Forget About It! Just Blog.

This isn’t a list of DON’TS. It’s a list of things to forget about while you’re writing a blog post. Think of this as a guide to help you clear your mind. There are a lot of obstacles that may keep you from sitting down and concentrating on the blog article you’re working on, so de-stress, clear your mind, and get past that writer’s block. Take a look at these 10 things to forget when writing a blog, and you may just be able to get at the root of your problem.

So, forget about…

1. What Time it Is

You need to concentrate on writing, not on the clock. Worrying about how much time has passed since you first sat down to write is a distraction in and of itself. Turn the desk clock towards the wall, and hide the clock on your computer. Live in the moment and let yourself be free of self-imposed time constraints so that you can finish your article.

2. The Rest of the Things On Your To-Do List

I know you have a lot of other things to get done today. But if you keep thinking about them, you’ll never get around to doing them. Break your list down into achievable tasks, starting with the completion of your blog post. Once you’ve compartmentalized all the things on your to-do list, you’ll be able to envision yourself completing each task. Finish the blog post you’re working on, and you’ll have a sense of peaceful completion that will carry you through to your next task. Doesn’t it feel good to make those check marks of completion?

3. What’s Coming on TV Tonight

This is kind of aligned with the notion that you need to forget about what time it is, but anticipating your favorite television program is a more specific time distraction than merely looking at the clock. We all want to know what David Hasselhoff has to say about those kids on America’s Got Talent, but if you sit around thinking about it, you’ll most likely start chatting with your friends or calling up your mom to discuss last week’s episode. It will snowball into a disastrous hour-long debate about Nick Cannon being the new show host, and then where will you be?

Mind you, television isn’t the only way in which you can snowball yourself into a major distraction. That birthday party you’re supposed to be attending can also take up a lot of brain power, especially if you don’t know what you’re going to be wearing. Or the fact that you have to pick up your kids in 3 hours–distraction. Know that you have 3 hours to get your blog article done, and just get it done!

4. What People Are Saying On Twitter

Twitter is among the most accessible blogging platforms out there. You get tweets and DMs on your cell phone. You have two or three browser and desktop applications alerting you to every aspect of your Twitter activity. Your email inbox is full from all the Twitter-related digests you receive regarding new followers. And the real time capacity of Twitter only entices you to respond to all of this Twitter activity as it’s going on. Well, don’t give in to the temptation if you’re trying to work on a blog article. Mute all your Twitter activity for an hour and buckle down!

5. What People Have Already Written About Your Topic

One major reason why a lot of bloggers don’t cover a particular topic is because they see that several other blogs have already written about it. If there’s a topic that is of interest to you, don’t be afraid to cover it. You can still add value to the conversation. And commenting on the other blogger’s articles gives you an opportunity to link back to your own article and become a part of the larger, ongoing discussion.

Whatever the other bloggers have already said, there’s still a chance for you to offer your own insight. Pull from personal experience in order to bring a different perspective to the table. If you’d like, take the time to chat with others about their personal experience in order to gain even more perspective outside of your own. This is also a great way to incorporate interviews into your blog.

And here’s something you should NOT forget: there’s nothing new under the sun. All the things those other bloggers have written have already been thought up and discussed by somebody else.

6. What People Think About You

Just as you need to forget about what others have already written about your topic, you also need to forget about what people think about you. You’ve got your own personality, and this shows through in your writing and your online brand. The beauty of blogging is that you entirely own your content, and you can publish this content freely on the web. Don’t be afraid to express yourself–it’s this personalized expression that draws people to your blog in the first place.

7. Grammar

Grammar, spell check, formatting–these aren’t things you need to worry about while you’re actually typing. All those red and green squiggly lines can be a time-wasting distraction while you’re trying to wrap your head around completing a thought. Just ignore the technical side of things for a while, and focus on your creativeness. It’s really easy to do spell check once you’ve finished your article, and it’s faster this way as well.

8. The Stuff You Don’t Care About

Sometimes you’re just not that into it. If you’re writing about something you don’t really care about, you’re probably not going to do a very good job writing about it. What’s worse is you’ll probably have an even harder time trying to think of something constructive to say. Don’t waste your time. Focus on the topics you’re passionate about. This is a core strength you have as a writer, and it allows your true creativity to shine through.

9. The Other Side of the Argument

You’re writing for a blog. In most cases, you’re writing for your own blog. That means (generally speaking) that you’re supposed to be opinionated. Unlike more subjective journalism or news reporting, you can express your feelings about the topic at hand. Don’t be afraid to say how you feel. The more of yourself you put into your writing, the greater your responses will be. This is how you spur discussions around your given topic, good, bad or otherwise.

10. Your Conclusion

This isn’t always the case, but sometimes creating an outline for your blog article isn’t necessary when you’re trying to get your thoughts down on paper. If you have a topic to write about, but you just can’t think of how to conclude your article, keep writing. See where your thoughts take you and work out a conclusion during this particular writing process. If writing isn’t helping you de-muddle your thoughts, call a friend on the phone and chat about your given topic. Sometimes the act of talking helps us work out our thoughts, effectively leading us to a conclusion.

Written by Kristen Nicole from Kristen Nicole
Posted on August 5th, 2009 and filed under Blogging
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