It’s March and we all know that that is – National Reading Month! Whether you read a little or a lot, there’s so much we can learn by reading. I’m currently reading Hypnotic Writing: How to Seduce and Persuade Customers with Only Your Words by Joe Vitale.

Not something I would usually read “for fun”, but he offers a lot of helpful tips for blogging and writing in general:

• Repeat, repeat, repeat. The best writers can get their point across through repetition without sounding boring.
• Sprinkle in a little intimacy in your writing. Your readers want to know why they should be reading your blog, book, etc. Don’t make it all about yourself and take the time to help them out.
• Imitation is the best form of flattery. Comedians “borrow” jokes from their heroes. Athletes watch footage of sports legends. What’s wrong with aiming high? You’ll develop a style that is uniquely your own.
• Drunk as a sailor? As fit as a fiddle? As mad as a hatter? Use similes sparingly. Maybe, you can come up some more interesting ones.
• Don’t aim for perfection: If you edit too much and scrutinize the details, your work won’t have the same feeling that you originally intended it to. Don’t be too harsh on yourself but instead, try the best you can and then move on.

What are you currently reading? Have any recommendations?

Here are some tips to help you get unstuck:

Use pictures
Who likes reading chunks of text without white space or pictures? If your blog features text on end, you’re just asking to put readers to sleep. Many sites feature inspirational photos, just look into some in the field you’re interested in. If you’re into fashion, Polyvore is great to help you visualize things. Flickr and DeviantART are also useful for general purposes.

Get inspiration
Go for a walk, listen to some of your old favorite tracks, or just pick a nice place to do some people watching. You’ll be surprised at the things you come across. Sometimes, it just helps to step away from the keyboard and clear your mind. If that doesn’t help, it’s time to do some reading. Subscribe to some  interesting blog feeds. It just helps keeping up with the current news. Some of my go to sites: Technorati, LA Times, Wired and even movie quotes!

Keep notes

Throughout the day, you may come across many things that would make for an interesting topic. Did you see a stupid commercial or bite into a raw hamburger? Why not write about it? Subtle insight and your personal experiences make the best topics. Instead of tweeting every single thought that comes to your mind, take note of some good ones. You don’t have to spend a lot of time thinking about it, but just pick some that you would like to elaborate on. Good luck in your blogging adventures! As for me… I just found a way to get over my own blogger’s block.