Is It Writer’s Block Or Writing Anxiety?

Guest post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess

I used to teach writing classes at a local literary center and I focused my courses on magazine writing,
fiction and blogging. When a student came to the class (and these were adults) telling me that they didn't do the assignment last week because they had Writer's Block I countered by saying it wasn't WB, but Writing Anxiety or in some cases, Writing Laziness! If you're a writer, you should be an avid reader and those two habits should combine to give you ideas and spark your creativiity. If you find it doesn't and you find yourself with sweaty palms and beating heart when you sit down to write a blog post, it could be a case of Writer's Anxiety.

Here are some tips to overcome that, move forward, and get that blog post written:

• Do you hate what you’re writing? If that’s the case, you should
  step back and evaluate why you’re writing on the topic you’ve chosen and see if
  you can revamp and write about something else. Has your blog taken a turn
  toward topics on which you’re simply not interested? Who’s to say you can’t
  turn it around? No one!
• Are you writing outside of your comfort zone? Did you agree to
  blog about something about which you know nothing and have either no – or negative
  feelings? Is there a reason you can’t simply say, “thanks, but no thanks?”
• Did you write a post recently that received negative (or no)
  feedback? While it’s easy for me to say, you need to move past negative
  comments and remember the person who commented is a stranger who doesn’t know
  anything about you and that one post on which they commented may be an aberration.
  They may have loved everything you’ve written before. Remember, people are more
  likely to complain than to praise.

When you’re hit with any of these feelings
above it can make you want to throw in the towel and give up pet blogging
forever, right? Don’t let it. There are ways to power through to the other side
and come out happier!

• This should be a no-brainer but sometimes we need a reminder.
  Write about what you love! If you don’t love what you’re blogging about, every
  post will be a chore.
• Set attainable goals. If you’re trying to blog seven days a
  week, take care of the family – both two- and four-legged – hold down a full
  time job and take care of the house, it’s simply too much. Step back and blog
  less frequently. That may help bring the joy back to your blogging time.
• Do you have a goal you’re trying to achieve with your blogging?
  For example, are you blogging to become known in the pet field for your
  expertise on a particular subject? Are you hoping your blogging leads to speaking
  engagements? Are you blogging your way to a book? Knowing your goal will help
  you focus your efforts.

Nurture your creativity and look at your blogging efforts as a positive
experience. Truly, if writing a blog post is as painful as a dentist’s visit,
who’d want to do it? Not I! Are you suffering writing anxiety? Have you in the
past? How did you move past it?