– Writing –

Kurt Vonnegut, an author of several critically acclaimed novels, once said of writer’s block, “Who is more to be pitied, a writer bound and gagged by policemen or one living in perfect freedom who has nothing more to say?”

Nothing feels worse than stumbling into a period of time when you don’t know what to say next. Writer’s block feels as if there’s something missing and you become frustrated and angry.

For people looking to overcome writer’s block or those wanting to prevent it, here are 5 steps you can take to get the words flowing again.

1. Rethink the Last Couple Chapters

Sometimes writer’s block can stem from a subconscious part of your thoughts trying to convey that what you’ve written isn’t quite right. It may be because there’s something better that can be written.

If you think this is your situation, then there’s an easy way to fix it. Go back several chapters, pull up a new document and write as if the past chapters were never written. With this, you’re starting from scratch and essentially rebooting your train of thought.

As you’re rewriting, take a different route with the story and let something else happen. The reason you’re rewriting it is to let something better happen so the story will flow naturally again.

2. Read a New Book

A lot of authors suggest taking a step back from the piece that you’re working on and reading something else. If you’re writing a guide about advanced purchase order software and improving the speed of online purchases, then find a book that’s written on a similar topic and read on.

If you’re a fantasy writer, try looking through Goodreads to find a new novel, as this allows your mind to clear itself and move onto another story. Then, come back when you’e ready to continue working on that current project you’ve been meaning to write.

It’s important that you don’t just take a break and (just as important) that when you do read a new book, it’s a darn good one. Merely stepping away idly leads to stagnant creative juices. By reading, you keep your mind active with new ideas and new visions.

3. Take a Break and Write Something Else

For the average author or writer, they’re always working on multiple projects, ideas, and different books. If one starts to give you trouble, step away and work on something you had already started or simply look into a new, temporary project.

If you have writer’s block with everything, then step away from that genre and try something that is completely out of the box. Try writing a romance if you’re a Sci-Fi writer or take a walk through poetry.

All in all, do whatever it takes to get out of your head and realize that you can write again. Writer’s block is completely mental; defeating it means having to break down the barriers your mind has put up. It also helps to develop a series of long-term writing habits to keep you going strong.

4. Change Your Environment

Have you ever tried writing outdoors? You’ll be surprised at what happens. The wind, the sun, the subtle background noise, and everything around you can  effectively provide that mental stimulation you’ve been searching for.

Speaking of the environment, try to sit out there and simply write about everything you see (no matter how trivial or mundane). Write a story for the sun and the flowers, fantasize about who else has sat where you sit now. The purpose is to write, and little else matters as long as you do it.

5. Write Your Story

Did you know that sometimes writer’s block is nothing but an illusion? You might just be at a temporary loss of ideas, nothing more.

Pull up another document and just start writing from where you are. It will start off a little shaky, but the key is just to keep writing. It doesn’t have to be good or even passable; you simply have to write. This leads your mind to work out the knots and you’ll be able to unleash those admirable skills again.

Writer’s block is a difficult thing to handle without an actionable plan. Thankfully, and perhaps ironically, one of the best ways to cure it is by writing.  

There are many more ways to deal with this, of course. How do you personally manage writer’s block?

Practically everyone in the developed western countries can write to some degree these days. Illiteracy is largely a thing of the past, but there still remains a huge gap between good writing and bad writing. By “good writing” I don’t mean magnetic copy that compels the reader to stay riveted to the seat, reading every word with relish, although writing that kind of copy is great. I mean ordinary writing that observes the basic fundamental rules of spelling, punctuation and grammar.

English class at school was probably boring for you. It was for me, and yet I always loved the written word. It has always amazed me how it’s possible to combine words in so many ways to bring out different emotions in people. It’s a powerful thing, yet it’s so easy to destroy the magic. Just one wrongly spelled word, an incorrect punctuation, or some bad grammar can ruin the whole effect.

“… loose and lose …”

The mistake that I see most often on the Internet is the confusion between “loose” and “lose.” I read sales letters that tell me I can’t loose on this great deal. Hmm… perhaps I could tighten though… The difference is simple: if your pants keep falling down, they are loose; and if you gamble and you don’t win, you lose.

If the way you are pronouncing the two words, “loose” and “lose,” is the thing confusing you, then this is how you should pronounce each word. Pronounce “loose” with a short “oo” sound, and pronounce “lose” with a long “oooo” sound, a bit like the wind wailing at night. It does seem illogical, I admit, but that’s how it goes.

The other words commonly confused include “its” and “it’s.” Here’s a simple way to determine which is right. Try saying the phrase with “it is” instead. If it sounds right, then it probably is right. If not, then it’s probably wrong. For example, “It’s a nice day.” Saying, “It is a nice day” works fine, so “it’s” is the one to use. However, “The dog wags its tail” sounds wrong when you say, “The dog wags it is tail,” so “its” without an apostrophe “s” is the one to use there.

The use of the apostrophe in the case of “it’s” denotes a contraction of the two words, “it is.” On the other hand, “its,” without the apostrophe, denotes possession, as in the earlier example of the dog wagging its tail; the tail is owned (possessed) by the dog.

“… their, there and they’re …”

Another couplet that often confuses is “their” and “there.” This one is easier. If you want to indicate where something is located, you could say, “It’s over there.” If you want to indicate that some people own something, you could say, “It’s their car/house/dog/etc.” However, beware of “they’re” as it may confuse the whole issue. This is a contraction of the two words, “they are.” An example of its use could be, “They’re a really nice couple.”

The apostrophe is also used to denote possession as in, “Tom’s book.” There is often confusion over where the apostrophe should go when the word ends in “s.” To be fair, this is not an easy one to get right.

Place the apostrophe before the “s” if you are dealing with singular possession, as in the earlier example of “Tom’s book.” There is only one Tom and it’s his book, so it’s singular possession.

If the person owning the book has a name that already ends in “s” you can either place the apostrophe after the “s” only, or place it after the “s” and add another “s“.

That is a bit complicated, so let me show you what I mean. If the book belongs to Iris, then you can either say, “Iris’ book,” or “Iris’s book.” The choice here works only for singular possession though, where the name of the person or thing possessing ends in an “s.”

“… the plural possession rule …”

When the person or thing owning something has a name that ends in “s,” and it is plural possession, then an apostrophe only is added to the end of the word. For example, “The workers’ shovels.” There is more than one worker owning a shovel, therefore it is plural possession. If you said, “The worker’s shovels,” you would be saying that one (singular) worker has lots of shovels. But saying, “The workers’ shovels” means that you are referring to lots of workers who each have at least one shovel.

There are exceptions to the plural possession rule, however. If the person or thing owning something is plural, but the word does not end in an “s,” then the word becomes apostrophe “s.” Here’s an example: “The children’s toys.” The word “children” is plural as it denotes more than one child. It doesn’t end in an “s,” so you have to add an apostrophe “s” to the end of it.

“… the greengrocer’s apostrophe …”

There’s a syndrome sometimes known as the “greengrocer’s apostrophe.” This is because greengrocers are often the worst offenders when it comes to confusing possession with a plural situation. They write things like, “We have carrot’s, turnip’s and onion’s,” when they simply mean to express that they have these items in quantity.

Think of it this way; the carrot isn’t owning (possessing) anything. The turnip and the onion isn’t either, so why have an apostrophe “s” after those words? The greengrocer in this example is actually trying to say that he or she has a plural amount of the vegetables mentioned. The message should have been written like this: “We have carrots, turnips and onions.” One carrot, lots of carrots; one turnip, lots of turnips; and one onion, but lots of onions. It’s as easy as that.

My favorite misuse of an apostrophe? It comes from the wonderful book, “Eats, Shoots and Leaves.” Someone called Gladys signed herself as, “Glady’s” with an apostrophe “s.” Now, that’s someone who is really working hard to get it wrong!

“… I or me? …”

One grammar mistake that really annoys me is the incorrect use of “I” and “me.” I know people who use “I” simply because they think it’s the proper way to speak, when in fact they can be wrong and should be using “me.” The Queen of Britain often says something like, “My husband and I are very pleased…” in speeches. That is correct grammar. On the other hand, I’ve heard people say something like, “Our house is just right for Mary and I.” That is bad grammar.

Let me explain… The easiest way to test whether or not you are right is to split the sentence into two parts and see if each part sounds right. In the example of the Queen, if you say, “My husband is very pleased…” and “I am very pleased…” it shows you that she is using good grammar; it makes sense and sounds right. However, in the other example, saying, “Our house is just right for Mary,” and “Our house is just right for I” clearly shows that “me” should have been used instead of “I,” as in, “Our house is just right for Mary and me.”

In America over the years it has become almost normal to use “off of” in certain circumstances. This is wrong. An example is an old 1950s country song entitled, “I Can’t Get You Off Of My Mind.” That’s bad grammar. OK, it works great in the song, but it’s still bad grammar. Only one “off” should be used – every single time.

On the subject of bad grammar in song titles, my all-time favorite has to be the Louis Jordan song, recorded in 1943: “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby.” The phrase, “is you is or is you ain’t” is apparently black southern dialect, first mentioned in writing in South Carolina in 1921. From a grammar point of view, it’s so bad that it’s actually good.

“… split infinitives …”

Split infinitives! They sound really complicated, but they are not. The classic example of a split infinitive is in the Star Trek opening sequence where the narrator says, “To boldly go where no man has gone before.” That’s a split infinite. Correct grammar would dictate that it should be, “To go boldly where no man has gone before.”

The infinitive in this example is, “to go.” The adverb “boldly” splits it by coming in between: “to boldly go.” It’s that simple! However, I am happy to cheerfully concede that “To boldly go” has more impact and sounds just right for what the producers of Star Trek were trying to achieve, and it is therefore a good example of when it can be right to break the rules.

I could go on for hours writing about this kind of thing, but I won’t. Someone will probably be delighted to happily go on record as being the one to point out a mistake I have made somewhere. That’s OK, it simply proves that I am human, and who knows, I may have made the mistake (or mistakes) deliberately, but I do try to write properly as much as possible, and you should too.

It’s a question that has vexed you for ages.

How on earth do they do it? Why’s their copy always successful? How do they perpetually impress clients? What’s their secret?

I’m not surprised because, like you, I used to wonder. Sometimes you even think you’re cursed and the Google Gods have forsaken you – hence you don’t get any traffic or conversions.

You know who I’m speaking about, don’t you, my friend? I’m talking about your writer heroes— dazzlingly skilled freelance copywriters who make decent money writing year after year.

The Hugely Popular Writers Roll Call

Let’s take a look at this brief list of writers who are crushing it:

• A-level copywriters who pen flawless copy which raises millions of dollars for their clients (and ahem, their pockets).
• Bestselling authors who touch millions of lives through their well-crafted words.
• Famous bloggers whose inspirational stories resonate with people around the globe.
• Fast growing companies whose marketing campaigns always hit the bull’s dollar’s eye.
• Blogs and businesses which have off the charts conversion rates.
• Seven-figure consultants whose businesses are driven by stellar content.
• High-flying freelancers who land lucrative gigs at every turn — clients pitch them (*gasp).

These guys and gals savor writing riches in Canaan land while you’re scorched by the unforgiving rays of lack in the wilderness wondering if you’ll ever hit your first $1000 earnings as a freelancer.

Want in on their hidden weapon?

A Peek at the Writing Masters Confidential Success Files

Ready for the big reveal?

The secret to impactful top tier writing is:

Editing

Yep. That’s it.

Ace writers have a gifted editor helping them.

If you take a closer look, most have editors. No wonder they shine. Their writing may not be better than yours. But they hire professional editors to polish their words into gleaming jewels. And, meanwhile, here you are trying to work wonders on your own.

Shame.

The A-level Writers Quality Control Chain

Here’s the typical (bare minimum) journey a pro writer’s piece takes before it gets published in massive publishing circles. Note that the article goes back and forth between editor and writer in a long, creative ping pong game until a winner is produced.

• Big Blogs

Managing Editor> Copy Editor> Publish

• Newspapers

Assigning Editor > Copy Editor> Publish

• Book Publishers

Acquisitions Editor> Book Editor> Copy Editor> Proofreader> Publish

And, in the spirit of fairness, we’ll also show your own complex editing process too:

• You

>Publish

Sigh.

Fellow writer, here’s the plain truth:

Without a talented editor on your side you don’t stand a chance. You’ll be stuck in the wannabe amateur ranks forever thinking you don’t have what it takes.

Ouch. That hurt, didn’t it?

Here’s the point:

Your completed book, article, sales letter, brochure, or ad is not a finished product. I know you’ve toiled over it for hours or weeks. But it’s a rough uncut diamond. You’ve got to hand it over to an expert gem cutter, an editor, to reveal its beauty and brilliance.

But I don’t have cash to hire an editor, I can hear you whining. That’s so unfair. What must I do?

Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

How to Emulate Writing Rock Stars Without Robbing the Bank

#1. Learn how to self-edit.

Master editing your own work and your pieces will go up a notch.

Have a clear process to follow, otherwise you’ll get dizzy on a muddled textual merry-go-round.

Advanced tip: Develop your own editing template.

#2. Get a critique partner.

Search for a writing partner and correct each other’s work.

Make sure it’s a colleague who’s in your class or higher.

Advanced tip: For best results, get a writer who writes in your genre.

#3. Join a critique group.

Hook up with likeminded authors and revise each other’s pieces.

Can’t find a group? No problem, start one.

Advanced tip: Don’t let group meetings turn into psychotherapy sessions.

#4. Get a free word savvy editor.

Problem: it’s hard to find free and word savvy in the same place.

Ask a writing professional friend or contact to check your work. But free can only take you so far.

Advanced tip: Tip her once in a while to keep her interested.

#5. Invest in editing for important projects.

Put your money where your pen is when doing key projects like your landing pages, guest posts, pitches, lead magnets, or a big client’s work.

Advanced tip: Look for patterns of problem areas in your paid edits and fix them.

#6. Write for big sites.

Big blogs have got editors, remember?

You can get their pricy editors for free — by writing guest posts for them. Your copy will go through their entire process and you’ll come out a better writer for it.

Advanced tip: Ask the editor or site owner to specifically critique your post.

#7. Buy great editing books.

Tap into years of revision experience by investing in a couple of meaty editing books.

It’ll bump up your rewriting.

Advanced tip: Condense the best book into your manual of style.

#8. Use editing apps.

Use free and paid editing software like Pro Writing Aid to check your writing for inconsistencies, overused words, and sticky sentences.

Wonderful as these tools are, they’re not perfect—you still need a human being to edit your work. All editors say: amen!

Advanced tip: To reap more benefits, run your text through different software, that way one program picks what another might have missed.

#9. Factor in editing in your charges.

Charge a little extra when quoting a client. Use the cash to pay an editor to spit polish for you.

Your clients will be delighted with your quality piece and you’ll be free to do more work as the rewriter does the heavy lifting for you.

Advanced tip: Use the same editor to get better rates since you’ll be giving her regular gigs.

#10. Get your own editor.

This is the Holy Grail.

Talented editors are rare jewels. Stay clear of bad editors. Hunt for one who understands your genre, style, and mission. Once you find her, marry keep her.

Advanced tip: If she muffles your voice, run for your writing life.

Turn the Key and Turbocharge Your Freelance Business

Now that you know the secret, it’s up to you.

Want to have more clients than you can handle? Want to be a well-fed freelancer instead of a starving amateur? Want to produce magnetic copy and feast on writing milk and honey like the popular pros?

Get veteran literary eyeballs to review your work.