Even though you do not want to think about it, there will come a time when you simply run out of inspiration for your blog.
You’ve been writing blog posts about the same topics for way too long.
You’re exhausted.
You just don’t know what to write anymore.
Not that you’re one to give up easily. You try to unblock your creativity. You start going back over old blog posts, rewriting them, trying to find new angles and new ways of talking about the same old thing.
You’ve talked about everything you know how to talk about four times over, from every conceivable angle. You’ve reworked all the posts you can. You are done. Finished. Finito. Really freakin’ tired.
Time to quit blogging and become a Starbucks barista, right?
Wrong.
It’s time to use your most human trait
What is that, you ask?
Well… empathy.
To walk in someone else’s shoes.
Try to imagine your topic as interpreted by someone else. Someone different from you. Someone who maybe even hates your topic, who does not care that much about it. Someone who is more interested in some other topic, yet can somehow relate to yours.
If you were someone else, how would you write about your favorite topic?
Writers are like a bunch of people…
Trying real hard to act like one person.
Make use of that.
Write from different points of view.
Imagine you’re someone else. Someone you never ever dreamed of being, or someone that you’ve always wished to be, but could never have the guts to become…
Write from the point of view of someone you’d hate from the moment you’d meet, or write from the point of view of a total novice in your field.
What would they want to write about? What would they want to know?
Someone who’s never traveled… what would they want to know about travelling?
Huh?
Go ahead. Pretend you’re someone else. Toss around that topic of yours. How would you write it if you weren’t who you are?
If you cannot use your imagination for that, then you can always go talk to actual people. Go talk to someone older or younger than you are, go talk to someone who isn’t as cool as you are, or who is way cooler. Go talk to someone who has a completely different lifestyle, who lives in the city if you live in the country, who has more or less money than you do…
Long story short? When you run out of new ways to look at your world, go walk a few miles in someone else’s shoes…
Reblogged this on Forty Something Life As We Know It and commented:
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I love it!
When I get outside my box and let my creativity flow, I have more fun blogging.
Taking blogging too serious can be a hang-up.
Being open-minded and seeing how life is connected gives me different angles as well.
Great tip!
Very true. I’ve found that I’ve gotten out of the habit of writing every day – and that seems to make it harder for me. I must try harder! Katie
I like this idea of using empathy for writing when you’re facing a mental block, very much. Sometimes you can use just any kind of imagination just to get the words flowing out of you. Thank you for this
I like the idea of using empathy for writing too. I try to do that sometimes – to imagine what someone might be feeling and what they want/need to hear during a particular experience.
That’s such a good idea! I’ve recently returned to blogging and I have dozens of post ideas in mind, but I’m sure this tip will find its use one day.
I definitely agree that it is a question of perspective. Something we can focus so hard on what we want to write about, that our view narrows and we can no longer see new opportunities. I think it’s why it pays to get out and travel a bit, seeing new things promotes new ideas, and cycle begins anew.
What great idea. I too have hit a roadblock. Will try this for this week and see if it makes a different.
Everyday life is an incredible, unmined pit for stories. They happen all around you. all you have to do is look for them. I’ve been doing my best to get a character down in my story. he’s definitely a 180 degrees away from most of the others. Solution, I open my eyes. While helping serve meals at the homeless shelter, I studied some of the street people, listened to them, how they talked and so on, and all of a sudden, the character came to life.
You’re right, there’s so much happening around us all the time. It’s great that you got inspiration for your character by helping at the shelter!
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What do I do when I run out of words? I buy a new bike. That’s good for five or six… hundred thousand. And a smile or 4,000. 😁
Thank you for this
Thank you for reading.
This is a great idea.
I always physically take a run when I run out of words. Sometimes I’ll shadow box. Sometimes I’ll cook something extravagant. Doing something creative or repetitive is always a good way to release feel good hormones. Exercise is the one I go to though.
If I’m fresh out of inspiration, I try to turn to current events for something worth writing.
Thanks for the wonderful share 😊
My pleasure.
Very interesting post!! Can be totally awesome experience.
🤗