We're talking about writer's block in this short article. And how you can beat it before it beats you.

The best place to start is to figure out what is causing blank page syndrome. Or perhaps we should call it "blank screen syndrome" these days because you're probably tapping out your articles on a keyboard with a computer screen in front of you.

1) BEWARE OF PERFECTIONISM

With this mindset, you only want to produce perfect stuff. It must be a masterpiece of literature or you won't release it.

That first sentence must be just right. So you reject all those half-dribbled opening lines while you wait for perfection to descend upon your keyboard. Sorry, it probably won't happen.

Write twaddle if you have to - but start writing. Just do it.

If you cant write twaddle, bang out some codswallop.

2) AVOID EDITING WHEN YOU SHOULD BE COMPOSING

Experts in brainstorming tell us to just keep up the flow of ideas. Let 'em flow. Do nothing to stop them.

Don't evaluate anything.

Don't correct anything.

Don't stifle anything.

Just let the creative stuff flow out of you onto the screen.

For now it doesn't matter a fig if it's A-grade garbage.

Let it flow.

Certainly don't reject any idea. Just keep the ideas flowing like an uncapped gusher.

The critiquing and editing process comes later, after the brainstorming session has been completed. That's how brainstorming sessions are supposed to work. All the crazy off the wall ideas are captured and written down.

Do the same with your writing.

Write twaddle if you need to - but start writing. Dont do any editing for now - leave that till later on.

3) HOW TO GET STARTED WHEN YOU CANT GET STARTED

Why is it that the first sentence always seems the hardest? To folks with writer's block, it does.

Write mindless drivel for your first sentence if you have to. You can always delete it later.

ONE SOLUTION that works for me is to think of the writing task like replying to an email. Emails are so temporary - they are not intended to be works of art. They are designed to quickly get a bit of info to somebody. They're not submissions to the Literary Prize Department. They're just you quickly dash out to say what has to be said.

Here's how the "pretend it's an email" trick works. I imagine my buddy has written asking me a question and I want to dash off a quick but helpful answer. Something like

"Hi John. Got your email, thanks. In my experience, the best way to get rid of those pesky aphids from your rose bushes is..."

And you're away.

No drama.

No performance pressure.

No thought that you are writing the next Great American Novel.

It's just a quick email.

And the main thing is... you've started writing. Come back to it later and do the needed editing - and you're ready to publish.

ANOTHER SOLUTION that also works for me is to just start out by saying I dont know what to say. Something like...

"i dont know what to say so i am just typing rubbish here. my article is supposed to be about how to pick a family friendly puppy but i havent a clue about what to say first of all. i wonder what sort of things parents would be thinking about as they head off to the pet shop..."

Okay. If you just delete the first useless sentence and tidy the rest up a little bit, this would be okay. Your opening paragraph might turn out something like this...

"This article is about how to pick a family friendly puppy. What sort of things should parents be thinking about as they head off to the pet shop?"

And then you're into it. Let the conversation flow. Start answering the question and you're in business. Pretty soon your article has almost written itself. Congratulations!

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Now is the best time in history for small businesses, because of the Internet. You can reach customers anywhere in the world from your living room. All you need is an idea and a Web site. But you don't know how to make a Web site--yet!

There are other big changes happening as well. For example, job security isn't what it once was. Fewer companies are offering benefits, and the ones that do are charging for them. With all this considered, perhaps you'd like to start a Web site to earn some money. Perhaps you'd even like it to become your mainstay.

There's a hurdle first: you don't know how to make a Web site. You may think a Web site costs a lot. So you haven't done anything.

Making a Web site is easy for novices these days. There are plenty of Internet businesses set up to create a template Web site, so you don't even have to learn HTML. But there's a drawback--without HTML, you don't know what you need to know to manage your Web site! You will need to know at least a bit of this formatting language for Web sites. As Webmaster you will need to add affiliate links and shopping carts, not to mention clickable ads, if you want your site to earn money.

Learn HTML? Isn't that like learning a programming language? Isn't it hard? The answer is, no it isn't really a programming language. It's a formatting language. And it's really not hard at all. The basic principles are very simple. Here's another bonus for you: you don't need to know very much HTML at all to do what you need to for a simple Web site.

You will need to use Web site creation software. There are basically three alternatives for you: Macromedia Dreamweaver, which is several hundred dollars; Microsoft Front Page, which costs around $100; and Nvu, which is free. Nvu is open source software, originally part of Netscape-that browser that was a competitor to Internet Explorer in what seems like the distant past now. Open-source software is publicly available software that is maintained by programmers on their own time, usually because they want to provide us with an alternative to Microsoft.

Web hosting is something else you will need that can be costly if you are not careful. Web hosting is renting space on a server. Hosting companies offer fancy solutions for big bucks, and also simple solutions for little money. If you buy both Web hosting and domain registration from the same company, you may get a better deal. Domain registration is reserving your domain name, such as www.mywebsite.com. In fact, you can probably find companies that offer both for as little as $25 per year for a simple Web site. Open a search engine and type in "cheap domain hosting" and see what you find!

E-books are becoming more and more common. When you buy an ebook, you are paying for the information in it, pure and simple. In fact, that's all it is, information. You have to provide the printer if you want a hard copy. E-books are popular because they provide information instantly--something that folks in our culture are happy to pay for. In fact, you may be able to find an e-book on how to use Nvu.