Writer’s block is something all writers face at some time. Your mind goes blank and your brain just doesn’t work, just like trying to run in a dream. Your mind wills your body to move at the speed you want it to, but you just don’t move fast enough. If writing is your job, this can be not only frustrating, but you have to get that piece written, edited and published, or your boss will give you a good spanking.

Just saying to your boss, I’ve got “writer’s block” probably won’t get you out of that pot of boiling water. Anyone who’s ever written anything knows that writer’s block comes unannounced and that it is crippling. But we’ll deal with writer’s block in another post…

On to the dreaded blank page…

Whenever you start a new writing project, one thing is inevitable: a blank first page.

If your mind is brimming with ideas, it’s no problem to bang words out. Sometimes we all have these days, but sometimes we don’t.

So…here’s a short but effective checklist to add to your writing arsenal:

One of my Writing Commandments (no “Ten Commandments” here; we’ll just see how it goes…) of writing is: It’s easier to work with something than nothing. So, even if it’s the biggest load of crap you’ve ever written, write it anyway. It does no harm, you can always delete it, but it’s something to work with, edit, mould, and more often than not, yields ideas you never even suspected. Never forget, you can’t edit a blank page. Also, no-one wants to reads a blank page. So write SOMETHING!

Write down in 2-3 sentences EXACTLY what you want to accomplish.

Pick key headings and write them down.

Do a bit of light research on the subject and put your notes and any good referential urls under  the headings.

Don’t work from top to bottom. If you find any good info, put it into your own words and save your work. But if you find something relevant to another sub-heading, go ahead and add it in to the appropriate place. You’ll thank yourself later.

Just work your way through your headings, adding content little by little.

Once you’ve got a good amount of content, review your work. You’ll be amazed at what you’ve  actually accomplished.

Start your first edit, trimming away any irrelevant content.

Re-read.

If you feel you need more detailed content, do more research and add accordingly (this is sounding more like a cooking recipe!)

Re-read again (the best chefs ALWAYS taste as they go).

Edit again.

If you’re happy, run a spell check. However, DO NOT rely on it. Read it through after you do a spellcheck because spell checker’s aren’t as intelligent as you are. Better still, get a friend or colleague to read it. Any good, professional writer will take constructive criticism onboard and make appropriate changes to the piece. You may want to say something with a particular slant, but the spellchecker might have wanted to change it.

So, now you should have a written piece that you should be happy with. It’s hard work writing, but the rewards are immense, not only for you, but, hopefully also for your readership.

Good luck.

“See it all, till tomorrow”