Writer's block? Here's what to do...

A simple 7-step writing process that will get you writing in no time!

If you are reading this, you might be stuck and staring at a white screen. I'm not going to waste time on lengthy introductions - Here's how you can change that with a simple process:

STEP 1 - Define your goal

Here are three questions that you need to answer before you start writing. (They are taken from some kind of copywriting guru but I forgot which one!):

WHAT? What's my topic? What am I writing about?
SO WHAT? Why should my readers care?
NOW WHAT? What does that mean for my readers (outcomes)? How does this concern my readers?

And in addition to that: What type of post do I want to write?
Authority content (an educational post where you share your knowledge?)
Mind-shifting post (where you pick up a common belief and debunk it)
Attraction content (Easy to consume & implement posts like "5 things you should do to...")
Action content (where engagement is everything and you want to get the algorithm going - or where you want people to take some sort of action like signing up to your webinar, join your group etc.)

STEP 2 - Brainstorming

I love working with mind maps but Post-it notes or a piece of paper do equally well.

Just get all your ideas on paper, not discarding anything.

Everything goes for now because we do not want to interrupt your flow of ideas.

If you do this right then you'll not only get enough ideas for this one post but for a few others too. This is a super-important step that you shouldn't miss!

STEP 3 - Structure your ideas into groups

Now it's time for structuring the details & ideas from your brainstorming into groups of related thoughts.

Which ideas can be grouped under a sub-header? Which ideas complement each other and are along the same lines?

STEP 4 - Arrange the groups in a sequential order

Which order makes the most sense? What sequence develops your ideas best to achieve your goal?

Put your groups into a sequential order that makes the most sense to achieve your goal.

You will see that your writing will flow a lot better when you don't have to think about the structure.

The reason behind this is that the writing process is a creative process that flows out of your subconscious mind. Structuring and editing is processed in your prefrontal cortex and takes you out of your creative flow.

The result is that you slow down and have to struggle to get back into the flow again.

STEP 5 - Cut out the fluff

Now it's time to cut out the fluff and radically throw out every duplicated/similar thought or anything that does not contribute to your goal. (Sometimes I save those ideas for another piece of writing).

Trust your gut feeling when doing this and don't rationalise too much. You will cut out a lot more fluff during the editing process.

STEP 6 - Write!!!!

Finally, start writing! Write your article sticking to your outline as much as possible without adding any filler.

You'll see that you will end up with a pretty concise first draft. Having done all the prep work will help you stay on target and focus your thoughts exactly on the right things.

STEP 7 - Review & Edit

This is probably the most important phase of your writing. Here's where you can turn your draft into a trending content wonder.

It's best to take a break and get back to your draft if you can a day later but at least an hour after you've written your draft.

You probably need to recover from your creative flow phase and taking a break is a really good thing to re-charge. The best thing is some light activity. A short walk (even if it's only to your kitchen to grab a drink).

Then get back to your content and review & edit for typos, correct words, structure and flow, whether you have achieved your goal and what you can do to make your writing even stronger. Optimise your keywords if you want etc.

So, here you've got it - a process for your writing. Try it out and let me know how it went.

I hope this is useful and if you want to learn more about writing quality copy and content, then you know where to find me - I'm just a message away...

Enjoy your writing!