21 Practical Solutions to Overcoming Writer’s Block

Every blogger suffers this same problem.  With so many blogs out there, the challenge to come up with original ideas and content is more difficult than ever.  Today, I’m offering you 21 different activities that will help you to solve the problem of coming up with ideas for original content (a.k.a. writer’s block)

1.    Brainstorm - Write down random thoughts, things you remember from your childhood, what you ate for dinner – write down whatever you feel like writing.  The key to brainstorming is this: never erase anything

2.    60 seconds - Get paper and pen(cil), a timer, and any book at all.  On the count of three, open to a random page and write down the first word you see.  Immediately after, start the timer and then just write a chain of words – one word per line.  Do not stop.  If you don’t know what to write, put down the word “nothing”.   Do that for 60 seconds and you’ll see that you can come up with a wild list.

3.    Get away from the computer - Sometime we can’t think of an idea because we’re just sitting there in front of a monitor.  A change of scenery just might do the trick.

4.    Talk to your friends - The next time you’re with your friends, take a moment to listen carefully to what they’re saying.  If you’re with them for more than a few minutes and you’re actively listening it is almost a guarantee you’ll walk away with an idea.

5.    Read other blogs - There’s nothing wrong with finding inspiration for a post on another blog, but do not copy their material.

6.    Start writing - Sometimes that’s all it takes.

7.    Go to Flickr.com - This is an awesome resource when it comes to being original.  Do a search for any word and go through through pictures using their Slideshow feature.  Even better than the Slideshow is an awesome add-on for Firefox called Cooliris (I highly, highly, highly recommend you download it)

8.    Read the Qur’an - You might have thought to use ayat from the Qur’an to support your content, but have you ever thought to look in the Qur’an for the topic itself?  Look inside the Qur’an  and find some ayat that reflect your blog’s theme.

9.    Read some Hadith - Allah (swt) Himself chose Muhammed (saw) to be the last and final Messenger.  It should be no surprise to you that the same Prophet (saw) that changed the world can  also be a great source of ideas for your blog.

10.    Visit forums – Forums have a different way of organizing their information and conversations.  A great place to start is the Al-Maghrib Forums.

11.    Pick up a newspaper - Remember newspapers?  The black and white folded chunks of chopped down trees?  Well, doing something (or anything) that you don’t normally do gets your mind thinking differently.  If you really don’t want to pick up a physical one, try a great online Muslim newspaper – The Muslim Link

12.    Write down the opposites of current posts - This is a great exercise.  Go through all the posts you’ve written before and make a list of what their opposites would be.  For example, I wrote a post about characteristics bloggers should have.  Now, I could compliment it with another post about the exact opposite – qualities that bloggers should not have.

13.    Go through the comments - Unless your blog was just started, you’re likely to have some comments from your readers.  Not only do your readers add dimension to your own writing, they normally come up with things you never thought of.  Be sure to point out in your post the reader(s) who inspired you.

14.    Make du’a - Put your hands together and pray to Allah (swt) that He helps you in your writing so that you can benefit the Muslims.

15.    Seek forgiveness - Some of the scholars used to beg for Allah’s Forgiveness if they were having difficulty findind an answer to some question.  They believed it was their sins that kept them from reaching the answer they needed.  Perhaps this writer’s block can only be cured by asking for Forgiveness.

16.    Volunteer – Participating in community activities enriches your life and makes you want to help people as much as you can.  Blogging is also about helping other and, in our case, serving their intellectucal needs.  Why not write a blog post about how volunteering makes you want to do good?

17.    Ask your readers – Be frank and just ask them for ideas. Blogging is community based, so include your readers. They’re at your blog because they share your interests and will be more than happy to contribute when they can.

18.    Google - Take any topic you are interested in and Google it.  Go through the first 5-10 pages scanning only the headlines.  This helps you think of connections to that topic you might not have thought about before.

19.    Nature – Go out and enjoy the creation of Allah (swt).  It is a creation that is truly diverse and rich in every way.  Just go relax and you might find that the reason you couldn’t think of something before was due to stress.

20.    Interview – Interviewing does two things for you.  First, the interview itself could be a blog post.  Second, it’ll give you a chance to see a certain issue through a different lens.

21.    Write down what is important to YOU – This isn’t the same as brainstorming ideas.  The 21st practical solution is to simply learn more about your own self.  Rediscover your passions and you’ll find that you now have a long list of potential blog posts. from the sheet.

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This post was designed to provide you practical ways to come up with ideas for original content.  That means you now have 21 different activities that can help you overcome your “blogger’s” block.

How do you guys come up with blog posts when your stuck?  You probably agree with some of the ones I listed, but here’s a question for you: 

Which 3 activities on that list would you scratch off and why?

(Photo: Annie Mole)