We’ve all heard of writer’s block, the famous problem where the words won’t come when we need them to. And many of us are familiar with the feeling of staring at a blank Word document without the faintest idea of how to start. But the evil powers of writer’s block have been vastly overhyped, and it’s a problem that you can easily beat.

In this chapter you will learn how to tame writer’s block – and why sometimes it’s better to go to the gym or have a biscuit.

HAVE A DEADLINE

Writers like to joke and moan about deadlines – the late Douglas Adams famously said that what he loved about deadlines was ‘the whooshing noise they make as they go by’ (Adams, 2003) – but reasonable deadlines help concentrate the mind. If the deadline for a piece is ‘as soon as possible’ or ‘whenever you can’, it’s all too easy to forget about it while you focus on more demanding things.

BREAK IT INTO BITS

If it’s a big job, take the same approach you would to a big IT project: break it down into smaller pieces and tackle them individually. Big projects often seem intimidating because of their sheer size, but when you look at the individual pieces, suddenly things seem much more achievable.

WRITE AN OUTLINE

It’s much easier to put flesh on bones if you actually have some bones to begin with. An outline provides the skeleton of your piece, so, for example, you might work out what key sections you will have and what key bits need to be in each section. Once you’ve done that, the writing often takes care of itself.

DON’T START AT THE START

If you’re having trouble getting started, write a different bit instead: the end, perhaps, or a chunk in the middle. Sometimes it’s like jump-starting a car. Once you get moving, the engine kicks in and you are firing on all cylinders.

DON’T STOP

Let’s stick with our car analogy a bit longer. You can’t just jump-start the car, drive a few yards and then stop again. You need to drive long enough to charge the battery so that you won’t end up stuck again. It’s exactly the same with writing. Once you’ve jump-started your writing, keep the momentum going by continuing to write.

FORGET ABOUT PERFECT

Worry about perfection when you’re editing. For now, concentrate on getting words down on paper or on the screen. Don’t worry if you could put it better or if you haven’t quite got the point across as best you can. You can polish it all later.

HAVE A KITKAT^®

I’m not being funny – if your blood sugar is a bit low, it can be hard to concentrate. Taking a break for a snack, lunch, a walk or a gym session can often help inspiration strike.

GO AND DO SOMETHING ELSE

Here is something you don’t hear in business very much: if at first you don’t succeed, give up. If you’ve tried everything above and the page is still stubbornly blank, go and do something else and come back to it later.

KEY TAKEAWAYS