4 things to do when you don’t know what to write

Sweet petunias!

Hopping horseradish!

Sparkling seahorses!

I knew this day would come.

The day I reveal to you that I don’t always know what to write about.

It’s perfect, actually.

Because it’s Monday night, and I just got home from improv class. Where a bunch of adults agree to suspend the normal rules of interaction, talk gibberish, make things up, and see what happens.

(Tonight, I was a stewardess, a scuba instructor, and a 14-year-old auditioning for the Village People).

And the whole thing about improv is that whatever you do is okay. Which is a message that we Recovering Perfectionists need to hear on a regular basis.

So, it is with great honor that I pull back the curtain and reveal:

I don’t know what to write.

May I be honest? I don’t think it matters all that much. Because you just. Keep. Going.

So, in celebration of the fact that I don’t know what to write sometimes, here are 4 things to do when you don’t know what to write:

1. Write anyway. I call this the “tough love + consistent income” option. Because it teaches the stubborn little kid inside you who doesn’t want to do the work that grown up you is in charge, and you are not going to back down. I often feel resistance at the beginning of writing. I notice it, say “oh, there you are”… and keep going. More times than not, I find my message as I go. Yes, I can show you how to make writing easier and get a bigger response, but at a certain point, you just gotta let go and write without analysis.
2. Listen to a song that makes you feel something. Silly. Happy. Sexy. Confident. When I used to write short plays for the theater, I would pick a certain song or album to listen to when I write. It got me in “state.” Right now, when I am not in the mood to write, I put on Flight of the Conchords (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGOohBytKTU). Because it makes me not be so uptight and grumpy.
3. Light a candle. This is another writing “ritual” I use to signal to my self that it is time to quit messing around and get to work. Not that there’s anything wrong with messing around. I just need to know that when it’s time to bang out an email or an article, I can hop to it. Minus the drama. I’ve never said this out loud, but I believe that our writing can connect us to our people. I light a candle and ask that what I write be of use to the people who need it. This helps me shift the “energy” around marketing from a place of “what can I get?” to “what can I give?”
4. Pull out a piece of scratch paper. Write: who is this for? What is it? Who is it for? Why am I excited about it? What are the benefits? Why is important that they do this now? Often, when we are stuck, it is because we aren’t clear on our goals and our message. Focusing and asking yourself questions about the “point” of your writing can help turn that around. Plus, there is something about paper and pen that shifts the way you think. At least, there is in Stella’s laboratory….

Train yourself to notice resistance and struggle when it’s time to write… and then do something about it in the moment. Here’s a bonus hint: I have found (and teach my clients) that your energy comes across in your writing. If you are grounded and have your clients’ best interests in mind, that will come across. If you are dogmatically against asking people for their business, people will pick up on that, too.

So, the more you can enjoy the process of crafting your marketing materials, the better.

Like this article? Join Stella Orange for a new training call: “What’s the Big Idea? How to write so people care—and win boatloads of business online” on Wednesday, June 6^th at 7pm EST. It’s free and she’ll be teaching about how to craft your money-making message in your business. To learn more and register, click here.

Mighty thanks to Vince Kusters flickr photostream for the pen and paper