Okay, the idea of writing on your blog might already be insane to some people, but there are those of us out there who take our writing very seriously. Sometimes, however, you want to write, but nothing comes. What do you do then?

Write Anyway

I write anyway. I usually sit at the computer or sometimes I do it offline, but I give myself 15-30 minutes and just write. I don’t let myself stop writing. Even if I have to write, “I don’t have anything to say,” over and over, I still keep writing.

Eventually something good comes out of it.

Mostly, it’s crap, but there usually is a kernel of a good idea that comes and I am able to write.

Read A Lot

I like to read a lot of weblogs, magazines and books so that I have lots of ideas floating around in my head. This can be a procrastination technique, however, so watch yourself.

Take a Walk or Go For a Run

Sometimes when I’m really stymied, I’ll go for a walk or a run without my iPod. It doesn’t matter if I walk outside or on the treadmill as long as I don’t distract myself with TV, videos, music or other external distractions. If I am walking with my thoughts, I tend to get ideas.

Meditate

Now, there are a million ways to meditate. Most of them don’t work for me. I use these meditations:

• To Do List: I sit comfortably with a pad of paper nearby. I try to meditate and when my mind wanders, I write down whatever I’m worried about. I go back to meditating. If my mind wanders back to the same item, I dismiss it with the thought, “I have that written down. I’ll deal with it when I’m finished,” and go back to meditating. If a different thought comes to mind, I write it down. When I’m finished, I’ve found that I HAVE to actually take care of the things on that list or my mind doesn’t believe me the next time I meditate.

• Staring at a Moving Thing: I like candles and windchimes, but lava lamps will work as well. Just focusing my mind on the movement helps me calm down and think of ideas.

I usually set a countdown timer on my watch to go off in a few minutes so I’m not always checking a clock.

Take My Computer Somewhere Else

The beauty of a laptop is the ability to take it anywhere to write. The same is true for a notebook if you don’t mind transcribing once you get back to the computer. Just changing your location can make things fresh and new.

And Now For Something Completely Different

Sometimes I just do something completely different, like drawing or photography or videos. Changing to a different medium is a good way to keep from being bored and gives me something to write about.

Stop Taking Myself So Seriously

I’m not creating great art here. The minute I start thinking that I’m creating Great Art, then I freeze up and I’m completely unable to do anything. Seth Godin’s idea of being The Best is a really good idea, but every time I focus on The Best, I just end up paralyzed. Instead, I focus on just telling my small piece of the human story.

Don’t Let It Go Dark

I always imagine my weblog like a theater. If I don’t post one day, it will “go dark” and people will come to the theater, shake the locked doors and wonder where I am. I imagine those people vividly and I don’t want my blog to be that theater. Even if I post something small and simple, it’s better than going dark.

Write In My Journal Every Day

I have an offline journal that I write in every day. It allows me to get all the junk out of my head so I can actually write the “good” stuff. It’s my secret weapon.

Don’t Give Yourself An Excuse

When my blog does go dark, it’s because I’ve given myself an excuse to let it. When I refuse to give myself an excuse, I end up posting something and sometimes it’s better than I imagined it could be. Most of the time, I just post crap, but every once and a while, something good comes out of my fingers onto the keyboard.