“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” ~Charles Dickens
“Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.” ~Malcolm Forbes
“It’s not the blowing of the wind that determines your future, but the set of the sail.” ~Jim Rohn
Quotes. We love them. We post them on our Facebook profiles. We repeat them in meetings and at dinner parties and to our children.
For a writer, quotes can be a lifeline of topics when it feels like you are drowning in a sea of “I don’t know what to write about.” If you recall from my previous post about overcoming writers block, often the number one obstacle to writing is not having anything to write about.
So, my lesson for today on overcoming writers block goes like this.
1. Find a Quote You Love.
Doesn’t matter why. Just find one. Write it down or type it into Word or Notepad. (For an excellent resource full of quotes on all kinds of topics, check out Quote Garden.)
2. Brainstorm about this Quote for 2-3 Minutes.
Use a timer if you need to, but do not stop writing down ideas for the allotted time. Whatever comes to mind, get it down on paper. What does this quote remind you of? What makes this quote special to you? If you like using the computer, brainstorm with a program like Mindmeister. It is pretty slick and your first couple of maps are f.ree!
3. Step Back from Your Brainstorming Session.
Take a look at what you have discovered. Notice patterns of thought. Highlight the gems you have unearthed.
4. Use the Most Compelling Gem as the Foundation for Your Post.
Freewrite about this idea. Remember, most posts will be between 300 and 500 words. You aren’t writing a novel. You aren’t even writing one of those (dreaded?) 5-paragraph essays you were assigned back in high school! Let the words come out as they may. Don’t worry about grammar or organization. Those things can be addressed once you have your first draft crafted.
5. Take a Break.
Yes, you read that correctly. One of the secrets to great writing is taking frequent breaks. Movement clears the mind and allows for energy and creativity to flow. Because writing is a creative act, moving the body can unlock some of the blocks you may experience. With a first draft under your belt, you can feel confident that when you return to it, you will see it with fresh eyes and be able to move it closer to being a finished product, ready for publication.
6. Return to the Draft and Revise.
The word revise literally means “to re-see.” Now that you have been away from your post for a bit, re-see it with refreshed eyes and mind. This is the time to add or remove parts, fix grammatical errors, and organize ideas for logic and sequence.
7. Last but Not Least…Read Your Post Out Loud.
Do not underestimate the power of reading your writing out loud!
Let me say that again:Â Before hitting the “publish” button, take a few minutes to read your post out loud. Of all the steps, this is arguably the most important and the most neglected.
When I was teaching writing, my students knew I expected them to read their work out loud before handing it in to me. Our ears catch things that our eyes don’t. You can avoid so many typos, missed words, and simple grammatical errors when you take the time to read your work out loud. (Before publishing this post, I found 3 mistakes with my ears that my eyes didn’t catch!)
It may feel strange to do this at first, but trust me: like anything else, if you dedicate yourself to doing this, you will soon be a pro and never look back.
Your readers will thank you for it, too! 🙂
By the way, this 7-step process can be used with more than just quotes. I just wanted to demonstrate a specific strategy using quotes as a jumping off place that leads into the writing process in general. Quotes can be a terrific stimulus for any writer searching for something to write about.
Let me know how this process works for you! I would love to see any posts that evolved from this strategy of using quotes. If you have some friends who could use a boost for their writing, pass this along on Facebook and Twitter.
To Your Best Writing Yet!
Great post Mary Lou, I really like the part about reading your draft out loud! I have found this very helpful to hear yourself! DR
I like Mary. Reading out loud is so important. I’ll read mind to my wife (poor thing) to see if I’ve got the tense and flow right. It never fails that I find glaring errors. Am I to old to be in your class? Thanks for a just super post.
Mary Lou,
I absolutely love your 7 step process! I do use most of your steps. The one I am neglecting is reading it out loud. After writing it and re-reading it, you can skim over mistakes without seeing them. That is one tip I will definitely add to my writing steps.
Quotes have always been my favorite & great blog posts can come from a single sentence that resonates with you. Thanks for adding a much needed point to my steps,
Val 😉
http://wwww.valwilcox.com
Mary Lou,
I absolutely love your 7 step process! I do use most of your steps. The one I am neglecting is reading it out loud. After writing it and re-reading it, you can skim over mistakes without seeing them. That is one tip I will definitely add to my writing steps.
Quotes have always been my favorite & great blog posts can come from a single sentence that resonates with you. Thanks for adding a much needed point to my steps,
Val 😉
http://www.valwilcox.com/coming-ground-center/
Hi Mary Lou,
Thanks for sharing this process. I’m one who often has writer’s block – I get so many ideas in my head and I don’t take the time to focus on just one and brainstorm that instead of all of the ideas at once. You’ve given me a strategy that will help me tremendously… Thank You, Thank You 🙂
Dena
Hi Dena-Lynn, It’s exciting to hear you have lots of ideas to write about! Glad that my step-by-step guide will help focus on just one of them at a time. 🙂
Hi Mary Lou,
Thank you! Great ideas for the next time I have trouble coming up with an concept to write about and I loved the read it out loud. Something else that seems to work for me to catch some errors is to preview the draft of my blog post, seeing it in a different format sometimes makes typos more glaring.
All the best,
Alan
Hi Alan, So glad you are inspired to use quotes in times of “blank screens.” 🙂 And yes, sometimes changing the format of how we read a post can help us catch things, too! Thanks for sharing that great tip.
Hi Mary Lou,
What a great idea! Now there should be no excuses for lack of ideas for blog posts.
Great 7 step instructions to reach the end result.
Thanks so much, Deirdre! Your vote of confidence about the 7 steps is much appreciated! 🙂
Hey Mary Lou
I have to say I have used ALL of these suggestions you made on several occasions! Even to do my video tutorials! I generally let things sit and re read later on so I can get a really good look and “fresh” eyes over it.
these are fabulous strategies
cheers
Nat
Hi Mary Lou,
I love the idea of using quotes to create a blog post. I do like reading quotes and have visited quote garden on numerous occasions.
Like Val, I have to admit that I too don’t read out my posts. I know that I have written things before, read through them 3 or 4 times only to find later on that there was a mistake that I had completely missed so I think this is something I will start to do.
Thank you for this useful post! 🙂
Hey Nat, Letting pieces “sit” for a spell can do wonders for both the writer and the posts. Walking away, taking a break, then coming back with “fresh eyes” all help make writing evolve into the best it can be. You are obviously committed to the writing process and your posts reflect that commitment! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts!
Hi Denise, I can’t explain why reading a post out loud (or any piece of writing) makes such a difference in the revision process, but it does! Maybe this post will inspire you to give reading your work out loud a whirl. 🙂