Cover Image by Jonny Lindner from Pixabay
22 Ways to get rid of Writer’s Block once and for all
Feeling stuck writing your non-fiction stories?
Want to up your writing skills?
Refer to the methods below to never suffer from writer’s block ever again!
*The ratings below are my personal ratings based on what worked for me and how much I use it.
Answer a question
1. Answer any answer you give to someone verbally
During your day to day conversation, almost inevitably, someone will ask you a question to which you’ll have an answer. Pay attention your own answer, and if it is insightful and useful to the other person, chances are it probably is interesting for your audience too.
Rating: 6/10
2. Write about a great answer someone gave you
If you receive great advice from someone, pass it along to your readers!
Rating: 3/10
3. Answer a question from your audience
Readers often have very good questions for you to answer, and most of the time, you can use that as an inspiration for your next article.
Rating: 8/10
4. Browse Quora for questions to answer
Quora has an incredible amount of great questions waiting to be answered on any topic. If your answer is in long format, consider moving it over as a Medium story or a blog post on your website.
Rating: 6/10
5. Use AnswerThePublic.com
AnswerThePublic.com is a great source of inspiration for what specifically to write about if you have a topic already in mind. It has nice graphs to show you exactly what people are looking for.
Rating: 7/10
Be aware
6. Pay attention to your conversations
Be a good listener. When people talk to you, try to genuinely get what the other person is saying and take mental notes on the key points of a conversation. Frequently enough, even in regular conversations, a good topic comes up that’s worth writing about.
Rating: 5/10
7. Listen to other people’s conversations
Sometimes you overhear people talk about a topic of interest, or argue about something. Without realizing, you make up your own opinion on the subject in your head. Articles with multiple points of views make for interesting stories in my opinion.
Rating: 2/10
8. Just pause and look around you
There’s something inspiring about watching other people do things, or gazing at nature.
Rating: 7/10
Consume quality content
9. Read books on the topics you write about
Chances are, almost everything you highlight in a book is a good topic for a Medium story or a blog post.
Rating: 9/10
10. Listen to podcasts on the topics you write about
Podcasts are as good a source of inspiration as books. Getting different opinions on a given topic can only make your stories richer.
Rating: 9/10
11. Start with a quote
Any powerful quote is a good starting point for a story. The more quotes you save, the easier it is to start your articles with one in mind.
Rating: 7/10
Recycle
12. Re-write an older story you previously wrote
Try to come up with a different perspective and with new ideas on a subject you previously wrote about. Ultimately, it’s the same story, but packaged in a different, and hopefully more interesting way.
Rating: 4/10
13. Write on a topic you read from another writer
Read stories and blogs and provide a different perspective. Put in your own personal story.
Rating: 7/10
14. Talk about a relatable story from your past
You’ve lived a more eventfully past than you think. Did you grow up in a weird/different family context? How was high school? How was going to college? How was your first date? Your first kiss? Your first job? Chances are you’ll find a few interesting things to write about.
Rating: 3/10
Do things
15. Attend events
There are tons of great events in pretty much every city in the world. You can find them on meetup.com or through Couchsurfing. When you attend events, both the topic and the people you meet will inspire you to write.
Rating: 2/10
16. Practice physical activities
Physical activity is a hot topic and many people are looking for new things to try all the time.
Rating: 3/10
17. Travel
Anyone who travels a lot will have a few stories to share. By the nature of it, traveling tends to be quite eventful.
Rating: 6/10
Educate
18. Give your top tips on things you’re good at
If you’re good at something, share it. These stories tend to do really good.
Rating: 5/10
19. Talk about things that worked and things that didn’t work for you
Experiment with activities and skills. Sometimes the experiments work great, but sometimes they’re epic failures. These stories are personal, emotional and shows your vulnerable side. Readers love that.
Rating: 6/10
20. Talk about your hard skills
Are you a skilled graphic designer? Guitar player? Programmer? Tattoo artist? Cook? Any hard skill you have is an interesting subject for your audience. You don’t have to be the best in the world at it either. Be honest, and give your best advice, with no pretence that your tips are the best in the world.
Rating: 6/10
Cheats
21. Listicles just work
Don’t know what to write about? Just make a list about pretty much any subject and people will read it. Good listicles tend very well. I think the reason is because they tend to be bite-sized and easy to read.
Rating: 4/10
22. Quotes are powerful
Building upon “Start With A Quote” and “Listicles Just Work”, assemble a series of related quotes and write a story around them. People love categories, and when they’re about quotes, it’s powerful. People smarter than us have written smarter things then us, take advantage of this.
Rating: 5/10
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