Help! We have writer's block. How do we start writing well?

You have lots of (let's say blog) ideas for your business and profession. You've considered your audience, your niche subject matter, how you'll publish, and the value your sincere and transparent writing will provide the world. You have even considered the benefits and drawbacks of starting a blog. And you're ready. Super ready. But. You just can't. Start. Writing. Here are some ideas that have helped me get over writer's block that I gave to my friend and colleague over Vietnamese soup today:

How to Make the Delicious, Spicy, Savory Writing Happen

1. Forget your audience. Sure, your target audience must be part of your content strategy, but thinking of who might read your words while you are writing them can be a screeching pen stopper. Just pretend no one will ever see what you're writing.
2. Find inspiration before you sit down to write. A bright white screen or sheet of paper is sure to wash away all ideas you thought you had. Go for a walk, sit quietly with your morning coffee and gaze out the window, or take a shower. Or try flipping through books or magazines. Let your mind wander through your ideas.
3. Once you have a thread of an idea, write it down immediately. Do not wait. Do not talk about it with friends or coworkers. Use a chopsticks wrapper if that's all you have handy. Just jot down whatever you have time for right that minute: trigger words, lists, sentences, or a whole stream of consciousness.
4. Don't stop to do research while you're writing your idea. If you can't think of a word or you need to research something, just write down what you need and circle it for later. Keep going.
5. Find a quiet uninterrupted space and rewrite or type your ideas in sentence form. Break up subideas with subtitles. Break up lists or steps with bullets and numbered lists.
6. Give it a rest, then do the scan test. Let it sit for some time (an hour, a day) and then scan the parts that stand out: titles, pictures, lists. Do they convey your idea? Busy people will only have time for these highlights. This post can help.

If you can't get past #2, consider hiring a ghost writer. You can tell him or her your ideas and have the first draft written for you. Sometimes having the idea down on paper is all you need to dig in and edit to make it yours. If you get to #6 and hate your writing, consider hiring an editor to help apply polish and clarity. If you do seek writing and editing help, here's how to find the right writer for you.

Additional Writing Resources

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

-- an old-school (read: before blogging) writing book that shows you how to dismiss the rules and create really good writing Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works (Interactive Technologies)