When I Don’t Know What to Write

I’ve struggled all week to come up with an even halfway interesting blog post. I literally have no idea what to write about. 

So I thought, why not write about not knowing what to write? 

Sometimes it happens. And it can happen in any type of project, from blog post to novel to personal letter. Maybe it’s even happened to you before. 

How do I move past it? I have several strategies. 

1. Do an activity that allows your mind to wander. 

Allow your hands, arms, legs to work while your thoughts have free range. This can happen in so many places: 

doing dishes

doing laundry

cleaning the house

running errands

going on a walk

taking a drive

2. Think about the things going on in life lately. 

Sometimes we need to slow down to process things going on in and around us. We need time to put our feelings into actual thoughts, whether they apply to situations or ideas or struggles or joys. This includes looking at things like: 

marriage

kids

home

friends

extended family

events

3. Think about what the Lord has been teaching lately. 

Much like the previous point, sometimes we need time to ponder the direction of the Holy Spirit, the connections happening between God’s word and our lives. Review things such as: 

personal scripture readings

sermons

devotionals

conversations with others

4. Do a freewriting exercise. 

Freewriting is different than project writing. This is about exploring those thoughts just below the surface. Put your hands on the keyboard or pick up a pen and paper and start writing whatever nonsense comes out through your fingers. When you read it over again, often there will be a spark of an idea for whatever kind of project you need to write.

5. Let it go. 

When all else fails, I walk away. Usually not forever, but I stop thinking about the writing I’m trying to make happen in that moment. (Thus, it is Friday afternoon and I’m finally writing a blog post!) Sometimes this why I skip a day or two of social ;media posts. Or why novels or short stories get abandoned. Sometimes you just aren’t ready to explain your thoughts or be creative. 

Those are some ways I get unstuck when I don’t know what to write. And when I can’t let it go (like a blog post that you are expecting this week!), I can write about not being able to write! 

Even if you aren’t a writer, are there times you need to put something on paper and can’t? What do you do to find a breakthrough?