The more you write, the greater your impact. If that’s true, why do so many authors find it difficult to start writing or completing the articles they started?

Either you accept the perception of writer’s block or you accept the perception that it is easy for you to enter and exit a state of effortless flow (some call it the alpha state of mind) or the zone when writing. It is always a choice and therefore you set yourself up for failure or runaway success.

Here are 7 strategies that can help you achieve the flow zone when it comes to writing your best work:

1) Intentionally create and control your writing environment. This may include having the right clothes on or off, the right music or the complete lack of it, the perfect temperature you like to write in, your favorite chair or desk, and the right amount of lighting or darkness.

2) Time management: This includes being free for blocks of time without distractions or interruptions from friends, family, coworkers, or whoever. You have permission not to answer the phone and it is also okay to turn off the ringer. It’s also okay not to check email, voicemail, your PDA, … anything.

3) Try to cancel the hours when you are beyond tired. Generally wise advice is to write only when you are at your best mental state … but glorious works have been created by burning the midnight oil. Consider trying to write a block of time that you normally would have lain on.

4) Prepare and invest in the best writing tools. If you want to create great works, you must have the best tools. This can include a fast computer, broadband internet for faster research, a large flat screen monitor to make it easy on the eyes, and Microsoft Word.

5) Create an anchor to get into state. This is NLP or self-anchoring if you like, but you must have something you do, say, think, touch, or execute to instantly put yourself in the flow state that lets your best work come out. Imagine the last time you were flowing and writing effortlessly. That is where you want to put your mind to start writing.

6) Pre-write your path to success the day before entering the zone. This means freely writing ideas and thoughts about what you are going to write in the future so that your unconscious mind can organize the thoughts for you. The creativity in you will often mentally pre-write all the works for you or at least help you outline your main points so that it will be easy when you start to write physically.

7) Eliminate negative self-talk and mental chatter if you want to enter and stay in the zone. Deny yourself the reward you normally get from negative self-talk and be open to the possibility of allowing yourself to focus on the purpose of your writing. This is a time to let your ego take hold. If necessary, meditate for a minute or two to focus on your breathing and stop the chattering. Raise your standards and only allow positive self-talk to keep your writing on target.

Conclusion:

You can consciously choose to enter the creative writing flow state and it takes a conscious effort to set yourself up for success. This includes controlling your environment, writing beforehand, having the right tools to get the job done, and only allowing your mental internal dialogue to lead you to positive questions that result in a creative release from your best written work. Decide and then run to increase your creative writing volume in the Zen state of the creative writing flow.