The dreaded 'writer's block'

Everyone gets writer’s block at some point. No matter what you do, or how hard you try, the ideas just won’t flow. At which point, it’s time to regroup. Here are Belle Copy’s top tips for breaking the deadlock…

1. Write down whatever you’re thinking, however bad you think it is. Getting started is often the hardest part. So just writing something down can help get the juices flowing. You can always improve on a poor start, but you can’t improve on an empty piece of paper!

2. Break up the work. Don’t think of it as one big piece, reduce it into smaller, more manageable chunks. And don’t necessarily feel like you need to start at the beginning. Jump in in the middle or the end, whatever part you’re feeling most confident about. Sometimes it’s the beginning which is the hardest part to write.

3. Move positions. And we don’t mean shuffle around in your chair! Head to a coffee shop, find a park bench or if you can’t leave the office/house, change rooms and try the sofa. A change of scenery might be all it takes to get those cogs turning again!

4. If nothing is working, do the obvious thing and take a break. Struggling with something for an extended period increases our anxiety and makes it even less likely that we’ll be able to put pen to paper coherently. Go do something else - at Belle Copy HQ, that usually translates to jumping on our Peloton bikes! It’s remarkable how you can suddenly know exactly what you need to write when you’re not desperately trying to write it.

5. So, this is a personal one, but we find we’re most creative first thing in the morning. So, if we’re struggling with a piece, we put our pens down and start again nice and early the following day.

6. And lastly, get rid of those distractions. Come on, admit it…who doesn’t suddenly think of that one thing they desperately need to buy and pop on to Amazon midway through a focused piece of work? Or suddenly have an urge to see how the latest celebrity has embarrassed themselves on the Mail Online? But DON’T DO IT! It kills the flow. It knocks all concentration. Instead turn your phone off. Close down the internet. Focus on the job in hand. It will get done a hell of a lot faster with both your mind and body 100% present!