Blogging fear: Looking stupid / writer’s block

I asked for your biggest fears in blogging, and y’all came through.

This week’s fear: “Looking stupid and writer’s block.”

— Nicole

1. Looking stupid is part of the human condition. We are all stupid at some point, and others will see it and point and laugh.

It’s not my favorite thing in the world, but I’ve survived a surprising amount of derision, snickering and trolling. It hasn’t killed me yet.

If you blog, someone will think it’s stupid and you’re stupid and might even tell you so. I think many businesses are stupid not to blog, if that helps any.

I can tell you that your fear of looking stupid is mostly in your head. It’s the same fear that dissipates the moment someone goes onstage or jumps out of a plane or tells a stranger “I love you.” We take the leap because the fear of not taking that risk has bigger potential consequences.

Take the leap, and blog for all your worth. You will find that either you were stupid not to have started sooner, or that you look stupid and you really don’t care.

2. Fear of writer’s block can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Think more and more about having less and less to say, and you might just make it a reality.

Writer’s block happens to just about every writer and blogger I know, including me. It’s rarely permanent, and it can be overcome with a few strategies:

• Keep a list handy (on paper or your smartphone) of topic ideas, phrases and inspirations.
• Write posts in batches. When you build momentum in writing, crank out several posts, and edit them all later.
• Brainstorm with colleagues, friends and fans.
• Read. A lot. Good writers and bloggers stay abreast of their favorite topics and subjects outside their comfort zone.
• Take a walk. Anything that gets the blood circulating is a welcome distraction and can knock you out of a creative funk.

I come from a journalism background, so I’ve always found that the best cure for writer’s block is a looming deadline. Publish or perish.

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Tell me about your biggest fear in blogging,
and I might answer it in a future post.

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More in our Blogging Fears series.