Having to keep up a regular schedule is something many people do well. There is another cohort of us who have great intentions. Other things seem to get in the way and we find ourselves staring at a blank blog page for a few days or, even worse, weeks. Ok. Maybe months. Anyone see tumbleweeds?
So what’s the best way to keep your productivity up when you’re struggling?
Here are a few tips that should help.
1. Write more when you are in the writing mood.
I know when I’m in the mood to write I can pump stuff out easily if I’m in that zone. Words flow, keys tap, and before I know it I’ve written more than expected.
Getting and staying in the zone is the challenge!
When you are, stockpile a bunch of articles or posts that you can then schedule out to appear on future dates. That way it doesn’t matter what your mood is like – your blog will be populated.
Same holds true for any other writing where you control the content. It’s just a matter of making sure you keep an eye on when you need to top up the stock!
2. Work out a few blogging themes or a structure.
Trying to write out of thin air can be a struggle. It’s way easier if you have an idea of the topic you will write on.
Mark up your month or quarter or year and pick a theme or topic for each week. Example, week 1 – blogging issues, week 2 – writing methods, etc. Then write out 7 articles on that week’s theme and schedule them to run.
Or, you might structure it so you have a different area for each day of the week. For example Throwback Thursdays, Funny Fridays, Review Mondays etc. Then write out an article for each daily theme and plug them in to publish.
If you’re not that organised, a further idea is to just write up a bunch of titles relevant to your blog’s focus, then pick 7 to write about and schedule them to publish.
By having an idea of what you will write about, the task of actually writing is one step closer.
3. Re-purpose existing content.
This is one of the steps I am taking on another blog.
I have a few videos and slideshows previously prepared that tie into the blog audience focus. I plan to turn each of those into a series of blog posts. All I have to do is play the show or video and write the content for the articles based on that. Easy as. Great approach for when you can’t think too well!
You could also look at anything else you’ve published and rewrite it, refresh it with new content, or extend the ideas from earlier posts.
If you have some PLR available related to your topic, there’s no reason why you can’t use that by revising it. Sometimes you don’t need to start from scratch – use what you’ve already got.
Like what other people write? Curate industry news, press articles, journal articles or even books. You can include some of their content then top and tail it with your commentary.
Still stuck? This is an oldie but a goodie 🙂
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2005/11/29/20-types-of-blog-posts-battling-bloggers-block/
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So give yourself a break. We can’t all be word-pumping writing machines 365 days a year. Think about how you best work eg structured or inspired and find a writing method that will let you perform and produce … even when you don’t feel like it!
How do you get out of blogger’s block? I invite you to jot your thoughts in the comments!
Excellent tips. Often people don’t even think about re-purposing content, but it can be a great way to get things going again and expand on topics. I love the idea of stockpiling articles, but have never been able to do it….yet. Great post!
Love the “yet” – start stockpiling 😉
Whenever I’m struggling I either go for a walk and try again or do something that doesn’t take as much writing. Quite often I go on Twitter and pick 3 posts I found interesting and write a blog post discussing those. It helps my readers find more great info, gives me a new blog post, and also can get me traffic since those people will likely retweet my post to their readers.
When I AM in a good writing mood I write extra posts. I like to have 3-4 back up blog posts saved in draft for a day I’m not going to have time to write or can’t think of anything. Just try to pick evergreen topics and give them a once over to make sure the post is still relevant before you publish.
I’ve yet to train myself to walk as an alternative – but I love the Twitter idea. Way to go, Amanda.
Writing when you’re in the mood to write does make a huge difference in how well read the content is! I love your idea of reusing things you already have too! Thank you for taking the time to inspire the rest of us!
Glad you found it useful, Brittany. Thanks for stopping by.
These are all great writer’s block tips here, especially theme writing. I’ll have to try that this week and see how many I can get scheduled.
Excellent – let us know how you get on, Denise!
I really think it’s tough to have writer’s block. When it comes to writing good content it’s all around us, videos, articles, social media etc. I think if we just stop to really look at what is needed to be shared, it’s not that challenging to write. Nonetheless, great tips!
True, Nate. Inspiration is all around. Getting in the mood seems to be an issue for some and so the well runs dry. Thanks for stopping by.
These are all great ideas that I am trying to incorporate into my own blogging schedule. Love the idea of themed post and re-purposing content.
Anything to make the task easier, Victoria! Good luck with your blogging.
These are great ideas. When I’m stuck, I like to step away from the computer and take a break. Sometimes I’ll just need to walk around the house or get on with something else, other times I need to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. Trying to force the writing out is one of the worst things to do.
You make a great point there, Alexandria. Flow is way better than force. Thanks for your comment.
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