Not Sure What To Write, Then You’ve Missed A Step
You’re ready to write, but all of a sudden, you’re not exactly sure of what to write about, or how to start.
Writer’s Block.
Has that ever happened to you? If it has, then it means you might have missed an important step.
Whether you’re an author writing a book.
Or perhaps you’re a business owner writing a company product or service guide.
Or an employee assigned the task of writing a departmental report.
Or a manager of a nonprofit organization and writing a grant proposal.
Here you have several different writers, but they all have the same problem.
They’re all struggling with the same scenario, sitting at their desks and ready to write. They each have a general idea of what they need to cover, but they are just not sure how to get started.
Sound familiar?
You stare at the blank screen or the pristine white page, but the words don’t come.
The words don’t come because you’ve missed something critical.
Who are you writing for?
The words don’t come, and here’s why.
You have not yet narrowed down who you are writing for. You have to be specific about this.
When you don’t know who your ideal reader is, then you won’t know what to say to them, or how.
Before you write, you have to decide who your reader is and then you’re going to get into their minds and become crystal clear on what they want to know from you. Only then will you be able to write to them.
Once you have identified your ideal reader and keep them in mind as you start to write, you’ll feel the frustration ebb and the words begin to flow.
And in no time at all, you will have written that book, guide, report or proposal.
Know your reader.
You Don’t Have To Stick To One Niche
Write About What You Know
Stick to one niche is the advice you often hear repeated over and over in writing courses, workshops and books. But who is one dimensional? Certainly not me, and I suspect, neither are you. So why should your writing be? I am referring specifically to non-fiction writing. You don’t have to limit yourself to one subject area or niche.
Focus on who you are writing for and why
It depends on why you are writing about a subject and who you are writing for. If you are in a niche business and trying to establish yourself as a credible resource person or expert in a particular field, then by all means concentrate on writing in that niche.
For instance, I am one of the owners of a travel planning and tour operator business with a focus on designing custom designed travel experiences in African countries. When I am wearing that hat, I write articles and social media posts in the area of travel to Africa. I even published a book.
I have specialized knowledge that can educate, entertain and most importantly, help my readers to achieve their goals. My ultimate aim is to help, and by writing in this area, I am establishing myself as a credible source of information when it comes to travel and sharing my expertise, based on knowledge and experience. It’s a win-win situation. I am helping others and at the same time I am helping myself and my business. For instance, Reasons to Add Ghana to Your Bucket List of Countries to Visit is an article I wrote when I was writing from the travel angle.
But, I’m more than a travel specialist. I’m also very knowledgeable when it comes to children’s literature. I’ve reviewed numerous children’s and young adult books for a national book review publication and worked in the youth services department of a public library for eighteen years. For fifteen years, I ran a popular writing club for young writers, and I am a published author of children’s books.
When I write to help writers and parents, I write from this perspective, based once again, on my knowledge, experience and expertise. I know what I am talking about when it comes to children’s literature and how to encourage children to read and to write. I am certain that I can help others by sharing what I know about this topic. Writing for Children is Hard Work is an article I wrote about the challenges of writing for children.
Here is one last thing
I am an avid reader. I will read anything, as long as it captures my interest. It’s the same thing for many other readers. In non-fiction, it is the title that grabs the attention first, not the author’s name.
When I am searching for information, I don’t start by looking for a specific author in a particular niche. For readers like me, it is topic first, author second. And honestly, with so many writers “out there,” who can possibly know the names of all the brilliant writers writing in a particular niche at a particular time?
The topic lures your reader, and then it is up to you to prove yourself through your writing, expertise, experience and the way you connect with your reader.
So I say to you, don’t limit yourself. Go on ahead and write about what you know. Don’t hold back. Believe me, there are readers who need to hear what you have to say, or who have questions that you have the answers to. Be generous. Share yourself. Share your knowledge and share your experience with them.
With passion, knowledge and experience, you can write about anything!
