Beat Writer’s Block By Reading and Commenting More

August 13, 2007

Writer’s block is horrible. You might feel like your brain is caught in a choking smog, or surrounded by an impenetrable, concrete wall.

When struck with writer’s block I feel like I’m simultaneously trudging through quicksand and being punched in the face. Nasty, nasty stuff.

Writer’s block seems to hit most acutely when I’m overwhelmed and over tired; not a great combination.

Dawud Miracle reprints an article by Daphne Gray-Grant titled: 20 Surefire Ways to Beat Writer’s Block.

Aside from the fact that Dawud’s written a killer blog post headline, the tips are extremely useful.

I want to add one more tip.

Try reading and commenting more

It’s simple.

  1. Scan through your RSS feeds and blogs you read regularly. Or go find some new blogs and check them out.
  2. Read. Read. Read some more.
  3. Don’t just scan and skim. Really, read.
  4. Find something that triggers an opinion or idea, even if it’s ultra tiny, like 1 extra tip.
  5. Leave a comment on the blog.
  6. Go back to your blog right away and expand on your comment. Reference the original blog post. If you don’t do it right away, you’ll most likely never get to it.

Even if the post you write is off-topic for your blog it doesn’t matter. All you’re looking for is a smidge of inspiration, something you can use to propel a single, simple idea forward.

Exactly like I’m doing here. Dawud’s article caught my eye (mostly because of the headline!) I read it and immediately decided to respond with this post. I didn’t spend a ton of time thinking about it, evaluating every angle or trying to write something perfect. I just wrote it. Quick and dirty.

Being able to respond to or expand on someone else’s ideas is a simple and easy way to get something out there and chip away at writer’s block. Hope it helps!

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Comments
  • good tips. A line from any one article can spark an idea for a whole post. not only that, but TV and so fourth. I'll expand on this on a blog post on my blog =)...and maybe someone will pick up the idea from mine and create a post of thier own.
  • Certainly, you can get inspiration from a host of places - surfing your list of blogs and RSS feeds is just one of the more convenient.

    Look forward to your post...
  • Great, great advice. Often, I turn to the (gasp!) non-Internet world for inspiration. The key to reading, as you say so well, is to "Don’t just scan and skim. Really, read." Then, turn off the inhibitions and write.

    Thanks!
  • As an added bonus, you're spreading a little link love while breaking through your writer's block!
  • @lornadoone: EXACTLY. I didn't write that in the blog post but it's definitely part of the thinking and value. Find something interesting, extend the conversation and link back. You share the link love and it will come back.

    Thanks for stopping by and commenting Lorna!
  • Hey,

    This is good idea, I want to try it right away thought I have not been a victim so far of Writer's Block.

    Your prescription, it seems, is good. I do write and comment a lot.

    Best wishes

    John
  • BC
    Ben,

    Great advice. I have read so many posts and never thought that to expand on the comments I leave. I will try this in the next day or two. Thanks for your insight!
  • BC - Great! Let me know how it goes. If you notice my last post about everyone being a media outlet is based off a discussion started on another blog. I read his post, commented, thought about it more and wrote my own post. It's a great way of extending discussions throughout the blogosphere.
  • I think that points 5 and 6 are spot on. Each blog comment is like a mini-blog post. It's a way of generating an idea that you can elaborate on later (but not too much later!).

    And you can look on a blog post in a similar way. It's like a mini-article, which you can grow, and then submit to directories, etc.

    All "grist for the mill", as they say ...
  • Matt - I've never heard the term all "grist for the mill" but I'm with you in terms of thinking of comments as mini-blog posts and then taking those ideas further on your own blog.

    It's also a way of grabbing part of the conversation for yourself and your own community. Not that you're writing a blog post off of someone else's for selfish reasons but it works to build more conversation + community + traffic for your own blog.
  • I try and kick writers' block to the curb by writing down an idea the exact instant I get it. I've done that and I've got a folder full of ideas of things to write about with very little effort.

    If you don't write something down right away, you could very easily forget about it.

    I even try and remember to keep a notepad next to my bed so if I think of something at 4 AM I can try and write it down.
  • Hi,
    This stuff gives the real information one needs. One can feel like reaching the destination.
    Thanks.
  • Reading and comment definitely get the writing gears in motion.

    Reading, commenting and engaging in stimulating online conversations can really shatter the hold of writer's block.

    And...if you combine this with a good dose of some outside time...I promise that as soon as that whiff of fresh air hits you, you will be able to think much more freely and creatively.
  • @Chris - This is a good approach to keeping track of ideas. I try and do the same, although I'm not always successful. Very often at night I focus in on one idea, let it percolate in my head and wake up the next morning with a fully formed post to write, or a fleshed out idea that I can move quickly on.

    @Latarsha - I could use a whiff of fresh air right now! I don't go outside for enough short walks to refresh myself...
  • HSN
    @ Chris-
    Yes I agree, I think writing an idea the moment you get is the best way to go about it. I think having a journal helps or if you have a laptop, all you have to do is to type in the ideas and then when you have block, you can always work on theseideas
  • Richard Moore
    Writer's block is a normal phenomenon in writers. I cannot say that I am a "pure blooded" writer but I do love writing. I enjoy expressing my thoughts in words. Thanks for your post:) I am actually doing it in the present. As a student, I am exposed to different requirements. Right now, I am doing my coursework to broaden my knowledge and enhance my research skills. Reading is something I always do because it helps me think. Now that I've read your blog, I will make it a habit to comment on the other blogs. I know this will be helpful in my papers:)
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