No matter how good of a writer you are, you are bound to run out of ideas at some point in your writing career. Even though some writers have mastered the art of creating new ideas, all of them has experienced what it's like to have your head completely empty and out of resources.
Writer's block is that state of mind where a writer is unable to develop new thoughts for their work or is unsure of how to express them. Needless to say, it comes quite naturally to people who are new in the writing world and don't yet have a clear vision behind their ideas.
The important thing that many new writers seem to ignore is that writer's block isn't a sign that you are a bad writer. Just because you are temporarily not able to develop new ideas, doesn't mean that you don't have potential.
We all need a little push from time to time, and not knowing what to write about is perfectly okay as long as you keep trying. Though my experiences of writer's block aren't really as dramatic or intense as some people share online, I do know that these tips will surely help you in overcoming yours.
Remember Why You Started
The reason why a lot of writers started writing in the first place was because of their love for self-expression and story-telling. A lot of us here at Steemit love doing the same, including myself.
Making money off of your articles sure is important when thinking long term, but it doesn't count as a primary goal the same way the main goal of any business is not profit, but survival.
Majority of the writers write because writing is an outlet for them. It relieves them off of their emotional pressure they have inside and allows them to share what they know with the world.
But if you consider making money to be your first priority, then honestly, sticking to topics that please the public rather than yourself is probably the better route to go, even though I clearly don't recommend it.
Stop Creating, Start Consuming
Sometimes you just have to stop being the creator and start being the consumer. If all you do is create, create, and create, then you will soon run out of your mental resources to create anything new and original.
This is the reason why you should always keep a healthy balance between writing and reading/watching media etc so you can refill your creative juices whenever you are running low and get back to writing with a truckload of new ideas in your head.
For example, whenever I need new ideas or something to ponder upon, I read articles and watch TED talks and other YouTube videos that please my curiosity and allow me to get to know something new and interesting that I would want other people to know as well.
Repaint Your Canvas
Sometimes sticking to your niche gets really boring and you begin to want to try out something out of the ordinary and different from your own style. Writing about the things you love sure is fun and something we all find fulfilling, but what gives more satisfaction at times is discovering new genres.
This proved really well for me when I first began to write about Steemit and the different websites that offer features for us Steemians. It was probably the first time I wrote something which I had to do heavy research on, and it turned out to be one of my highest-earning posts.
I know how comfortable it feels to keep following a specific genre that you are really good at. It's safe, it's quick, and doesn't require much efforts. But the thing about writing and life in general is, you should always be open to anything new. After all, real growth exists outside the comfort zone.
Share Your Life Stories
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I fucking love it when people share their life stories with others, especially when they include their weaknesses, vulnerabilities, insecurities and downfalls.
Success stories sure are a must to get inspired and motivated, but let's be honest, their effect rarely ever stays for a long time. The way I see it, real learning and wisdom comes from failing. If you've never truly failed, you'll never truly win. Same goes for sadness and happiness.
Not only does sharing your life stories, especially failure stories, help you ease your heart, but also gives your readers a lesson to learn by knowing where you went wrong in life and where they should be careful too. This is exactly what will make you stand out from all the others.
People think that showing off their success will make other people love them, but that's so not true. Real connection comes from empathy, and you can't practice empathy with someone successful if you haven't succeeded yourself first.
But when it comes to failure, we all have experienced it, and that's why it becomes super easy to connect with people when sharing your failures. We all know what it feels like, but we rarely ever do say it out loud. But when we do, magic happens.
If you liked this article or found it useful, you might also like:
- Why Reading Others' Articles Is An Investment For Your Own Blog
- What To Write About When You Run Out Of Ideas
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