Overcoming Writer's Block

Chuck Keller is Owner of Keller Proposal Development and Training
and President of ProposalCafe.com

(excerpt from Proposal Writing: The Art of Friendly and Winning Persuasion)

So far, this chapter has centered on analyzing your readers and writing the proposal to meet their needs. What about the needs of the writer who is faced with a problem that even the best proposal writer can face: writer’s block, or the inability to begin or sustain a writing assignment? The following tips can help you start and then keep the words flowing.

Tip #1: Follow your outline and storyboard.

Use the outline and storyboard to get you moving at the outset—and keep you moving—by listing details that will form the basis of your writing.

Tip #2: Write quickly.

Force yourself to write quickly. Don’t worry about errors in word choice, grammar, or mechanics; just get as much material written as you can. Writers can slow themselves down when they dwell on every word, trying to create perfect copy during the drafting stage. Reserve that penchant for perfection for the editing process (assuming that perfection is ever attainable).

Tip #3: Write in any sequence.

Don’t feel compelled to write in the order the information occurs in the outline. Instead, start writing the body sections that you feel most inclined to write; then later piece the draft together.

Tip #4: If you can’t write, at least note what you intend to write.

If you know what you want to write but don’t have all the details or can’t adequately express yourself, at least summarize in text what you plan to write and what details you will present. This step can provide you with a springboard for more detailed writing later.

Tip #5: Write overview segments later.

Write overview segments after you complete the detailed portions of the proposal they summarize. Only after you have fleshed out these portions based on your outline are you ready to write the important beginning and ending sections that are often not outlined, such as the introduction and conclusion. Without the details, it can be very difficult to write an overview. (An exception is the executive summary, which as described in Chapter 6 can be started early.)

Tip #6: Take a break.

When the words aren’t flowing and you feel like you’re wasting your time even trying, stop and resume the effort later. A break—for a few minutes or few hours—can do wonders for your creative writing juices. (Unfortunately, because of an impending proposal deadline, your break might be shorter than you would prefer.) You can also polish your writing by going back later to edit and proofread your draft.

Tip #7: Use a thesaurus.

Use a thesaurus when you want more variety in your choice of words or if you’re stymied looking for just the right word to express yourself.

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