Lost in Words? Learn How to Regain Your Focus!

It’s no secret that writing can be a tough slog sometimes. You can sit down at your desk with the best of intentions, only to find yourself staring at a blank screen an hour later.

Maybe you’re not sure what to say, or maybe you’re just not feeling inspired.

Either way, it can be helpful to step back and take a look at the bigger picture.¹

What are your goals for this piece of writing?

What do you want your readers to take away from it?

Answering these questions can help you focus your thoughts and come up with ideas for what to say. But even if you’re still stuck after that routine there are still plenty of ways to crush writer’s block.

1. Consider the big picture and think readers first

Take a moment to consider the big picture before you begin to write.

What are you trying to say?

Who is your audience?

How can you make your point in a way that resonates with your audience and will be easy for them to understand?

It’s crucial to know your audience’s expectations and needs to make the overall message you’re trying to communicate more effective.

What will they gain from reading this?

How can you make it more engaging?

Think about how you can provide the information they need, in a way that’s engaging and actionable.

Consider what your audience expects from you and whether or not your content is meeting those expectations.

2. Reread your outline and go with the flow

If you find yourself getting stuck, reread your outline and see if there’s a way to get unstuck by filling in the gaps.

This is a good time to make any changes that might be necessary based on what you’ve learned about your audience.

Whenever you find something that doesn’t make sense or could be improved, go ahead and change it now before going on to the next step.

If this doesn’t work, take a break from writing for an hour or two and come back to it later when you’re fresh.

3. Examine your writing and ask questions

Read through other pieces of writing you’ve saved and make notes on what you like and don’t like about them.

What makes your favorite pieces work?

What do they have in common?

Why do they appeal to you?

In this step, it’s important to read with a critical eye (not as someone who simply enjoys reading) so that you can learn from your successes or failures.

4. Pick a topic, list some ideas, and draft an outline

Consider a topic that interests you. Then, do a quick Google search for keywords related to your topic.

If you don’t know what to say, start with a basic idea of what you want to write about and then look around online for ideas on how other people have approached it before.

Think of all the points that you want to make about your piece and organize them.

Outline by listing all the points you want to make and how they relate to each other.

You can do this by writing them down on a piece of paper or typing them into a document on your computer.

An outline is a great way to organize all the thoughts that you have about something so that they can be more easily understood by others.

5. Read other writers' work and brainstorm.

This is a great way to get some ideas for your story. If you’re stuck on an idea, try reading other people’s writing about the same topic and taking notes on what they wrote.

What makes their pieces work?

How do their arguments support their thesis?

Why do they appeal to you?

Writing partnerships and collaborative writing can be beneficial to writers in many ways. By working with another writer, you can learn new techniques, improve your skills, and receive feedback on your work.

Collaborative writing can also help you stay motivated and inspired, as well as provide a sounding board for ideas. Learn more about it in the following article:

Concluding remarks

You can get started writing even when you don’t know what to say. You can write if you just think about your ideas for a bit before you start.

1. If you’re struggling with a particular idea, write about that.

2. If you’ve just finished a project that you love, write about that.

3. If you’re in the middle of something new and exciting, write about that.

4. If all else fails, write something completely unrelated to anything else in your life right now but still interesting enough to keep your attention.

The most important thing to remember when writing is that there’s always more to say.