Svenja Hofert, career coach and author
If I think of something, I start writing. And I do it without a plan, because plans almost 100% guarantee that I will get writer's block. I also find it difficult if I have no connection to a topic, e.g. because I find it mundane - that's why I don't write about such topics in the first place. Even if they might get a lot of clicks. So over the years I developed my own blog profile; I don't take much inspiration from others (although I learn from them!), but rather follow what drives me. I think many people would have fewer student data writer's blocks if they were motivated from within and forgot some marketing rules.Svenja Hofert on writer's block
Unfortunately, books cannot be written without a plan, which tends to trigger writer's block for me - a plan is a must. This is especially true for "reading non-fiction books", which place much higher demands on this weaker side of me: structure and systematics vs. spontaneity and impulsiveness. A book like "My 100 Best Tools" was easy to write because the sections are clear. I find it much harder with books that need a common thread through storytelling for 200 pages or more. I have cursed! And sometimes rewrote 200 pages completely. I'm trying to use visual plans now, which works better for me. I think it's a good idea to base your writing on personal preferences and to develop your own strategies.
Image credit for the photo by Svenja Hofert: (c) Christine Lutz
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"Two approaches: change or coercion"
Leander Wattig, consultant and blogger
Leander Wattig on writer's blockWhen I have writer's block, I use two approaches, which I use depending on my needs or desires: On the one hand, I try to loosen the block by changing things up. This can mean changing the topics I'm working on, as I always have a lot going on in parallel and waiting to be processed. But it can also mean changing activities by running errands in town or doing housework (working from home) or doing something else. The second approach is coercion. A block can often be solved by forcing yourself to be productive, even if the inspiration is slow to appear. In the end, writing is a job like many others that simply requires discipline. The key is not to give up and to persevere.
Image credit for the photo by Leander Wattig: (c) laudia di Lucia / SIGMA