10 techniques for overcoming writer's block

You stare at the blank page. Hands poised over the keys. You think to yourself: “This is it: the project that will be my undoing. The job that will expose me for the massive faker I am. The last client I’ll ever have”.

Sometimes, we take on a project and everything just flows. You sit down at your desk, flowers bloom from the end of your fingertips, the client loves your work, they pay you. Boom.

But then there are the other times. The times we don’t talk about on social media. The times where it feels off. Writing feels like pushing a grand piano up a hill. It’s not the client’s fault or the project’s fault. But for some reason, nothing is coming out.

As the deadline draws nearer, you think you’re just going to have to bail on the project, refund the client and run away and live on a mountain alone forever.

This exact thing happened to me recently. Great client, great project. But when the time came to start typing: nothing. For days. So I did what any desperate writer would do. I searched the internet and asked friends for tips on how to get things moving. I tried EVERYTHING.

And slowly, one word after another, I made it out of the creative cul-de-sac and delivered work the client loved.

The point is writer’s block happens. It doesn’t make you any less of a writer. Especially right now. Nothing saps your creative energy like a global pandemic. The important thing is to have tricks to get you out of the funk.

As I tested different techniques, I kept a list. I figured even if I was going to get banned from the copywriting kingdom, at least we’d have all learnt something.  So here it is. A manual to hot-wire your creative engine. Bookmark it, share it with your pals. And the next time you’re struggling to get the juices flowing, give one, some or all of these a try.

1.      Sleep on it

Tiredness, stress and time limits are no good for creative thinking. Sometimes you’re better off cutting your losses and leaving it till tomorrow if you can.

2.      Write anything

Give yourself a free pass to write anything. No matter how crap. No judgement. To do this, you have to write fast. And to write fast, you have to switch off the judgy part of your brain. The part scanning for quality and going: “No, don’t write that. It’s heinous”. Turn that little voice down for a minute and write like nobody’s ever going to see it.

3.      Change locations

If a coffee shop or coworking space isn’t an option, move to the sofa. Or sit on a bench outside your house, with a notebook. The shift in view might shake an idea loose.

4.      Listen to music

So you’re writing web copy for a luxury art deco jewellery brand. You’re going to listen to jazz, maybe a bit of Sade. I wrote a thing about using music to get you in the zone – have a read.

5.      Copy work

Find writing in a similar style to what you want to produce and copy it by hand a few times to get a feel for it. This is an exercise copywriting pros swear by. It helps you get a better sense of why a piece of writing works so you can apply it to your own output.

6.      Find structure

If your head is full of ideas but you’ve no clue how to structure them, find copy you like for the way it flows and use it to build your own version.

7.      Collect words

Sometimes, it’s not the structure but the words that are the sticking point. Maybe you can’t find the right ones or the vocabulary on the topic or industry seems limited. Look at brands in adjacent industries to get some new words beyond the obvious. If you’re promoting artisanal coffee, check out some artisanal beer brands.

8.      Read up

Maybe it’s not structure or words you’re lacking, but ideas. It could be that it’s a new sector or an old one where everything you come up with feels dated and overused. Read, listen to and watch as much as you can on the topic to start making new connections.

9.      Phone a friend

Get a mate on the phone. Explain the problem, whinge a bit and then focus on how to fix it. It’ll help you get your ideas in order, ditch the negative thinking and find the confidence to get started. Ask if they’ll check in on you in a couple of hours for accountability. 

10.   Have a wine

Okay, you’re really down to the wire. It’s do-or-die time. None of the above have worked and you’re getting stressed. My top tip? Have a wine (if you can). It will loosen up your thoughts and reduce your inhibitions about writing the first crappy draft. Just make sure you edit sober.

Have I missed anything? What’s your top tip for overcoming writer’s block? Let me know on Twitter.

Or, if you’d like to chat about tackling your creative block together, give me a call.