I have been guilty on more than one occasion of looking at a blank page and thinking, “I’m a fraud. I have no ideas, and this is when people are finally going to find out how utterly unoriginal I am.” Yes, I am that dramatic when I’m writing. Er, more like not writing I guess.

Actually writing makes me feel much less dramatic and like I have my thoughts all orderly instead of looking like a long forgotten attic. It’s the best thing for my soul and my brain. So why does it have to be so darn difficult sometimes?

If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a blank page and wondering if this is the end of your career, let’s talk about how to get you writing again.

Writing about what is in your head

Have you ever found yourself stuck thinking about something going on in your life? But you really, really need to get this writing project done. So you lean in as hard as you possibly can into that writing project and you feel it get worse and worse. Meanwhile, you still haven’t stopped thinking about that one thing. In fact, that’s all you can think about right now.

Why not take some time to write about what is actually in your head?

I find writing really does sort my thoughts out. So by writing what’s in my head, I’ll figure out a solution to the problem I’m struggling with or else I’ll identify what my emotions are. Both are the first steps in getting me to move on from what’s in my head. And then that leaves room for what I actually need to be working on.

In fact, one of two things end up happening. Sometimes I’ll take a deep breath, and then after a short break to clear my head, I dive right in with reckless abandon. Or I’ll find myself writing for the project I’m supposed to be working on without realizing how I got there. I at some point stopped writing about my problem and seamless dove into the task. Either way, I am working on the project, and I’m doing a much better job than when I was pushing to work on it before. In the end, that’s the goal.

Do something else completely

Sometimes I just need more time to get my thoughts in order before I get a good writing session in. So I need to find something else to do.

This is where low energy work really comes in handy. You can get lost in the drudgery while your brain wanders and figures out exactly what you will write about. Having something to do with your hands while your brain wanders truly allows for more work to get done in a quicker amount of time. I don’t know the science behind it. I just know that it has worked for me countless times. This is also why you’ll find me crocheting entirely too much. It’s so I can write more.

Never finish completely

So many people write and write until they can’t write anymore. Then they feel totally wrung out and have no path forward for their next writing session. That’s the quickest way to make sure that no work gets done when you next sit down at your desk.

Instead, write until you have a natural stopping place. It should be long before you have written yourself into exhaustion. You should have plenty of gas left in the tank and could possibly even write a few pages. Don’t give into the temptation of doing that though.

Instead, take a few notes on where you’re going next just so you don’t forget, and then walk away. And then, when you sit back at your desk, you have a starting to point to get you writing again and will likely get much further along than if you had no plans to start with. If you consistently do this, you’ll be able to function better outside of work (no one has a great life outside of work if they always feel wrung out) and you will get more writing done in the long run. Because it’s all about consistency and not the one off sessions where you go nuts.

Consistency is the key to better writing

The more you write, the better your writing is. So if you are just writing in spurts, you can’t expect to be creating great work. However, if you do those consistent sessions where you are never wringing yourself dry, your work will slowly and surely get better. And this is especially true if you return to it every day and make writing a habit.

So the real key to keep writing? Just keep doing it and eventually you will get to where you want to be.

How do you keep writing?