The level of difficulty of content writers’ job is beyond what non-writers know. There’s no fixed formula, no determined answer. There’s no cheatsheet, no cheat code. Everything that writers produce comes from their own heads, hearts, experiences and research. Obviously, it’s not easy to squeeze all these out and weave them together to come up with interesting and informative content for readers to read. Creativity has multiple sides, and all those sides are applied by writers to their pieces. On top of that, motivation and inspiration cannot be absent. Ideas won’t suffice without them.
Indeed, it’s hard to be a writer – let alone be a long-time writer. Just imagine yourself writing as a job everyday for years and years. It’s without a doubt exhausting and draining, that at some point, you’d think of quitting the profession. Human minds are amazing but are limited too. No matter how much information our brains can cater and absorb, it gets tired, too, and that affects your overall functioning.
But many content writers could not simply or easily leave their job for certain reasons. They know that it’s what they are best at. Writing is their passion, and they are sure of that. They have long-term dreams that start from where they are now. Financial needs keep them staying. Still and all, again, all these don’t erase the fact that a writer’s job is tough and back-breaking.
One of the biggest problems of long-serving content writers is the writer’s block that comes more often than in the early years of being in their job. Common are the times when they lack ideas or lose enthusiasm for writing, thus affecting the quality of the content they create. What’s more, it’s typical for experienced writers (even though they are already experienced) to have tendencies of repeating the same kind, message or feel of content. Written in 2 different years, but 2 different articles might sound very much alike. That’s due to the lengthy years of writing and to the mountainous written pieces produced and counting.
Can you relate? Check out these 6 tips to keep your content fresh if you are a long-time writer. It doesn’t matter if you belong to a creative agency or not, all these will help you!
1 – Talk about timely relevant topics.
Consider what people are talking about at the moment of writing. What subjects are being talked about in your country? What’s trending worldwide? Dive into discussing topics that are timely and relevant.
Do your research keenly. Share your thoughts about them, yet be very careful when speaking about controversial topics. If you’re brave enough to write about complex and debatable topics, you have to be very well informed about all their angles, and you must be a skillful writer to convey your message clearly, without loopholes.
Writing about timely topics will always give you fresh content. Especially if those subjects are really brand new to the world, or something not often talked about but is currently the talk of the town, you can come up with inventive ways to address them through writeups.
2 – Try different writing styles.
It’s quite easy to get bored and tired when you write in a similar way all the time. As years go by, try different writing styles. Aside from the one you are most comfortable in, try using another one. Explore other styles, even those you are afraid or hesitant to try for some reason.
After all, you might need to do an unfamiliar writing style in the future, depending on topics and writing approaches you have never employed yet before.
If you always write formally, practice writing like you are just casually talking to a friend. Use a friendly tone, as if you are simply enjoying a simple conversation with a buddy on a regular day. On the other hand, if you are focused on casual tones, aim to experience technical writing. Although you’d surely always choose friendly styles over complicated ones, it would be a good edge and a mind-sharpening exercise too!
3 – Share personal experiences.
In content writing, research is very important. Write nothing less than facts. Together with these, it’s also very nice to share your personal experiences. Give your personal input, while making sure they are relevant and won’t confuse your main topic.
What’s good about sharing your own experiences in your writing pieces is that your ideas flow freely and easily. They are yours, so you can convey them easier than anything else and better than anyone else can do. To boot, experiences are an interesting source of topic, which, when shared together, can make many different people relate with each other. They can connect diverse people and bring them into one familiarity.
People’s experiences never run out. Each day is a new opportunity to experience something, specifically new things, although not necessarily special, thus writing about or with personal experiences can never stop. You can always write something fresh!
4 – Be inspired by movies, series, etc.
What you are exposed to can help you think of what to write. Take inspiration from movies, series, vlogs, podcasts, books and anything you yourself find interesting. Your content might be exactly inspired by their topics, or it’s you who might be motivated to write whenever you feel drained and lacking ideas.
5 – Spot what most or many writers don’t tackle in typical topics.
With the amount of written content present offline and online, many writers do get exhausted, thinking what topic to talk about. It’s hard, really, and it keeps many of them from writing freshly!
What you should do when you experience this is to change your perspective. Stand from a different angle, and spot what most or many don’t tackle in typical topics. One common subject might have been discussed countless times already, but take a closer look. Think out of the box. Look beyond what the usual topics focus on. You will see something untouched or seldom opened, even if it’s something small. That would be a great starting point for something fresh and unique!
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OLD BUT NEW
It’s so easy for writers to get involuntarily or unknowingly pushed to create duplicative content when they have been writing for a very long time already and when ideas are not adequate. The job is totally not a piece of cake.
To keep your content fresh, unique and worth-reading, look around and look within. The job might be old for you, but you can always make something new!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nicole Ann Pore is a writer, an events host and a voice over artist. She finds quality and well-researched writing as a worthwhile avenue to enlighten and delight others about things that matter. For her, it’s restoring and fulfilling to the heart and a great way to clear the mind while loading it up with fresh learning. Film critiquing and filmmaking are among her interests too. Giving all the glory to God, Nicole graduated Cum Laude from De La Salle University Manila, Philippines with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts.
Nicole Ann Pore is a writer, an events host and a voice over artist. Quality and well-researched writing is her worthwhile avenue to enlighten and delight others about things that matter. She is a daytime writer for Orion Creative, a digital agency and design studio in Sydney, building greater possibilities for brands and businesses of all sorts. Nicole graduated Cum Laude from De La Salle University Manila, Philippines with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts.
