You know how it is…you get a fabulous idea for a blog post and then you jump right into it! Everything is moving along for the first paragraph and you’re in the zone.
At the end of the first paragraph, you pause for a second to say, “Yes, I like that.” Then you notice a word you should change.
Yeah, that’s better–now it’s right. Oh wait, maybe I should change that into a question?
Hmmm…Uh oh, you’ve run into the perfection wall.
When you have a thought to put down on paper, whether on screen or on an actual notebook, just go with it. This is not the time to edit!
Let your creativity come out in all its beauty, mistakes and long winded personality
The reason so many people never get to share their thoughts with the world is because they stop themselves before they even get out the door.
If you don’t write it down, it will become some thought you had once–that never did anyone any good.
Blogging is not an exact science, and it never should be. The Internet, the audience and the preferred communication style of website visitors is constantly changing.
If you teach yourself how to do it one way really well, you may not be able to adapt to the new times.
A blog is personable, friendly and approachable. It’s not a white paper written up for corporate executives.
Mistakes make you more human
The presence of a mistake or two or a thought that could have been expressed better, just makes you more human to the reader.
They see you as someone like them, someone they can take advice from because you’ve been there, and someone to whom they will return again. This is not to say that you won’t improve over time.
It’s just that perfection should not be your highest priority.
Put your blog post up there and only then edit and revise it. The point is to share the information online.
Otherwise, it’s not going to help you make money, increase subscribers or gain a larger online following.
So how do you get past this block?
In school, we’re taught to make sure it’s right the first time, and for some of us, that lesson really stuck.
It’s difficult to undo years of training and relax into the world of blogging.
Here’s a few things you can do:
1. Refuse to use the delete button
This means you never go back. In the middle of the post, don’t erase anything.
Trust it to remain that way until you’ve reached the editing stage. The writing stage is not the time to edit or remove anything.
2. Don’t stop writing until your complete thought is on paper
Just keep going. Spelling errors, grammar mistakes and other problems just have to stay put.
Otherwise, you will lose your train of thought and won’t communicate it as effectively. Editing is for later!
3. Don’t read what you’ve written until you’re done adding content
This tip is important because you may get stuck on a particular note.
If you go back and read what you’ve written so far, you may change the whole direction of your blog post.
This should not be done until you’ve completed your original idea. Don’t get distracted and change it midway.
4. Don’t obsess over sentence structure or word choice
Finally, when you’re editing, don’t try to be Webster. Correct the obvious mistakes and then post it.
You can always change it later if you really feel strongly about a certain word choice that would be more effective.
It’s important to get it on the page first.
Even if you get a little negative feedback, it means that people are reading it. You have full control over the content and you can modify it any time.
These are all tips that have helped me get through my posts before I edit them right back to nothing. If you use them every time you write, you’ll find you produce a lot more content and relax while you’re doing it.
Removing that pressure to be perfect can be very liberating and really allows your mind to be creatively free.
If you’ve experienced something like this, please feel free to share your own stories? Do you have half-written blog posts hiding away on your laptop?
Has this helped you to finish and post them for your readers?
We’d love to hear from you in comments.
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I tend to write in paragraphs. When one paragraph is over, I will re-read it and fix it, add to it, take stuff out, you know, the usual. Then I will write another paragraph, and do the same thing. Then before I publish the post, I will re-read the whole thing, edit it again, then re-read the whole thing, edit it again, etc. I don’t know if it’s narcissism, wanting to read my own writing so many times? LOL! But yeah, it would probably save me a lot of time if I just wrote the whole thing and then edited it.
When it comes to writing I’m more closer to Valerie’s tips. I follow my thoughts on paper (yes I’m actually using pencil and paper 🙂 ) without erasing anything. When my inspiration is drained I go back and re-read the hole thing.
I thing everyone has his own writing routine but it’s good to know how others are doing it.
Thanks Lisha for sharing your writing routine.
Hi Lisha,
Thank you for sharing your writing technique! I was doing that for a while, lol, but it just halted the creative process for me, so I moved on to what I wrote about. However, as a writer, you have to do what works for you, and I love that you shared with us!
Valerie,
I enjoyed reading your post. As I read it, I kept thinking that you were describing the way I write: correcting, refining, perfecting as I go along. It has been my experience that the wordsmithing often takes my post in a different, and often better, direction than when I initially started writing. Am I doing myself a disservice? I will have to try your suggestions and see if it works for me.
Hi Jane,
Thank you for your comment and I’m glad the process struck home with you. Every writer has their own unique approach that makes your writing special. The foundation of writing processes though really give you a strong base to create from and I think that’s why they are so important to get down. Once you give yourself the creative freedom to write first and edit later, it’s surprising to see how much happier you are with your work. Please let me know how these tips have worked for you-I’d love to hear your reply afterward!