You’re probably getting tired of titles like that: 10 Buzzwords Your Blog Must Use, Liven Up Your Headlines With This Powerful Secret, The Right Underpants to Earn $13,863 in the Next Six Minutes…
In fact, you might be getting tired of writing in general. No matter how profitable, highly-commented, retweetable and satisfying it is, writing is hard work, creative work, and you’re likely writing a LOT. Even Michelangelo probably had days where he looked at the paint-brush and thought, “Nah. Can’t be stuffed.”
So what do you do about it?
1. Step away from the computer.
Get a notepad and a dog and go for a walk. For the first 15 minutes, think about nothing important: admire your shoes. Sing Broadway. Tell the dog about string theory.
2. Conduct an imaginary interview.
A blonde and intent woman, a bearded cameraman and a shabbily-dressed tall guy carrying a boom mike have come up to you on the street. The blonde woman asks you, “What’s fantastic about your chosen field?”
Keep thinking of answers until you produce one that makes you speak with italics and/or extreme hand gestures. Write down your answer on the notepad. (Remember the notepad? Possibly the dog has it.) If you think of more than one, sweet! Write ‘em all down.
3. Think of post ideas that share your enthusiasm with your readers.
It might be as simple as, “Why Financial Management Makes Me Happy” or “Why I Love Working With Spreadsheets”. It might be about the thrill when you solved a problem, or the whiz-bang new technology that you think everyone in your industry should use. Think of ways your readers could feel the same excitement, whether by reproducing the results, or just getting infected by your passion.
4. Choose the right idea for right now.
You might now have ten new post ideas or even more. Congratulations! (I don’t know about you but I find that coming up with blog post ideas is often the hardest part.) Go through and pick the one you can write today. It might not be the juiciest idea, and that’s fine. You’re probably doing this exercise on a low-inspiration day; save your absolute best ideas for the days when you’re feeling buzzed.
5. Get writing!
Focus on expressing your enthusiasm clearly in your post. (What about video posting? It’s great when you want to be expressive!) It’s more engaging for your readers when the post is written with feeling, and it’s a lot more fun to write.
How do you write when you’re uninspired? Share more ideas in the comments!
