Beating bloggers block
I should imagine bloggers block is somewhat like writers block. Being a blogger rather than a writer I can’t be sure 100% 
With writers block your fans wait, for your newspaper, magazine or book. The editor may schedule in someone else and you may lose you column that month but it could get scheduled the next. If you are a novelist, then your deadline may slip by but pretty soon your editorial team will start cheerleading and the pressure will be on to produce, and you will, eventually.
- Image by Joe Seggiola via Flickr
A blogger has similar pressure, if they publish regularly and suddenly stop, they lose traffic and if their blog is monetised they lose revenue almost instantly.
So how do you overcome bloggers block?
It has been suggested to me to just type, and keep on typing and on… at some point it will start to make sense and the words will flow again. I have tried this and it works to some degree although I have never really been happy enough to publish anything written whilst using this technique – perhaps I didnt write for long enough
Writing lists sometimes work, to me that’s lazy blogging, but a lot of people like lists and lists of posts previously published. It may be enough to jump start the writing engine.
Guest blogging, writing something away from your usual niche is a good way of getting the creative juices flowing, just taking an old blog and reworking it for a new audience can make an entire new blog post or three.
Experimenting with blog titles can be a good way to lure the words from your brain, down your arm and onto the keyboard. Getting someone else to write your blog titles can be interesting, it’s good to see how others look at your blog and their views.
Taking and old blog and chopping it into three and making it into new a series. I did this once with a very good guest post from Nick Parkin. He wrote an excellent guest blog that easily broke into three interlinked blogs. The series had good traffic but it’s blog number two that gets the most traffic from search engines. I doubt it would have got a third of the traffic if it was all in one post.
A guest post for your own blog from someone else can give you a fresh look on your niche and your next blog could be a reply or sequel to the guest post. Most bloggers ask questions and invite comment, they can form the basis of your next post. All good bloggers take suggestions from their audience (the comments) and the better ones act upon the suggestions and sees what happens to their traffic.
My last tip for beating bloggers block is simple, get out and enjoy life, the fresh air and promise not to think about anything to do with writing or your blog. If your brain is anything like mine, you will have 50 ideas and 10 blogs mentally written when you walk back through the door 
What do you do to beat blogger’s block? Feel free to share your tips and tricks.
About Sarah ArrowSarah Arrow is the managing editor of Birds on the Blog, in real life she is the communications director of a same day courier service. She is an enthusiastic UK based pro-blogger and co- author of the soon to be published Zero to Blogger
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I have a list of blog and article titles that I add to constantly, both for my own blogs, and for clients’ blogs.
The list gros all the time, as I get ideas from news headlines, thoughts while out walking, reading other blogs, things that people say, etc etc etc.
When it gets REALLY bad and I’ve run out of ideas, a quick trawl through all the online newspapers usually gives me something to write about – or rant about!
Twitter: nikkipilkington
I tried the notebook thing but I kept losing it
I even thought about dictating into the phone whilst I remembered and even downloaded Cinch to be able to do that, then I remembered I sound like a toddler on helium so that went out of the window!
So now I am waiting for Ribbit to finalise and then I shall talk into the phone and they will convert it to text, hehehehehe if it’s anything like my last attempt at voice recognition writing it will be fun to read
I have a notebook full of ideas for stories I want to write, and it does make a difference, something like a safety net.
But I do think that some days it feels like everything is stale and not worth saying anything about – and then I do think there’s nothing to beat going out for a walk.
Actually when the loom was up, weaving used to work too – I think there’s something about rhythmic and repetitive movement that gets the mind working creatively.
Ryan swears by the washing up, but I wouldn’t know about that
I have a list of blog and article titles that I add to constantly, both for my own blogs, and for clients’ blogs.
The list gros all the time, as I get ideas from news headlines, thoughts while out walking, reading other blogs, things that people say, etc etc etc.
When it gets REALLY bad and I’ve run out of ideas, a quick trawl through all the online newspapers usually gives me something to write about – or rant about!
Twitter: nikkipilkington
I tried the notebook thing but I kept losing it
I even thought about dictating into the phone whilst I remembered and even downloaded Cinch to be able to do that, then I remembered I sound like a toddler on helium so that went out of the window!
So now I am waiting for Ribbit to finalise and then I shall talk into the phone and they will convert it to text, hehehehehe if it’s anything like my last attempt at voice recognition writing it will be fun to read
I have a notebook full of ideas for stories I want to write, and it does make a difference, something like a safety net.
But I do think that some days it feels like everything is stale and not worth saying anything about – and then I do think there’s nothing to beat going out for a walk.
Actually when the loom was up, weaving used to work too – I think there’s something about rhythmic and repetitive movement that gets the mind working creatively.
Ryan swears by the washing up, but I wouldn’t know about that
I’ve got a Tipz piece about writer’s block which you may find helpful. Shall I put it in here as a comment or send it over as a post later?
Twitter: SuzeStMWrites
Send it over Suze and I shall add it to the schedule
I love the speech writing tips – look out for that everyone, it’s fab 
I’ve got a Tipz piece about writer’s block which you may find helpful. Shall I put it in here as a comment or send it over as a post later?
Twitter: SuzeStMWrites
Send it over Suze and I shall add it to the schedule
I love the speech writing tips – look out for that everyone, it’s fab 
Well I am a novice blogger if I can call myself that at all, but for me it has to be the pad in every! Room car and office (if you saw my house!) I really do have pads everywhere in the kitchen by the sofa the bed etc and for someone who writes so little it’s a bit extreme. Then of course which pad did I write that on is the next question, but in my round about way I get there, We do have Dictaphone thingy but none of us can remember how to use it (no hope) so things that are in there will stay in there ‘cos we cant get them out!
But there’s a blog in everything, Yesterday at our mothers day gathering my niece said she rang nanny (my mum) and told her that as part of her options she was taking philosophy and ethics – nanny said what’s that then – niece said its all the ‘big questions’ Oo said nanny, then put the phone down and said to granddad she’s taking ‘philosophy in Essex’ as one of her options its about the big questions. . . .I’m sure there the start to what would we do with out Essex girls blog there somewhere
Lol, my Courier blog for tomorrow is titled “Ethics in business, that’s Ethics not Essex” I am looking forward to your Essex girl blog Jacqui
Well I am a novice blogger if I can call myself that at all, but for me it has to be the pad in every! Room car and office (if you saw my house!) I really do have pads everywhere in the kitchen by the sofa the bed etc and for someone who writes so little it’s a bit extreme. Then of course which pad did I write that on is the next question, but in my round about way I get there, We do have Dictaphone thingy but none of us can remember how to use it (no hope) so things that are in there will stay in there ‘cos we cant get them out!
But there’s a blog in everything, Yesterday at our mothers day gathering my niece said she rang nanny (my mum) and told her that as part of her options she was taking philosophy and ethics – nanny said what’s that then – niece said its all the ‘big questions’ Oo said nanny, then put the phone down and said to granddad she’s taking ‘philosophy in Essex’ as one of her options its about the big questions. . . .I’m sure there the start to what would we do with out Essex girls blog there somewhere
Lol, my Courier blog for tomorrow is titled “Ethics in business, that’s Ethics not Essex” I am looking forward to your Essex girl blog Jacqui
Thinking about stuff to blog about too much leads to what I’ve heard called “analysis paralysis” where everything grinds to a halt. I have notebooks in the lounge, study and kitchen. All sorts of stuff gets noted down in them, from recipes to “Could I get away with one of Dr Christian’s shirts?”, “What’s the best way to remove cat hair from…..” to outbursts of frustration with politicians, sports people, et cetera. Alongisde essential stuff like shopping lists and to do lists. The dictaphone for notes thing worked until I dropped the dictaphone. It didn’t bounce
Material for blogging can come from anywhere. Chatting with people, seeing something on Twitter, hearing someone shout after their dog in the park or a kid chatting with his parents in the supermarket. Some of what I think is my best blog content has formed from the spark of an idea to wording while I’ve been in the shower! There’s a lot to be said for Lush’s Happy Hippy shower gel
I’ve written a lot of stuff, saved it as a draft to look at a bit later and found that after a cup of tea, the article isn’t as funny or as sharp as I first thought it might be.
Hope you don’t mind a bloke commenting here!
Blokes are welcome Jamie
I shall let you know how effective Lush’s Happy Hippy shower gel is
Thinking about stuff to blog about too much leads to what I’ve heard called “analysis paralysis” where everything grinds to a halt. I have notebooks in the lounge, study and kitchen. All sorts of stuff gets noted down in them, from recipes to “Could I get away with one of Dr Christian’s shirts?”, “What’s the best way to remove cat hair from…..” to outbursts of frustration with politicians, sports people, et cetera. Alongisde essential stuff like shopping lists and to do lists. The dictaphone for notes thing worked until I dropped the dictaphone. It didn’t bounce
Material for blogging can come from anywhere. Chatting with people, seeing something on Twitter, hearing someone shout after their dog in the park or a kid chatting with his parents in the supermarket. Some of what I think is my best blog content has formed from the spark of an idea to wording while I’ve been in the shower! There’s a lot to be said for Lush’s Happy Hippy shower gel
I’ve written a lot of stuff, saved it as a draft to look at a bit later and found that after a cup of tea, the article isn’t as funny or as sharp as I first thought it might be.
Hope you don’t mind a bloke commenting here!
Blokes are welcome Jamie
I shall let you know how effective Lush’s Happy Hippy shower gel is
as much as i love writing it challenges me mentally to an overwhelming extend,,,,, i am so often, full of ideas and mentally would tell myself a beautifully worded blog that when i arrive near the computer the words and the power disappear… very frustrating of course…
i do keep list with few sentences on each idea i like to blog about… also reading an article in the newpaper or hearing some news trigger interest inside me for blogs….
i like your tips ladies, must not stop, but damn what is called depression that stops me functioning some times….
as much as i love writing it challenges me mentally to an overwhelming extend,,,,, i am so often, full of ideas and mentally would tell myself a beautifully worded blog that when i arrive near the computer the words and the power disappear… very frustrating of course…
i do keep list with few sentences on each idea i like to blog about… also reading an article in the newpaper or hearing some news trigger interest inside me for blogs….
i like your tips ladies, must not stop, but damn what is called depression that stops me functioning some times….
I fly every week and bring a lot of magazines to read. I scan them for ideas for content and also ideas for eye-catching headlines. I rip out the pages I want to save and add them to my collection.
I also ask people key questions that might give me ideas, such as “what’s your favorite thing about travel?” or “what’s your biggest travel challenge?” I get lots of ideas from talking to people.
Carol Margolis
http://www.smartwomentravelers.com
I fly every week and bring a lot of magazines to read. I scan them for ideas for content and also ideas for eye-catching headlines. I rip out the pages I want to save and add them to my collection.
I also ask people key questions that might give me ideas, such as “what’s your favorite thing about travel?” or “what’s your biggest travel challenge?” I get lots of ideas from talking to people.
Carol Margolis
http://www.smartwomentravelers.com
I use questions from clients, trade magazines and stuff I see on the internet, to give me ideas. I also have a list of jotted down subjects … but it’s not really the ideas that are the problem … it’s whether or not I feel like writing.
Some days it just flows. Other days, every sentence is a struggle and I change each one six or seven times … and, on those days, the topics in my list all look deadly dull.
Going off for a snack often works for me – but not for my figure. I shall have to try this going for a walk idea!
Majjie, I am right there with you! I have all of the ideas, but can not get the words flowing. I do not want to start my blog on my site until I know that I have at least 10 articles to go on it. When my brain works I can punch out so many different articles. The problem is, I can’t get it to work other than the two that I already started. Maybe I used to many brain cells getting the business going.
I love your profile picture!
I use questions from clients, trade magazines and stuff I see on the internet, to give me ideas. I also have a list of jotted down subjects … but it’s not really the ideas that are the problem … it’s whether or not I feel like writing.
Some days it just flows. Other days, every sentence is a struggle and I change each one six or seven times … and, on those days, the topics in my list all look deadly dull.
Going off for a snack often works for me – but not for my figure. I shall have to try this going for a walk idea!
Majjie, I am right there with you! I have all of the ideas, but can not get the words flowing. I do not want to start my blog on my site until I know that I have at least 10 articles to go on it. When my brain works I can punch out so many different articles. The problem is, I can’t get it to work other than the two that I already started. Maybe I used to many brain cells getting the business going.
I love your profile picture!
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This is very timely Sarah, been suffering from blogger’s block for sometime. Something that I did regularly and found useful as a source of ideas was set google alert words. My favourite is “Poverty in Africa” this brings in everything written about the topic, then i would go and comment on other people’s blogs on this topic or review their blog on mine. For reasons I can’t explain I stopped doing this! Time to revisit it!
Twitter: ethnicsupplies
This is very timely Sarah, been suffering from blogger’s block for sometime. Something that I did regularly and found useful as a source of ideas was set google alert words. My favourite is “Poverty in Africa” this brings in everything written about the topic, then i would go and comment on other people’s blogs on this topic or review their blog on mine. For reasons I can’t explain I stopped doing this! Time to revisit it!
Twitter: ethnicsupplies
Great Blog! I’ll be back – - as soon as I get over my blogger’s block…tee hehe
Jonena
Great Blog! I’ll be back – - as soon as I get over my blogger’s block…tee hehe
Jonena
I like your last tip! Just give your brain a little break and it will pay you back!
I like your last tip! Just give your brain a little break and it will pay you back!
Great tips! I’m going to try them. I have a blog, but I think my biggest block is self-judgement, as in, “Does anyone care? Why am I writing about this?” and the ever popular, “Is this stupid?” Oh boy, can I beat myself up! I do find that a good, long walk clears the head and generally clears the cobwebs and reveals a gem or two. Yes, fresh air and a little bit of nature help to cure bloggers block.
Great tips! I’m going to try them. I have a blog, but I think my biggest block is self-judgement, as in, “Does anyone care? Why am I writing about this?” and the ever popular, “Is this stupid?” Oh boy, can I beat myself up! I do find that a good, long walk clears the head and generally clears the cobwebs and reveals a gem or two. Yes, fresh air and a little bit of nature help to cure bloggers block.