How to Overcome Writer’s Block

How to Overcome Writer’s Block

For many bloggers, the worst part of writing is the beginning, when you’re sitting at your desk starting at a blank screen and a blinking cursor.

Writer’s block sucks. I know because I’ve been there before. It’s a frustrating feeling that can consume you and stop your creative efforts dead in their tracks.

Overcoming writer’s block is tough. So when I discovered Michael Koenigs 10×10 formula at Ignite Your Fire last Saturday, I had a breakthrough! I was so inspired that I wanted to find a quiet corner in the conference and start working on my 10×10 formula right away!

The beauty behind Koenigs’ formula is that it takes less than a day to start implementing it. It might sound too good to be true but when you see how simple the process is, you’ll be scribbling one idea after the other and waving bye to writer’s block.

Getting Started

The only equipment you need is a smartphone. You can use the camera function on your smartphone or create a new voice memo.

The 10×10 Formula

  1. Write down the top 10 frequently asked questions about your product, service or industry. Estimated task time: 15 – 30 minutes
  2. Next, list the top 10 questions target audience should be asking about your product, service or industry. This step is important in distinguishing the value you bring to the table (e.g., experience, skills, knowledge, etc.). Estimated task time: 15 – 30 minutes
  3. Now the fun part! Record 20 short Q&A videos asking and answering each of the questions you wrote in steps 1 and 2. Each Q&A video should be 30 seconds to 2 minutes long. Estimated task time: 30 – 90 minutes

Here are a few examples of questions I get asked all the time about social media:

  1. Which social media channels should I use to increase my bottom line?
  2. How many times should I post on Facebook?
  3. What’s the best social media reporting too?

And here are a few examples of questions that brands should be asking about social media:

  1. How do I create a social media strategy that supports my business objectives?
  2. How do I generate leads on Facebook?
  3. Which social media metrics should I be measuring?

Creating the Content

After you’ve recorded everything, the next step is to transcribe everything you just said in the videos into a blog post. Or if you’re a vlogger, upload that content to YouTube. And if you’re a podcaster, take the audio file and start editing.

Congratulations, you now have 20 new content ideas! That wasn’t so hard was it? What frequently asked and should ask questions did you jot down?

About the Author

12 Comments

  • Hailey December 11, 2014 at 5:47 am

    Love that you’re sharing this strategy! I do something similar very similar, except I use my iphone’s talk-to-text feature and then just clean up the draft. It’s much faster to talk than write & much easier to edit existing than write from scratch. Why make things harder for yourself?

    • Stephanie Liu December 11, 2014 at 2:21 pm

      I agree – it’s all about working smarter not harder! I’ve only done the audio recording on my iPhone. Sounds like I’ll have to try the talk-to-text feature!

  • Mui December 11, 2014 at 6:07 am

    Thank you for sharing these great tips on generating 20 new content ideas Stephanie! I am going to brainstorm a list now.

    • Stephanie Liu December 11, 2014 at 2:22 pm

      Can’t wait to see what new content will be featured on your site!

  • Puja Madan December 11, 2014 at 1:29 pm

    Oh Stephanie you’re a genius and I SO needed to read this today. I’ve been trying to find a structure to my writing and this is so perfect. I’ll be starting this right away. Thanks a lot! love xo

  • Brenda December 11, 2014 at 3:01 pm

    Great, solid tips here Stephanie, I will definitely implement the 10 x 10 formula – its brilliant!

    • Stephanie Liu December 16, 2014 at 11:27 pm

      I’m sure you and your husband get plenty of questions around travel tips. Can’t wait to read your next blog post!

  • Hannah January 14, 2015 at 9:48 pm

    This is great! I often get stuck for what to write about and lose sight of probably the most important thing I need to remember, which you’ve highlighted here = what questions are my target audience asking?!

    • Stephanie Liu January 14, 2015 at 10:04 pm

      I’m always reminded of Marcus Sheridan’s keynote at Social Media Marketing World last year on how it’s important to focus on the questions your target audience tends to ask most frequently. It’s something that I’m working on this year. I have so many articles to write this year! Looking forward to your next piece.

  • Carol Stephen January 14, 2015 at 9:53 pm

    Hi Stephanie,

    I just recently used the talk to text feature, too. Sometimes the best ideas appear while driving, taking a shower, etc., so it’s helpful to have different ways to record the seemingly spontaneous ideas as they occur.

    Thank you for this post! I love your style.
    Carol Stephen

    • Stephanie Liu January 14, 2015 at 10:05 pm

      I find myself using the audio recorder on my phone when I’m driving to record ideas that hit me while in traffic. Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to reading more of your work.

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