6 things to do when you’ve got writer’s block

It happens to the best of us….sometimes it can just be, well tumble weed up there in our brains. One day our mind is on fire with ideas, and then another….diddly squat.

So what do you do when you need some ideas of things to write about but quite frankly, have none? Here are some pointers which will hopefully get you kick started.

Look everywhere

And when I mean everywhere, I mean everywhere. Seriously, I have got ideas from anywhere and everywhere. Bored crapless in the doctor’s waiting room, I have even got ideas there. The key here is to think laterally, and see things as prompts, as opposed to the whole blog post handed to you on a plate.

Get out

You know what is not going to happen…..a deluge of ideas by staring at your screen in frustration. Instead, get out. Overhear things. Watch people’s behaviour. Go and mooch in the library. Go to an event. Go and witness some obscene behaviour in Tesco. Whatever it is…for the love of god, get out of your house because there is only so much inspiration that can come from within our same old four walls!

Read

Hey! If ever you needed a viable excuse to read the Daily Mail or Grazia this is it! Now they are not something I would actively go out and buy but if they are lying around disused then you can bet I’m not going to leave them there looking all forlorn. Reading about current trends, scandals and gossip can be a wonderful source of inspiration for blog posts. OK, it doesn’t just have to be trash….one of my favourite sources of inspiration are the supplements that come with the Sunday Times….LOVE!

Talk

Seriously, it’s amazing the the number of ideas that come from serious chats, silly chats and everything in between. Sometimes an idea can be buried inside the layers of our mind which just need to be unpeeled a little to get to the sweet stuff. It’s there in your unconscious and one of the best ways to unearth it is by spending some time shooting the breeze with anyone that will be willing.

Cheat

And if all else fails, there are some fun tools out there to help you come up with your blog post ideas. Some of those are also quite helpful in forcing you to wear your SEO hat too. Here are some of my faves which I suggest you have a play with:

Answer The Public

Link Bait Generator

Portent’s Content Idea Generator

HubSpot’s Blog Topic Generator

Uber Suggest

Google Trends

Blog Title Generator by SEO Pressor 

Upworthy Generator 

Blog About Generator 

Take a blog break

And if you try all of the above and still fall flat on your face, it’s time to think about a blog break. A week or two can do you the world of good and after all, the blogosphere will still be there waiting for you when you get back. Check out my handy guide on how to take a blog break without having a nervous breakdown here.

Do you suffer from writer’s block? What do you think of the tips above? Do share in a comment below.

***Did you find this post useful? If so please give it a Tweet on Twitter, a share on Facebook and for more from me please like my Facebook page here xoxo***

Picture credit: Designed by Freepik

21 comments

  1. Great advice but I must say the taking a break has always been what has helped me when I’ve struggled. I just take a step back and write when I feel the urge again. I love that you can look around and get inspiration from anything in front of you xx #coolmumclub

  2. I feel like I’ve been suffering from writer’s block for months!! For me, I know it’s because I need to take a break, and I’ll most likely do so over Christmas. So here’s hoping next year is better in terms of inspiration!! Thanks for hosting #coolmumclub!

  3. Great ideas Talya! I have had a bit of a block later, I just feel so over whelmed by the work side of blogging that I’ve lost my motivation to write. I’m having two weeks off for Christmas though, can’t wait! #coolmumclub

  4. These are really great ideas. I always find getting out and about helps me come up with something and j didn’t even know those tools existed! Great to have you back #coolmumclub

  5. I definitely go through periods of having loads of ideas and then lose my mo-jo and it all dries up! A break is good, as is writing something, any old thing just to kick start yourself again. I definitely agree that inspiration is all around us! Thanks for hosting #CoolMumClub xx

  6. I think this is the best thing about being a Food blogger. I’ve never had writer’s block…you’ve always got to eat something! #Coolmumclub

  7. This list is so good, too true abiut getting out,amazing the randomness if an idea you can get in the most oddest of places, lol X #coolmumclub

  8. You are so right about talking to people. You can be inspired when you least expect it just by talking to someone without even having a blog post in mind! These are tips I will copy and save to my folder for future reference, thank you. #coolmumclub

  9. Definitely find taking a break helps, I then come back more refreshed and focused. Not heard of these links though so I will take a look. At the moment I have ideas just not the energy to write!! #coolmumclub

  10. I couldn’t agree more. Inspiration definitely comes in peaks and troughs for me and this is all top advice!

    Great to be back with you at #coolmumclub love!

  11. Taking a break definitely helps. I’d not blogged properly in ages but having time out and being made redundant has given me a new lease of life on the blogging front! Thanks for hosting #coolmumclub

  12. Talya, I’ve bookmarked this post 🙂 So many good tips there. I had no idea about the SEO title generators. Learned something new, thank you. What also helps me are 1) deadlines – I can think SOO clear when I have a deadline. ( strange, huh?) and 2) draft and let sit. Then come back to it and review it. great post xx

    • Thank you so much for all your lovely comments on my posts I’m so glad you’re finding them helpful and supportive

  13. Great advice, especially once Christmas is over I will neeec inspiration from elsewhere. I do suffer from this occasional or forget my previous blog post ideas that I kept in my head were! #coolmumclub

  14. Great tips. I’m in desperate need of a blogging break and plan on taking a looong one over Christmas and the new year. I discovered Answer the Public the other week and it’s great fun.
    #Coolmumclub

  15. Some great advice! I actually needed a break after Bibs, I felt really overwhelmed and lost my direction to be honest. I think I forgot why I started blogging in the first place! I’m back to enjoying it now and I think that’s so important, if it gets to a point where it’s forced then step back and take a break. I always carry a notebook, there’s something about watching a notebook fill up with ideas and notes #coolmumclub

  16. Thank you for this. In particular the links at the bottom. I often get a block. Then there are the times where I have loads of good subject matter but suffer with “can’t be arsedness”. If someone has some tips for overcoming that I am all ears hahaha #coolmumclub

  17. Great advice Talya! I haven’t tried any of those sites before, but I’ll definitely have a look – thanks for the list! Taking a blog break always works for me too x #coolmumclub

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.