Ever spent an age putting together an email - for work or something else - only to fuss and fret about each and every word it contains?

You rewrite it; you change the order of a sentence; you substitute a less 'formal' word for something that sounds more...er...professional. Then you hover over the 'Send' button.

When it comes to writing the language we speak day in, day out, we can all feel a tinge of self-doubt every now and then. I certainly do - and I write for a living, for my clients and here on my freelance Yorkshire copywriter blog.

Whether or not we have a good grasp of grammar and punctuation is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to text-based fret. Try as we might, many of us still stress about what we write: whether that WhatsApp message sounded a bit rude, if your email could be misconstrued (I'm a poet and I didn't know it), or if there was er...too much of an...er...interlude between sending that email and getting a reply.

*'Do I sound like a pillock?'
*'Have I just used a word in the wrong context?'
*'Do I come across 'okay', or even 'fun' and 'likeable' on email or text?
* Is my humour a bit ‘out-there’?
*Sh*t, did I spell their name right?!

Ever asked yourself any of the above? In fact, how many of those questions pop into your head before you write the actual thing and hit that blinking 'Send' button.

My advice when you feel like you can't write? Just. Write. Something.

Seriously, just start. Once you've sent your email, don't give it a second thought. Unless you've called your boss a c*ck, it's probably a-okay. So is that text message you want to send to an old flame. Go on; why not...live a little. Unless you’re drunk and he/she is taken. Then maybe leave well alone and get yourself on Tinder.

‘Just Start’ (I bet Nike are sh*tting themselves)

I apply my patented 'just start' principle to everything I'm procrastinating about. There's nothing worse than the feeling of dread that comes with putting something off. So, today - do that thing you've been thinking about doing. Swallow the frog - or whatever it is they say.

Send that email, write that text, start that novel, organise the kitchen cupboards.

You know it'll make you feel better.

The point to this article? I'm not really sure. Other than the fact I've been putting off writing this for well over a week. Now? It's out there in the world - in front of your peepers - and I feel great.

So, take my advice - just start - and you'll feel great too.

Until next time…

Whether it’s a blog post for a client, a short story competition you want to enter or even a new caption for Instagram, when writer’s block strikes it can feel completely debilitating - and like you’ll never be able to write again.

To help overcome it, the first thing to remember is that ‘writer’s block’ isn’t something that crawls into your head zapping you of your writing ability; it’s usually connected to how you feel about your work.

Confidence is a huge part of being able to write and when those sneaky suspicions of ‘am I good enough?’ or ‘will my client like this?’ start to creep in, they can be overwhelming and leave you struggling to write at all.

What to do to restore your faith in your writing ability?

Here are my five top tips for when writer’s block strikes:

1. Get up and walk away

If you find yourself struggling to find the words to write, get up from your desk and walk away. Pay with cash, don’t take your phone and walk a different way home to the way you came…it will encourage you to connect with your surroundings and look at things differently.

On returning to your work you’ll find you approach it with a clearer focus and the new ideas will start to flow.

2. Get creative

Writing is a creative output and as described in an article for the New York Times, people’s approach to writing varies, as can the parts of their brains they use to write. Disciplines that require skill and practise need exercise.

Danielle Krysa’s book Creative Block is packed full of creative exercises to help you stimulate the grey matter, give some of them a go.

3. Buy a newspaper

Newspapers offer stat-based, short snippets or long form pieces of journalism about people, products, services, businesses – everything! I recommend reading them in hard copy as this is a much more immersive experience than reading online. Plus, you can’t fall into the rabbit hole of click bait if the paper is on the table in front of you.

Get your pen out and scribble all over it as your brain engages and ideas come to you; go grab a paper and feast on its contents.

4. Talk

Talking with someone you trust will help your confidence and talking about your work will create new perspectives.

If you’re not quite ready for an in-depth dive into what’s at the root of your writer’s block, think about joining a writing community like Pro Copywriters – but remember to limit your online browsing to no more than 20 minutes, or you run the risk of losing half your day to aimless online wandering.

5. Write

This comes up a lot when looking at solutions for writer’s block, and as obvious as it is, it’s also probably the best solution.

The chair you’re sat on – describe it, the scene from your window – dictate it, the last time you ate in a restaurant – write a letter about it; just write and focus on how you use language to solve these mini challenges.

Then go back to your work and apply the same process, break it down and start the first draft; write, edit, repeat – you can do it!

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