Don’t let any good ideas go to waste with these tips.
Writer’s block.
Everyone who’s set up a blog and written several articles fairly quickly will know the feeling of getting stuck in trying to consistently present helpful and valuable information to a worldwide audience.
A few negative comments, a point about your latest article not being as good as the one you made a couple of weeks ago, make you doubt yourself.
In addition, life getting in the way can lead to abandoning your dream of becoming a successful freelance writer in your niche.
For the non-crypto crowd reading this, most of this information can be readily tailored to your subject matter.
Let’s begin.
Handling the criticism and boosting your confidence
The loudest critics in life are often those who have never done the job at hand.
That is to say, judgy pieces of work that pounce at any opportunity to (and get a kick out of) putting you down.
There’s a word for it: schadenfreude.
Many armchair critics rarely make mistakes because they refuse to put themselves out there.
How do we handle these people? You can disregard them or use that criticism (valid or otherwise) as motivation to do better and spite them.
That’s worked for me over the decades, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
Actions speak louder than words. If you want to get back at people, make progress, be modest, and continue.
Ignoring them is easier said than done, but you’ll get the hang of it after a while.
“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And the most important, is to have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”
[Stanford University commencement speech, 2005]” ― Steve Jobs
Some would say, “kill ‘em with kindness,” but they’re not worthy of that, let alone any attention.
I prefer the FAFO approach, i.e., “F$ck around and find out” for the uninitiated.
I see their criticism as a motivator to push your limits, be fearless about putting yourself out there, and learn from your mistakes and those of others.
However, another form of criticism is worth acknowledging, leading me to my next point.
– Embrace constructive criticism, especially from those who’ve made it
It’s rare to find people ace it from the get-go and become an instant success.
Those who’ve made it have endured extensive periods of pain, grit, self-doubt, and various forms of constructive criticism.
Take note of the most successful writers on a given platform and never stop learning, which is the case in a rapidly evolving (fin)tech sector like this.
Put pen on paper
“Verba volant, scripta manent”
(“Spoken word fly away, written words remain” – Latin proverb)
Do you have an idea that comes up suddenly at 2 a.m.? Write it down, either on paper or on your phone. Even a few quick notes as a reminder can make a difference.
Get the information on paper ASAP. Otherwise, you’ll likely forget it, which will cost you more time and energy by forcing you to rethink and remember what comes to mind.
*As blue light emitted from smartphones and other screens can interfere with sleep, don’t take notes too long on your phone or laptop (or get a good blue-light filter that works)…and don’t neglect quality sleep.
Staying on top of trending topics, macroeconomics and (related) political news
Regularly following crypto news outlets and mainstream media to understand macroeconomics will help you produce new material.
Every year, new narratives pop up in this sector (DePIN, RWAs, SocialFi, AI agents, etc.), and some existing ones stick around, evolve or are slightly tweaked to keep people interested (DeFi, memecoins, NFTs).
You can also cover significant milestones and major crypto announcements, such as the launch of spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs last year, BTC hitting $100K, hype surrounding a strategic Bitcoin/crypto reserve and more optimism for this space with a new pro-crypto administration.
It’s important to be savvy about political coverage in this space, considering it’s a highly divisive topic. Be impartial and feature it in moderation. I’m here to analyse crypto, not politics.
Always think ahead for new topics and pay attention to these trending ideas. Don’t obsess over perfecting an article, particularly when it involves time-sensitive information, which is common in crypto.
Spread the good word
Self-promotion isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but you’ve gotta let others know about what you’re writing.
This involves a lot of marketing and networking, which is a work in progress for me.
Follow those who’ve made it, and they’ll tell you the same thing.
Here’s a blast from the past, which still holds water.
“In a time of exploding choice and unpredictable change, marketing—the new marketing—is the answer…But the real solution, of course, is not more marketing but better marketing.”
Regis McKenna, Marketing is Everything, Harvard Business Review, January – February 1991
If you hate dealing with marketing and other promotional aspects of your writing work, consider outsourcing tasks where practical so you can focus on what you excel at.
Get on different platforms to promote your work, including various social media services. As per writing on several mediums, I generally stick to Medium (I’ve had issues with Substack’s spam filter, so I’ve barely interacted with it).
LinkedIn has grown in popularity recently for freelancers seeking a more business and network-oriented crowd.
However, I would refrain from spreading yourself too thin. In addition to regularly posting on these websites, you’ll often need to establish and maintain interactions with readers to gain significant traction.
Then there’s the algorithm. Don’t just take my word for it.
https://medium.com/write-a-catalyst/heres-why-you-need-to-stop-writing-on-substack-0e8554e6c562
Ask yourself whether publishing and remaining active on other blog hosting services is worthwhile.
Be creative and let the ideas flow
If you’re stuck on ideas, focus on other things for a day or two.
We’re humans, not robots. We have to make time to look after our health.
While you’re at it, go for a walk. This often helps clear your mind and lets you focus on the topic(s) you should address in upcoming pieces.
Another tactic is to start an article, put aside your draft and focus on another topic that comes to mind.
If you don’t overdo this and complete the original article “in due course” (subjective, I know), it shouldn’t interfere too much with your workflow.
This works for me, but I imagine others frown upon it because they insist it adversely affects productivity. What do you think?
Concluding thoughts
Besides keeping the algorithm happy by consistently posting relevant and insightful content (which many discuss ad nauseam…and you get the gist), listening to your target audience is also important.
To promote your work and contribute to this space, read articles from other writers covering similar topics and leave meaningful comments. This will help boost your exposure and provide fresh insights for others.
What tactics do you use to help overcome writer’s block and remain motivated to keep writing good material? Leave your thoughts below.
P.S. As an extra tip, invest in a good computer and reliable high-speed Internet to boost your productivity.
Since 2022, this has been a game changer for me, especially with upgrading my Internet connection (despite Australia’s reputation for atrocious fixed broadband Internet speeds, my case is an exception to the rule).
A great article about how to make it as a successful writer:
Featured image by Pixels Hunter at Shutterstock.