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- To tired to concentrate. If you are like many freelance writers, you go to work at your day job and are so drained that you are too tired to write. Writing takes time and concentration. If you have too many responsibilities set aside a scheduled time that is only for writing. No interruptions, no phone calls.
- Your idea is under-developed. Sometimes writers get so excited about an idea that they want to start writing it at once. However, if you haven't thoroughly researched your idea, you may find that you aren't able to develop the idea as you had planned. This goes hand in hand with the other reason we discussed above - Not having enough information on the topic. Do more research so that you are able to better develop the story.
What can you do to get around writer's block, or stop it altogether?
You may not be able to stop it altogether. From time to time, everyone experiences circumstances that preoccupy their minds or cause them to lose their focus and concentration. But, there are some things that you can do to get around writer's block when it tries to grab a hold of you.
- Create an Outline. We discussed the importance of outlines earlier. These are great to use when you are going through writer's block. Instead of composing long sentences or ideas, jot down two or three major ideas. Label the major ideas Idea 1, Idea 2, and Idea 3. Place Idea 1 at the top of the page, Idea 2 in the center and Idea 3 toward the bottom. Next, list two or three things that come to mind about each idea. Use these ideas to develop your sentences and paragraphs.
- Write every day! Writers need a schedule for writing. Just as a star athlete has to practice to stay adept at his craft, so must a writer. Try to write something everyday, even if it is not for the eBook.
- Work on several different topics within the book simultaneously. Sometimes, writers will get burned out while working on a single section. If you find that you can't focus on the topic, try switching to another topic. Often it is helpful to put the idea aside for a while, when you come back to it, you may have a different perspective.
- Practice Freewriting. Freewriting is writing about whatever comes to mind; anything at all. Start writing about your topic and continue to write ideas for five or ten minutes, or until you can't think of anything else to say about your topic.
- Freewriting is sort of like talking to yourself, but doing it in writing. Just keep the ideas flowing, even if you can't think of anything to write about. Pick an object on your desk and write about it.
- The worst thing you can do is to give into the writer's block. Finding out what your obstacles are and how to work around them will keep you writing. And when all else fails, you can always resort to writing a to-do list of some sort.
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