Let the Coffee Cool

You sit down at your keyboard ready to produce. You wait, fingers poised ready to strike the keys. Nothing happens. Enter the villain – writers block.

Ever start to write an article and a blank piece of paper keeps laughing at your frustration about how to start? Every writer has had writers block. Every composer has had song writer’s block. Every painter has stared at a blank canvas. Relax.

We have all faced this foe. The best way to slay the villain is not a stake through the heart. Crazy as it may seem, just start writing. Many famous authors have started writing gibberish until an idea and a pattern start to form. Don’t be surprised if you throw away the first two or even three paragraphs before you actually start composing worthwhile prose.

Remember the goal is to write something which will provide value; write something which will help the reader. Write something the reader will want to read. Quality, not quantity is the object.

Think about a book you just read, a CD you enjoyed, a quote which impacted your mindset, or something which happened in your daily life which teaches a lesson. Ideas are everywhere; we simply need to tap into them.

Once you have written the article, walk away from it. Let the coffee cool before you go back to re-read and edit. This cooling off period allows your mind to clarify your main point. Don’t be surprised if you delete entire sentences, rearrange words or even exchange a word for another more specific word. Letting the coffee cool improves your finished product.

If you are writing a major sales letter, not only walk away, but also have someone else read the copy. As Dan Kennedy, renowned copywriter said, “I can read my own material a hundred times and never see a typo. Let me read someone else’s work and the errors leap off the page at me.” We unintentionally read what we intended to write rather than the actual letters on the page.

Book publishers all employ extremely detail oriented editors to catch all of those little typo errors, incorrectly used words and unclear statements. Early in your writing career having a personalized professional editor probably will not be possible.

You do still have resources at your fingertips. If you are using Microsoft Word, click on the “Tools” tab and check the spelling and grammar. Also in the “Tools” tab is a “Language” tab offering: a translation, thesaurus, hyphenation, and the ability to set the language. Be careful as some of the grammar seems a bit out of context to the thoughts of the composer.

Finding a writing buddy with whom you can exchange work can be extremely beneficial. If you are working on a major project, I suggest various writers groups. Meetup is an organization which exists in many larger communities. It has numerous groups including writing groups. A few of them have a membership fee; however, many are “no charge” networking, learning and sharing groups. Membership consists of people sharing a common goal of assisting each other in moving forward with a similar interest.

There are several writing books which are also excellent resources.

“Hypnotic Writing’ by Joe Vitale

“The Adweek Copywriting Handbook” by Joseph Sugarman

“Writing Skills” by Learning Express – Elementary but Excellent for a new writer.


The key points to remember are:

1. Just start writing without any editing.

2. Let the coffee cool; let the writing sit for awhile and go back and edit later

3. Write something of value people want to read; write something to help people.

4. Use your software editing tools

5. Find a friend or group of friends to assist you in increasing the quality of your writing.


Write and keep writing. If you would like additional resources or coaching, enter your information in the “Contact Elaine” section of www.Elaine4Success.com.