A Simple Way to Unblock Writer’s Block

Whether you’re sitting down to write a blog, you want to add a new page of content to your site, or you’re trying to know what to say on social, knowing what to say and where to start can be challenging.

Too often, we get paralyzed by the curse of the blinking cursor. Even strong writers will admit to experiencing this, staring at a blank page, not knowing what to say. We’ve been there, and we have a simple trick for you that we’ve already used with clients multiple times this week…

Here’s one recent example. We were adding two new pages to a website with very specific topics to communicate. Not being subject matter experts on those topics, we found ourselves at a disadvantage. What’s the solution, and what trick do we use with clients to solve this problem?

We scheduled a one-hour online interview with the client and two of their team members. Armed with a handful of questions, we started to fire them off and began listening.

“If there were 2-3 main points you wanted people to understand, what would they be?”

“What separates you and your solution from your competitors and what they offer?”

“What is an assumption people make about this that isn’t true?”

“When people engage with this content, what’s the first thing you want them to do?”

The best follow-up question to all of those questions above when you hear them say something interesting?

“Can you unpack that a little more and explain what you meant by that?”

All we’re doing is asking questions, and here’s why this works so well. These team members, the subject matter experts who know the topic inside and out, aren’t great writers. They know their stuff, but that blinking cursor and a blank page may not be kind to them. Writing may not be how they naturally organize their thoughts. The best way to remove that barrier is to create space for them to speak freely without the pressure and stress of becoming a writer.

We ask questions. They talk. We listen and take notes – and then we go back and do the writing for them.

The good news? You can do the exact same thing. Either interview someone and ask them to talk about a topic, or prepare a list of questions and have someone ask you those questions. Either way, when you quit thinking about writing and turn your content development into a simple conversation, the vibe changes… and all the insights you need to create great content show up like magic.

Call-to-Action

Feeling stuck writing about a topic? Try this method above and get unstuck. We’re here to help if you need it, but this might help you get started on your own. Ready, set, go!