Conquering Writer's Block

Neil Voorsanger

You have a crucial report to write. You place your fingers over your keyboard and five hours later you are still staring at the screen. Doubt sets in. You panic. How do you break out of this deadlock and meet your deadline?

Step 1: Regain power

In the olden days automobiles had governors, devices that automatically shut down your gas pedal when you exceeded a preset speed limit. In the same way your MIND is trying frantically to stop you before you experience a humiliating failure! At a deep level your mind knows what is best for you and your mind knows that what you are about to write is junk. Your mind is trying to save you. Your mind is frantically saying, No. Believing you have a winning piece, you say, Yes. Your mind retorts, NO! YOU and your MIND are in a nasty tug-of-war called approach (go)-avoidance (retreat), resulting in immobility or Writer’s Block.

Your first step in smashing Writer's Block is regaining power by saying, "Thank you (mind) for trying to protect me. I can now write a wonderful piece so I ask for your help!” Your second step in regaining power is explained below.

Step 2: Take full control

Now that you are beginning to regain control, roll up your sleeves and dig deep into the murky ooze of your fears. You are not writing because you cannot define your fears. Which fear is it?

• FEAR ONE: You do not know what to write (content)?
• FEAR TWO: You do not know how to write (logic/structure)?
• FEAR THREE: You do not want to write (risks/rewards)?

If it is Fear Three, close your eyes, and imagine the most wonderful reward you could receive for your writing. Next, imagine the worst possible punishment you could receive for your writing? See them? Now ignore both because they are fantasies. You don’t know what will happen until it happens! You are doing a head-job on yourself! Your cause of procrastination is Fears One or Two. When you put into your own words the cause of your fear, you will release your mind to start writing. What-to-Write and How-to-Write is suggested next.

Step 3: Solve Content and Logic by anticipating and answering key questions your reader will have

Every presentation, report, or written piece is intended to answer key questions the reader may have. If you follow the sequence below and anticipate/answer each question in your text, you will come very close to including all the right content and the right sequence of logic. If I were reading your text, these are the silent questions I would want you to answer:

• Question 1: Why I should read this article (needs, benefits, payoffs to me)?
• Question 2: What is the central issue (essence, why unique, why same, examples)?
• Question 3: Why is this issue important to me?
• Question 4: What are the available options (do nothing, X, Y or Z)?
• Question 5: Which is the best available option?
• Question 6: Why?
• Question 7: What action do you want me to take?
• Question 8: What are the risks in accepting?
• Question 9: How do I assure myself the best chance of succeeding?
• Question 10: What is the most important point(s) for me to remember?

Do not include these questions but be sure to answer them as you write your text. If you answer these ten questions, your reader will silently thank you for answering most of the questions he/she might have.

Step 4: Your first draft will be awful, allow for the building of quality

Over the years I have managed writing teams creating hundreds of manuscripts and presentations. I have found that without exception, the first draft, even though the writer rates it as near perfection, is rarely better than 60%; the second version takes the draft to about 75%; the third version takes the draft to 85%-90%. After that, more revision is make-work.

Thus, accept that writing is sweat-drenching task, that no matter what you write, you will need to write three versions, a first draft and two revisions.

Step 5: Give yourself enough time

If you have six hours to write a document, how do you apportion your time?

• Design: 1 hour (about 15%)
• Draft 1: 2 1/2 hours (about 40%)
• Draft 2: 2 hours (about 35%)
• Draft 3: 1/2 hour (about 10%)

Step 6: How do I edit my own document?

You can be your own best editor if you put the draft aside for a day or so, and then re-look at it. The passing of a day or so always brings clarity and freshness to your thinking. As you scan the document, you will immediately see ways to sharpen the document, correct typos, clarify, and make points better. Most important edit? I have never read a book, seen a movie, or a report that could not have been improved by shortening it by 20%.

The most important point? The more you write, the easier it becomes. Good luck!

© 2007 Neil Voorsanger.