Writer’s block, or fear of writer’s block, is often the stumbling block (love that pun!) to creating copy that you need for articles, blog posts, ads, books, etc.

When you are stuck not being able to get your ideas down on paper or in a document, it often prevents you from reaching the success you might otherwise attain.

So here are three tips that I have found helpful in preventing writer’s block from getting in the way of my creating copy when it’s important to do so.

1. Start in the middle instead of at the beginning. That perfect first sentence is often elusive, and will only show up in our consciousness once we are in the middle of writing something. Waiting for it to appear when you start writing is a surefire recipe for creating writer’s block.
2. When you are writing, use only the creative side of your brain. Trying to edit your copy as you go along is another surefire way to get blocked, even though you actually were able to get started in the first place. So tell the editor (your thinking brain) to wait until tomorrow (or at least after you have finished the creative process) to do his or her job.
3. Tell the critic to take a hike! It is one thing to edit your copy for grammatical and spelling errors, and to make sure it makes sense and says what you want it to say; but beating yourself up for not writing deathless prose not only makes you feel badly, it prevents you from using perfectly acceptable copy to meet your personal or business goals.

Bonus tip: Pay careful attention to the gifts from your subconscious.

There you are, minding own business, and a thought or a phrase pops into you mind that you know you might be able to use either soon or someday.

Write that word or phrase down. It is a gift from your subconscious; and if you don’t write it down, it will disappear back into that amazing storehouse from whence it came, never to be heard again.

The more you pay attention to, and write down, these gifts from your subconscious, the more generously your subconscious will provide verbal gifts for you to use. I have had entire outlines of speeches pop into my head by using this technique.

Please share in the comments any writing strategies you have found helpful, and please let me know what you think of the ones I have shared with you here.