Most of the advice about writing blog posts recommends that you develop a goal oriented writing system that helps you stay on track and get a post or two or ten done. You're encouraged to plan ahead, use an editorial calendar, mind map or outline the article, and stay keyword focused. It's all good advice.
But every once in a while, ignore all that and enjoy a tremendously productive writing session in "the zone."
The zone is the time when writing seems effortless. Words and ideas just flow and you can crank out a great article in minutes instead of an hour. In the zone, so many different ideas pop into your head it would be impossible to stay on one topic. Don't try.
When you're in the zone, stay there and just keep writing. Here are some tips to make the most of it.
- Minimize distractions and interactions as much as possible. Of course you can't abandon your kid at the soccer field, but you also don't need to offer to take the whole team out for pizza. Close your office door, shut off the phone and email, and ask your spouse to pick up the kids.
- Stay in the present. Don't worry about what's on your to-do list or the tasks that you're skipping to stay in the zone. You'll have time to play catch up tomorrow.
- Follow your ideas and thoughts wherever they wander. Write it all down now. Don't try to keep things in logical order and don't worry about titles and headings. Later you can read it all over, divide it into individual posts, and add structure and page elements.
- Don't stop to research. If you need statistics or articles to back up your facts, just make a quick note and search for them later.
- Don't worry about what you're going to do with all the content. Anything that's not suitable for your own blog can be used as guest posts, social media content, or newsletter articles. There's always some place to publish it.
Allow yourself to keep writing when you're in the zone and it's possible to end up with a month's worth of blog posts from one session. It's definitely worth it!
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This is so true. Often times the amount tasks grab out attention and stifle our creativity. We need to give inspiration more value and allow ourselves to stay in that inspired state. Great pointers!
All the best,
Eren
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Eren. Good point about giving inspiration more value. I think creative writers and artists understand its importance, and the value of staying with it. The rest of us probably need to tap into our creative side a little more, even when writing analytically.
This is so true! Sometimes we are so caught-up with the deadline and we forget the quality of our work. Thanks for reminding me.
Hi Ruth. You’re right. While goals and deadlines are important and should be adhered to most of the time, we can miss a lot of opportunities if we’re too rigid. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.