Back in high school, I developed a habit of doing all the legwork on a project and then putting off the writing part for a day or two. To observers (aka my mom), it sometimes looked a lot like procrastination.
However, I had discovered the power of the subconscious mind. When I did sit down to write, it felt like the words came flying out in a relatively organized, often creative way. In other words, while I was off doing other things, my subconscious was at work on my book report or composition.
Now, as a freelance writer, separating the intake of information from the writing output is so completely embedded in my process, I rarely think about why. But, the other day, as blogging content started flowing like magic, I got curious about where the sentences came from and did a little digging.
Bottom line, the brain is a fascinating tool. Here are three blog writing hacks to help put your subconscious mind to good use.
Hack #1: Sleep on it.
People have been advising each other to sleep on it before making an important decision for centuries. On the surface, it’s about taking some time to think through an issue by gaining additional, more objective perspective as you contemplate.
However, it’s not just your conscious mind figuring stuff out. Your subconscious mind is the part of the brain that’s working 24/7, exploring ideas and solutions the conscious brain simply doesn’t have time to handle. When your subconscious comes up with something good, it surfaces into your consciousness.
In fact, while we’re sleeping, our brains have time to organize the vast amounts of information we collect. So, when we wake up, we literally see things differently and connect ideas that wouldn’t have occurred to us the day before.
When it comes to writing blog posts, harness this hard-working part of your brain. If you’re trying to come up with a snappy headline or intro for your blog post, spend some time compiling your background information and blogstorming ideas using your conscious mind. But don’t write anything yet. Instead, give yourself permission to put it on the back burner for a day or two.
Then, when you sit down to write your blog, start by doing some stream of consciousness writing. For me, when I just start typing after letting an assignment percolate for a few days, I find I have lots of ideas – creative, silly, and sometimes slightly strange. But inevitably I find the hook I’m looking for without all the angst of trying to come up with it on demand using only my conscious mind.
Hack #2: Re-set your filters.
One of my favorite parts of being a freelance blog writer is all the new subjects I get to learn about. (I mean, how else would I find out about the tax implications of paying via cryptocurrency?!)
When I start writing blog posts on new subjects for various clients, I suddenly run across related information everywhere. Basically, our brains come with a sophisticated, built-in filtering capability. Ever notice that when you decide you’re in the market for something, you suddenly start seeing helpful information everywhere? It’s not happenstance. It’s your Reticular Activating System (RAS).
Every day, we’re inundated with information. A lot of it gets delegated to the RAS to figure out if it’s attention worthy. For example, when you decide you want a new hat, you activate the RAS to start alerting you to people wearing hats on the street, news about the latest hat trends, and current sales on hats.
Here’s how to effectively leverage your RAS for blog writing. Build out your blog topic calendar ahead of time (quarterly is ideal). With the topics determined, you’ll start finding helpful inputs in your day-to-day content surfing, incoming emails, or conversations.
<Related Resource: A totally possible plan: How content marketing gets done>
Hack #3: Know when to walk away.
One of my best blog writing tips comes into play after you’ve committed your brilliant insights to a first draft. Whatever you do, don’t move straight into editing and proofreading.
Close the file and do something else. Then, come back to what you’ve written with a fresh eye. If you can, pair it with Hack #1 and take a break for a day or two. This gives your brain a chance to disconnect a little bit.
Our brains are amazing. When you proofread something you’ve written, you tend to overlook typos because your brain sees what you meant, not necessarily what you typed. In a similar way, it’s hard to be a ruthless editor when your mind is still invested in the deep task of creating it. (Don’t worry, it’s not unusual to be a little in love with your first draft.)
By giving your brain a little distance before you put on your editing hat, you’ll be able to catch things you might miss if you move straight from writing to proofing. However, taking time in between isn’t always practical.
3 mini-hacks for when you need to trick your brain
When you have a deadline staring you in the face, it’s time to pull out some other hacks to trick your brain into seeing it differently.
- Read your blog post out loud. I use my laptop’s voice function. When I hear an expressionless, automated voice reading what I’ve written, opportunities to streamline sentences, add in missing words, or fix verb tenses jump out at me.
- Change up the font. By reading your post in a different font or on another device, you’ll spot where you want to swap out a word or fix punctuation.
- Bring in professional help. Sometimes the best way to get fresh eyes is to seek outside help. Resources like Grammarly or the Hemingway App are good options for both proofing and editing. If grammar isn’t one of your strengths, hiring a pro to do an editing pass provides a good return on the investment when your blog writing gets shared with your network, your network’s network, and so on.
<Related Resource: 6 annoying grammar goofs and how to stop making them>
Tap into your subconscious brain power to take your blog writing to the next level. And, when you’re in a pinch for a post, Write Hand Ann can help you blogstorm, write a post or two, or execute your blog plan end-to-end. Blog on!
