Struggling To Turn That Article Idea Into Actual Content?

Does this sound familiar? You have a great idea for an article, so you sit down and fire up your favourite writing software, stare at the blank screen…and no words come! It’s happened to me on more than a few occasions, I can tell you! Here’s a great tip to get the flow started…

Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zippo.

There is nothing more frustrating than having a great idea to write about only to find yourself unable to write about it.

It may be because you are trying to think up every sentence before you write it. It may be because you have too many ideas and can’t get them into any order. It may be because you only have the basic premise of the article but nothing to flesh it out.

I’ve suffered from all three of those problems, and it can be quite a problem indeed. Maybe you go and get a coffee, but sit back down and still nothing. Maybe you check your emails or social sites, and half an hour later go back to the blank screen that was supposed to be your article.

So, if I’ve suffered from this malaise, and it rings a bell with you too, what’s the tip I use to get past it..?

Well, I simply put something – anything – on the page to stop it being a blank screen.

Now, that may sound simplistic, it may sound pointless, but it’s *what* you put on that page that’s the key to unlocking the creation process.

You should start with ‘This is an article about xxx’Then carry on with ‘I’m not really sure how to proceed, but the point I want to get across is xxx’
Now you are off and running! Well, ok off and crawling, but you have started the article!

Maybe carry on with ‘This is what so and so said about the subject’, and ‘I think that’s relevant because xxx’, or’ I disagree because xxx’
‘You will find this useful because it will help you to xxx’ or ‘This is a great way do xxx’
Can you see how these will help you? Once you write all of these out with the answers, you have a great foundation to build on. The introduction will then come to you. The conclusion will then come to you. In fact, all sorts of ideas will come to you, because you have opened the dam!

You can then go back and edit out the generalised statements, or even leave them in if it helps – leave the editing until *after* you’ve written, don’t do it as you go along.

To develop the tip a bit further, as you write out any of the statements above, and you find that when you answer it you want to keep writing, then keep writing! Do not feel you have to go through all the statements, because the last thing you want to do is restrict yourself now that you *have* got yourself going!

If you find yourself with all sorts of other ideas coming to you, then take 2 seconds to put them in your ‘ideas’ text file, (you do have an ‘ideas’ text file, right?), and then crack on with the article at hand.

This kind of writer’s block can be so irritating, particularly when you know your idea is a good one, so don’t forget this tip – simply getting something on the page in the form of basic statements has worked for me in the past, and I’d love to hear that it works for you too!

Ok, that’s it for today!
‘Til Next Time,
health & happiness,
Gordon
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P.P.S. You may enjoy another article – The Blog Writing Benefits Of Diet And Exercise!