Build Your Writing Muscles in 5 Simple Steps

Anyone who has ever made a commitment to working out (and who hasn’t) knows that the biggest barrier is often getting started.
 
You procrastinate (been there). You make mental deals with yourself (done that). You conjure all the reasons why tomorrow would be a way better day to get at it (trust me, tomorrow can turn into next year).   
 
Yet if you scrap the excuses and take that first step, everything starts to flow. 
 
The same can be said for writing. Land on a solid lead, and away you go. 
 
Here are five ways to make it happen. 
 
1. Write your best headline: If you’re experiencing writer’s block, one way to get unstuck is to come up with your best headline and then write your lead to fit it. You may ultimately end up with a better headline after the piece is done. But coming up with a working headline at the beginning of the process can help get you rolling.  
 
2. Forget your notes: Reading and re-reading your interview and research notes seems like a logical place to get your mojo going. But it can also sometimes be a barrier. A better move can be to put your notes away and focus on what’s sticking in your mind. 
 
3. Look for the hook: When you do delve into your notes, avoid the deep dive and do a fast scan for something that catches your attention. It may be a unique way an interview subject said something or an anecdote or quote that lingers with you or evokes emotion. If it’s interesting to you, it’s likely to be interesting to others. 
 
4. Try a play on cliché: The conventional writer advice is to avoid cliches at all costs. But you can sometimes use cliches to your advantage. A clever twist on a familiar phrase can tee up your story and catch reader interest.  
 
5. Just do it: No sage advice here. Just a nod to the exercise analogy that if you can take that first step and power through you increase your chances of unearthing a solid lead. Worst case, you end up knowing how you don’t want to start the story.