What's this blog thing, and how do I do it? - Article

I found this witty gem of an article a while back and fell in love.  Writing prompts, free writing, and other mini exercises are great tools for banishing writer's block and this author has some great tips!  As always, below are some of my favorite parts, but you should really check out the whole article.

Productivity Hacks For Blogging And Other Writing
by: Steve Maurer

A personal blog is another excellent outlet for creative writing.
Here are some other writer's block tips that friends and colleagues have proffered:

• Take a walk, go for a drive or do anything that doesn't involve writing. I've tried it and it really works.
• Start your article . . . yesterday! If I know what I'm going to be writing the next day, I'll start a new document. When I open it in the morning, I've got a head start. 
• A change of venue helps as well. Going to a café, the library or even the picnic table in my yard often brings renewed energy, perspective and focus.

Put procrastination in its place
Keep a calendar. It's not that hard.  You need to keep a calendar if you want to hack this procrastination thing. Use it for setting appointments; but more importantly, for setting deadline reminders.

Here are some quick tips to increase your productivity when working from home:

• Put on your writer's uniform: I have some very specific clothes that I wear for writing. Donning my writer's clothes transforms me into "Super Writer Man," even though I don't wear a billowing cape.
• Have an office: Now, it doesn’t need to be anything fancy. But you really should have a dedicated location where your writing lives. And you should make it sacred ground.
• Keep an "inspiration net" handy: Inspiration flutters by without warning. Are you ready for it? Keep a notebook, digital recorder or even your smartphone handy wherever you go.
• The most important productivity hack of all time
  Read.
  Read a lot.
  Read everything and anything you can get your hands on.