fashioned way. But not so fast - we don't want you to simply dump your brain on a piece of paper. Doing so will lead to more chaos and confusion. Remember - it's all about giving your creative process a bit of direction.
That's where headings come in.
When organizing your content, there are then two different types of headings you should use.
- Wheels: Big headings (H2) that signify the beginning of a new overarching section.
- Spokes: Small headings/subheads (H3 or H4) that separate important sections within the overarching section.
Since most essays and articles online fall between the 300–800 word range, you usually don’t need to use both Headings & smaller subheads (because there’s only so much room). For example, in the “Prep The Page” example above, each “reason” in the article is listed out using a heading. In this case, it really doesn’t matter if your headings are big (H2) or smaller (H3 or H4) because they are all fulfilling the same purpose: separating ideas.
However, in longer-form blog posts and ultimate guides, it makes sense to use both to make sure readers are following your train of thought. Each major section would open with a big heading (H2), signifying the purpose of this overarching section. And then each sub-section within would be separated by subheads (H3 or H4), signifying where one idea stops and the next idea begins.
Using headings are an easy way to make your writing more “skimmable,” and to also make it easy for readers to scroll and find a section that hooks their attention. If they find a section that speaks to their wants, needs, desires, or questions, that’s where they are going to start reading. And if, when they start reading, they find your content valuable, insightful, memorable, etc., that’s when they are going to scroll back to the beginning and start reading.
Next Time You're Stuck, Try Overcoming Writer's Block With This Tip!
That concludes our quick explanation on how to overcome writer's block. As you can see, it is as simple as sitting down before trying to write anything and just building a basic roadmap with the Spokes and Wheels format we described above.
Give yourself some direction. Then, just fill in the sections with content.
Ba-da-bing, ba-da-boom.
Want to learn more about becoming a prolific writer? We have a whole lot more in store for you here in our blog. Check out our content frameworks article, or discover our secret solution to captivating readers with these headline templates. We also have resources on Quora monetization, creating a daily writing habit, digital writing, and more!
Let us help you along your journey to becoming a better writer - no matter what that looks like for you.