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What is writer’s block?

Well, I just can’t think of a single darn thing to say on the subject so I guess this article ends here!

Sound familiar? No! Oh, get real! We’ve all experienced this phenomenon when we absolutely have to write something, particularly on deadline.

Writer’s block is the patron demon of the blank page. You may think you know EXACTLY what you’re going to write, but as soon as that evil white screen appears before you, your mind suddenly goes completely blank.

I’m not talking about Zen meditation stare-at-the-wall-until-enlightenment-hits kind of
blank.

I’m talking about sweat trickling down the back of your neck, anguish and panic and suffering kind of blank. The tighter the deadline, the worse the anguish of writer’s block gets.

Having said that, let me say it again. “The tighter the deadline, the worse the anguish of writer’s block gets.” Now, can you figure out what might possibly be causing this horrible plunge into speechlessness?

The answer is obvious: FEAR! You are terrified of that blank page. You are terrified you have absolutely nothing of value to say. You are afraid of the fear of writer’s block itself!

It doesn?t necessarily matter if you’ve done a decade of research and all you have to do is string sentences you can repeat in your sleep together into coherent paragraphs. Writer’s block can strike anyone at any time. Based in fear, it raises our doubts about our own self-worth, but it’s sneaky. It’s writer’s block, after all, so it doesn’t just come and let you know that. No, it makes you feel like an idiot who just had your frontal lobes removed through your sinuses. If you dared to put forth words into the greater world,they would surely come out as gibberish!

Let’s try and be rational with this irrational demon.

Let’s make a list of what might possibly be beneath this terrible and terrifying condition.

1. Perfectionism. You must absolutely produce a masterpiece of literature straight off in the first draft. Otherwise, you qualify as a complete failure.

2. Editing instead of composing. There’s your monkey-mind sitting on your shoulder, yelling as soon as you type. No, not that, that’s wrong! That’s stupid! Correct correct correct correct?

3. Self-consciousness. How can you think, let alone write, when all you can manage to do is pry the fingers of writer’s block away from your throat enough so you can gasp in a few shallow breaths? You’re not focusing on what you’re trying to write, your focusing on those gnarly fingers around your windpipe.

4. Can’t get started. It’s always the first sentence that’s the hardest. As writers, we all know how EXTREMELY important the first sentence is. It must be brilliant! It must be unique! It must hook your reader’s from the start! There’s no way we can get into writing the piece until we get past this impossible first sentence.

5. Shattered concentration. You’re cat is sick. You suspect your mate is cheating on you. Your electricity might be turned off any second. You have a crush on the local UPS deliveryman. You have a dinner party planned for your in-laws. You . . . Need I say more.
How can you possibly concentrate with all this mental clutter?

6. Procrastination. It’s your favorite hobby. It’s your soul mate. It’s the reason you’ve knitted 60 argyle sweaters or made 300 bookcases in your garage workshop. It’s the reason you never run out of Brie.

How to Overcome Writer’s Block

Okay. I can hear that herd of you running away from this article as fast as you can. Never in a million years, you fume. Writer’s block is absolutely, undeniably, scientifically proven to be impossible to overcome.

Oh, just get over it! Well, I guess it’s not that easy. So try to sit down for just a few minutes and listen. All you have to do is listen. You don’t have to actually write a single word.

Ah, there you all are again. I am beginning to make you out now that the cloud of dust is settling.

I am here to tell you that WRITER’S BLOCK CAN BE OVERCOME.

Please, remain seated.

There are ways to trick this nasty demon. Pick one, pick several, and give them a try. Soon, before you even have a chance for your heartbeat to accelerate, guess what? You’re writing.

Here are some tried and true methods of overcoming writer’s block:

1. Be prepared.

The only thing to fear is fear itself. (I know, that’s a cliche but as soon as you start writing, feel free to improve on it.)

If you spend some time mulling over your project before you actually sit down to write, you may be able to circumvent the worst of the crippling panic.

2. Forget perfectionism. No one ever writes a masterpiece in the first draft.

Don’t put any expectations on your writing at all! In fact, tell yourself you’re going to write absolute garbage, and then give yourself permission to happily stink up your writing room.

3. Compose instead of editing.

Never, never write your first draft with your monkey-mind sitting on your shoulder making snide editorial comments. Composing is a magical process. It surpasses the conscious mind by
galaxies. It’s even incomprehensible to the conscious, editorial, monkey-mind.

So prepare an ambush. Sit down at your computer or your desk. Take a deep breath and blow out all your thoughts. Let your finger hover over your keyboard or pick up your pen. And then pull a fake: appear to be about to begin to write, but instead, using your thumb and index finger of your dominant hand, flick that little annoying ugly monkey back into the barrel of laughs it came from. Then jump in quickly! Write, scribble, scream, howl, let
everything loose, as long as you do it with a pen or your computer keyboard.

4. Forget the first sentence.

You can sweat over that all-important one-liner when you’ve finished your piece. Skip it! Go for the middle or even the end. Start wherever you can. Chances are, when you read it over, the first line will be blinking its little neon lights right at you from the depths of your
composition.

5. Concentration.

This is a hard one. Life throws us so many curve balls. How about thinking about your writing time as a little vacation from all those annoying worries. Banish them! Create a space, perhaps even a physical one, where nothing exists except the single present moment. If one of those irritating worries gets by you, stomp on it like you would an ugly bug!

6. Stop procrastinating.

Write an outline. Keep your research notes within sight. Use someone else’s writing to get going. Babble incoherently on paper or on the computer if you have to.

Just do it! (I know, I stole that line from somewhere). Tack up anything that could possibly help you to get going: notes, outlines, pictures of your grandmother. Put the cookie you will be allowed to eat when you finish your first draft within sight, but out of reach. Then pick up the same type of writing that you need to write, and read it. Then read it again.

Soon, trust me, the fear will slowly fade away.

As soon as it does, grab your keyboard and get writing!

The internet is the information highway, this phrase has been used so many times it should be nominated for the Internet Clich? Award. People who go to the internet are generally out to search information. Whether for gaming, business, fun or anything else the internet has become the information repository.

Those who market on the interent want the internet searchers to find them. For that reason a variety of search engine optimisation techniques have evolved (some legitimate and some not so) which, when implemented, increase the chances of your information appearing on the first page of search engine results and therefore more likely to be seen by web searchers.

Using article marketing to provide backlinks is one such SEO method but the article themselves are also designed to be read to draw traffic to the main site. It is the resource box at the end of an article that encourages the reader to click through - or not.

When a reader discovers an article which is relevant to his or her needs he will want to read more. He will be actively looking for a link to take him some place for further information.

A resource box will contain the name of and information about the article author. It will make mention of any associated websites and provide links. If a reader likes what they read, they can click through to read more.

Like the article itself, the resource box must also be eye-catching to demand the attention and interest of the reader. While the resource box encompasses only a small space, providing the right keywords and content for your resource box can make the difference betweena click through and a click away.

So what would be a good content for your resource box? Basically it is relevant keywords and a promise of further information.

With your resource box you are aiming to capture the attention of your reader - you want to make them think, tempt and intrigue them.

Do not mislead your potential website visitors. Do not promise something which you then do not deliver. Whilst it takes a long while to build trust it takes but a nano-second to lose it.

Never underestimate the power of the resource box. It may be small in size but it is a significant aid in driving traffic to your site. Be fun and creative but at the same time show that you have a great deal to offer.

When producing a viral e-book you need a plan before you start. Your viral e-book is your key to success in the online market. It should help you increase your site traffic, client base and sales otherwise it rather defeats the purpose of having a viral e-book in the first place.

The first consideration is the subject matter of your viral e-book. The topic should obviously be interesting and it must be related to the product or service you are promoting.If your e-book can solve a problem for the reader so much the better. Don’t be afraid of giving information away. This is a fundamental way of creating credibility and building trust. It’s also important that you know enough about the subject matter to write such an e-book.

Next step is to choose a catchy title for your e-book. The title must hook people’s attention. Use alliteration and puns. Make it amusing. Speak to a problem they may have. Put yourself in their shoes - what would make you download such a book?

Once you have a subject matter and title, it is now time to think about content - What should your e-book contain for it to be really interesting to the readers?

If you can not or will not write the content yourself look at outsourcing opportunities. You may even be able to strike a barter deal with a writer in exchange for some graphics work or similar.

The content does not have to be all text. Include graphics, the results of research studies, current statistics, interviews with professionals or expert on that field, results of surveys you may have conducted and anything else you can think of which will provide value to the reader.

Of course, if you enjoy writing, preparing the content will possibly be the most enjoyable part of producing viral e-book. This is where you can show your creativity and imagination.

The quality of the content is far more important than the quantity. The attention span of people on line seems to be decreasing on a daily basis so there are no brownie points for producing a 100 page manuscript when you could say what you want to say in 10. Your readers will thank you for your conciseness.

It hasn’t started yet for 2008 but the boys are already beginning to gear up.

The Thirty Day Challenge training materials for 2007 are still in place and are still very valid. Registration is completely free - no strings attached.

In fact running through the 2007 materials now would be an excellent preparation for the excitement when the whistle blows on 1st August this year!

This is another example of successful web entrepreneurs offering valuable material for free. There really are no strings attached (I can hear the cynics out there muttering). Yes, there is another programme run by Ed and Dan over at the Immediate Edge but no arms are twisted to make you join, quite the opposite in fact.

If you have struggled to make your first $10 on line you would be hard pressed to find a better grounding in IM techniques than that provided by Ed and Dan. Pop over and take a look.

Yes, it’s not a trick, it has all been free, and it has been some of the best marketing training (for both on and offline business) I have attended.

The 16 steps programme was offered by Jack Humphrey and Sam Clark - both of ASC fame.

It has been quite a commitment attending two lengthy webinars each week for 8 weeks - we’re on step 11 at the moment with 5 more to go - but it has been the very best investment of time.  Sam, Jack and other guest presenters have given all participants  a thorough grounding in building a successful authority site. Yes, they have talked about ASC in the process and no, there has been no hard sell.

What has been really interesting to observe is the very low rate of attrition of participants on the programme.  It’s not at all unusual in such programmes to see numbers dwindle as weeks go by but not on the 16steps - numbers have stayed constant throughout.

I don’t know whether Jack and Sam plan to run the 16 steps programme again in the future but my advice would be to sign up to the RSS feed over at the blog so you don’t miss any future announcements.