I feel your pain, my friend. And that pain is called “writer’s block.”

You’ve set aside a large chunk of time to write (which was probably a miracle in itself).

You’ve set your writing space up perfectly. You have your coffee, your silence and your fully functioning computer (another miracle).

You sit down to start writing and … you got nothing.

You try taking a few minutes to think and brainstorm. You walk around the house a bit and then try again. You try freewriting to get your creative juices flowing.

But every word you type is like wrangling a chew toy out of the mouth of your hyperactive bulldog. 

That, my friend, is called writer’s block.

I hear about it all the time in Facebook groups I’m a part of for writers, entrepreneurs and bloggers. It’s like a horrible flu we all hope we don’t get but definitely will—and it will take you down.

But the answer I want to offer for your writer’s block is not the answers you’ll find in your Facebook groups. I’m not going to tell you to make a mind map or take a brisk walk or do some word association.

Those don’t solve your real problem with writer’s block.

After all, the only thing worse than not knowing what to write is writing something your audience doesn’t care about.

You can brainstorm and free write until you’re worn to the bone, but it won’t actually help you if you’re writing the wrong thing.

The best cure I can give you for writer’s block is simply this:

Find out what your audience wants.

You don’t have a hobby blog. You have a business blog. That means you aren’t writing for yourself. Rather, you’re writing for someone else. This isn’t about you; it’s about your audience.

So stop thinking about what you want to write and start thinking about what your audience needs.

Here are some questions to get you thinking:

1. What was the last question someone in your audience asked you regarding your area of expertise?
2. What was the last time you witnessed someone in your audience make a mistake that you knew you had the answer to?
3. What are some fears your audience has expressed in their comments, reviews, questions or conversations with you?
4. What are some goals your clients have and what are the best strategies to reach them?
5. What are some objections or mental blocks people have that keep them from purchasing your product? 
6. What is something you’ve seen your audience get confused about?
7. What are some tools or apps you use to make your job and life easier that your audience would care about?
8. What is a transformation you’ve gone through that has revolutionized your business and could help your clients?
9. What success have you seen one of your clients have after purchasing your product? Tell their story. (This doesn’t have to be overly salesy. Just tell the story and focus on the mindset shifts and strategies they used to be successful.)
10. What mistake have you made recently and what did you learn from it?

How to Find the Answers to These Questions

Some of these questions you can answer all on your own because they’re based on your experience, but others—not so much.

For questions that relate directly to your audience, the best place to get answers is their own mouths. Or hands, I suppose.

Look at their comments online. Read the reviews they leave for your products or services or content. Listen to their complaints. You can even try calling them!

The point is: listen. Listen to the words they’re saying. And then listen to the words underneath what they’re saying.

I’m not trying to sound mystical when I say that. The words we say are fueled by motives. And sometimes those motives aren’t as blatant as we think they are. 

Sometimes we don’t even know our own motives!

Proverbs 18:4 says that “the words of a man’s mouth are deep waters” (ESV). 

Sometimes—dare I say, oftentimes—we have to look beyond the surface of people’s words and ask ourselves why they said that. What pain or desire is fueling their remarks?

Why is this homeschooling mom frustrated with her kids and their school? Is it because she feels like they don’t obey her? If so, why is that? Is she overwhelmed by the chaos in her home? Is her fourth-grader struggling to learn to read?

Sometimes we don’t have enough information to go on and may struggle to find the accurate motives behind a person’s words. 

But it’s always important to ask and search and ponder. 

Jesus did this so many times! When Nicodemus came to Jesus in the middle of the night and told Him he believed God was with Him, Jesus didn’t respond with a mere “Oh, gee, thanks Nicodemus. I appreciate your vote of confidence.”

Instead, Jesus immediately touched on the secret need in Nicodemus’ heart. He told him: “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

As someone who is keenly aware of how my words and actions might make other people feel, Jesus’ response makes me feel all sorts of awkward. 

But it shouldn’t, because Jesus knew the real reason Nicodemus came to Him. In the middle of the night. With a seemingly random, not-so-popular compliment.

Jesus heard the words. He saw the underlying motive. And He offered a solution to the real need.

As a Jesus-focused business owner, you aren’t just giving clients what they say they want. You’re looking past the words and giving them what they really need. And if that makes you afraid, then maybe it’s time to start doing things afraid.

So let’s try this again.

Find your quiet spot. Get your fully functioning computer. Set aside your time for deep work. And start typing.

This time, watch the words start flowing and say goodbye to writer’s block.