At the February Lunch and Learn, participants discussed overcoming writer’s block, the bane of every journalist at one point or another. As we discussed, it happens to people who are new to the field and those who have been working in it for decades. But there are ways to battle that blank page:
Overcome fear and get organized
- Accept your initial ideas for an article. Don’t be afraid to start a brain dump and just write. No one is going to read that first draft but you.
- Start in the middle or the end of an article and work your way up or out. Just because the lede is at the top of the page doesn’t mean you have to start there.
- Create an outline to help organize your thoughts.
- Pull some good quotes or specific ideas and start writing around those.
Get help
- Check in with an accountability partner about overcoming writer’s block. The relationship can help keep you on track. See AHCJ’s tips for finding and keeping an accountability partner.
- Talk to your editor or throw ideas around with another writer. Sometimes talking things through can help you formulate thoughts.
- Read the work of writers you admire. Sometimes that can get creativity flowing and bring inspiration when you are stuck.
Do more reporting
- Sometimes writer’s block happens because we don’t have all of the information we need. If this is the case, try to make time for additional research and reporting.
- Other times, we really don’t want to write an article. If you are doing an update on a topic that you do every year, such as “What to know about the flu,” it can be uninspiring. When this happens, do your best to find a news peg. And remember, the information will be new for many readers.
- If it is a source that is holding you up, look for alternatives. Consider talking with a different source, using your own words to explain something or looking for research and published information that can be used instead.
Clear your head
- Don’t sit and stare at a blank page. If you are able, take a walk, do a chore or go to the store. Often you’ll come back with fresh ideas.
- Try a change of scenery. Sometimes moving your work to a coffee shop or library or even outdoors can help get the creative juices flowing.
