Text

Writer's cramp? How to get help

A pulsating cursor against a white background in an empty subject line for a newsletter or on a social media post – no matter what, maybe you realise that it can take a lot of creativity to write, perhaps especially when the text has to be short and concise.

Händer som bryter av en penna


Content producer Kim Kjellbom, who leads courses in content production, shares her best tricks with Sweden’s communications officers. These are simple tricks that you can test if you also find that you are getting stuck.


  1. Flow write to loosen the first barriers

As a first step you can try flow writing. This means putting your critical eyes away and making an effort to write constantly about a topic for five minutes. The sentences do not need to be logical or grammatically correct, but the important thing is not to lift the pen from the paper.

After the flow writing, you can read through what you have written and highlight wording, merge words and find a clear paragraph. You can also underline words and phrases and use it as the base plate for a new flow write. Kim believes that in doing this the worst type of writer’s block can be overcome.


2. Create a mini writer’s cabin

Do you find it difficult to isolate yourself and find an undisturbed nook? Then signal that you need your own focus and don't want to be disturbed by, for example, putting on your headphones or putting up post-it notes on your screen.


3. Creator in the evening, editor in the morning

It's not always possible for you to wait 24 hours to finish a text, but if you can, a tip is to write in the afternoon, when most people are more tired and thus freer and more indulgent in their ideas. The next morning you are probably sharper and can instead spend time reviewing and correcting what you have written.


4. Pen and paper

Finally, Kim recommends using pen and paper, which is very common for writers today to use even when she works with more challenging texts. Using the computer, she believes that emails or some other distraction can disturb you and that it may take time to find your focus again.