The cure for ‘writer’s block’

A guide to writing faster, reporting better and feeling good about starting the story in the middle

There you are at the computer. Your notebook is open and sits beside you on your desk. Next to the notebook is a 200-page report from that incomprehensible engineer you interviewed yesterday.

You stare at the computer as the minutes tick away. But nothing comes out.

“Writer’s block,” you mutter under your breath. Hmmm … maybe another cup of coffee will help. Oh hell, it’s time for lunch anyway.

Sound familiar?

Well, before you blame writer’s block for your problems, consider the following statement: There is no such thing as “writer’s block.”

Yes, I know you’ll disagree. You can recall countless occasions when you’ve stared at your computer not knowing how or where to begin.

But that’s not “writer’s block.” It’s an entirely different disease—and one that can be easily cured.

When corporate writers and editors say they have writer’s block, they are actually grappling with “information block.” They don’t have enough detail to make the story flow effortlessly from the brain, or don’t understand the volumes of material at their disposal.