Blank Page Paralysis? Here’s a Cure

Content is king. You know it. You need to write. You need to “post.” Intimidating, isn’t it? I know. Sounds huge. How do you get motivated?

Long ago, in a company far, far away, I was training managers in business writing. I pointed out a syndrome I called: “Blank Page Paralysis.” Now it’s blank screen paralysis. Nevertheless. I’ve written four books, three of them since 2006. And I believe it’s because I never entertained the paralyzing thought, “I am writing a book.”

Here’s how I did it:

1. I told myself, “It’s not a book. It’s just a rant.” A “rant” is your burning opinion you just MUST share. You probably have a least one rant a day. Example: “Someone was selfish on a Zoom meeting. Why can’t we stick to time limits?!?”

We rant on the phone with a friend. We put our rant on social media. It disappears into the ether. I started writing them and saving them. So, write down your “rant.” Just sit down and write it.

2. Expand your rant. Resist the urge to write it perfectly. Do not edit yourself—the screen will remain blank. Broaden out the main idea of your rant with stuff you know from your work, your dues-paying activity, or from your personal relationships.

You read my rants on this blog every month; they have made it into my books. Example: When I heard someone speak about their business, and they were not prepared, it was painful for me. I ranted on “Why You Should Never Wing It.” Example: When I missed the gym during lockdown, I bought a stationary bike and needed motivation. So I wrote “Might As Well Jump.”

3. Save it, so you can find it again. File it.

4. Use it for an article or a blog.

5. Write another rant.

6. When you have 15 rants, look for a common theme. It may lead you to the organizing principle of your book. Each rant may be a chapter.

And you can try out your rants on me. Please schedule a call. We can also talk about your speaking situations. Whether it’s growing your business or speaking to your staff or an audience, you want smiling and nodding throughout, and your result at the end.

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