How to Write When Writing is Not Your Thing

Some people claim they absolutely can't write. Good writing, however, often begins with good reading. If you read books crafted by excellent writers, your own style will most certainly be positively affected.

You can also get ideas by reading excellent writers. If I have a "writer's block" in terms of getting down the first lie, I often go on the Internet, or to some good books, and look at how they started. I pick a line I like and adapt it for my subject. Often getting something down on paper (or on the screen) is the first step to getting off square center and into the article. I find it hard to craft an article if I don't have a good beginning, but if I get a beginning I really feel good about, I am on my way.

If you are totally stuck and can't come up with a good beginning no matter how hard you try, get a second-rate beginning on paper and move into the article. You can always come back and alter the beginning later on, if you so desire.

Some of the easiest articles to write are how-to articles. This is because the paragraphs can be almost in the form of a list, even if you don't number them. Shorter articles are also easier to write, and many articles don't have to be that long. Associated Content has a minimum of 400 words, which is really quite easy to do.

Some people who really have a block about writing have found it easier to pretend they are writing a letter to someone they know. Think of someone you are really comfortable communicating with. Then think of a topic you know really well. Pretend that you need to tell them how to do something very important. Then convey the necessary information as clearly as you can, in an organized format.

You'll want to read over your writing a time or two at the end, to make sure it still makes sense. I always try to pretend two things while performing this little task: one that I am very dumb, and two that I am not myself. By pretending not to be the brightest bulb on the block, you can imagine if someone who really struggled mentally can understand what you are saying. If they can understand it, then you will reach the widest audience possible. Of course if you are writing for rocket scientists and want to impress them with your techno-prose, that is a whole different story. In most cases, you will probably be writing for ordinary people, a great many of whom do not have high-level reading skills. Keeping it simple, then, is a smart thing to do.

Pretending that you are somebody else allows you to critique your writing in a more effective way than you otherwise would have. If you are just reading something you wrote yourself, it's hard to be objective. By making an attempt to step outside of yourself, however, you can give a more honest opinion of what you just wrote. I often also stand up (this wakes me up and makes the blood flow more freely) and read out loud (somehow its easier to hear how the words sound when you read out loud).

Another trick to get something on paper is to dictate it into a recorder or computer recording program, then transcribe what you said. Then edit it into something that sounds more like written prose.

While it seems like hard work to some, writing can actually be fun to do. Putting your thoughts on paper is a way to communicate with the world, make the world a better place, or even get something off your chest. So what are you waiting for? Go get your pen, or your computer, and get started writing today!