Just shut up and write!: Tips for the frustrated blogger

http://scattered-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2012/03/writers-block.html

I'm a strategist at heart. People who know me, affectionately, and sometimes tauntingly, call me "the politician" because I like to always be one step ahead of the game. Always calculating. Always thinking of what the next move should be.

In plenty of situations I find this to be beneficial, however when it comes to my writing, not so much. I found myself over-analyzing what I should put out from week to week, to the point that I just ceased to produce anything.

I started my blog with the purpose of sharing something of my journey as a pipsqueak, higher ed professional wannabe with other 20 and 30 somethings who are on their own roads to professional greatness. But I wanted to do it in a sister to sister "let me tell you my story over a cup of coffee" kind of way rather than in a 12-step, preachy sort of way. Somewhere along the line though, I think I got lost. I would literally generate tons of topics in my mind and write nothing.

But with 2013 looming, I've decided to give my thought process an overhaul in an effort to really grow my blog and be more productive and consistent as a writer.

So here are three things I've decided to do to get myself back on track.

1. Re-evaluate my brand and my platform.

I realized that part of the reason I was having difficulty committing to something to share was because I had lost my compass. I was thinking of topics to write about solely based upon what I thought people would want to see me write about, as opposed to speaking on the topics that I am known for and well-versed in. I love higher education, but at heart, my brand is about self-empowerment, development, and career strategies. I look at education as a means to launch one's dreams, not as my manifesto.


2. Change the title of my blog.

Another thing that I discovered was that I had really boxed myself in with the title of Community College Voice. While I am an unashamed community college champion and often write from the perspective of working at such a remarkable institution, it often led to me feel compelled to base all of my content around that. So that's why changing the title of my blog to "Give Me a C!" made so much more sense. In many ways, I see myself as a cheerleader for life and opportunity. I thought that my blog should more accurately reflect that.


3. Write as I go.

Through countless numbers of blog posts and articles, I've learned that one of the most effective ways to consistently organize and produce content is to keep a content calendar. While the concept makes total sense to me (being the queen of organization that I am), I have to admit that I'm really not one that writes that way. Because I gather post ideas from so many different sources throughout the day, I find that as I get the idea, I have to carve out the time to bang it out right then and there. What I've learned to do is utilize Evernote to capture all my ideas and organize them into story lines and posts. I find that this flows much better with my thought process.

So now, armed with my new attitude, I'm ready to take another crack at this. I'm taking my first swing today?

Got writer's block? Name one thing you're doing or have done to get the juices flowing again?