I’m not immune to the dreaded writer’s block.
That blank screen hits without discriminating — whether you write for a living or are just getting through the month with your to-do list of memos, emails, reports, and other critical documents.
What 14 Years of Writing Revealed
This year marks 14 years of monthly blogging, through rain, sunshine, health concerns and grief. When I started in 2012, I had no three-year, five-year or ten-year plans. I committed to blogging at least once a month because I foresaw that anything beyond the absolute minimum would be impractical.
The first months of blogging were giddy. I was passionate about communication, obsessed with researching and deepening my knowledge, and truly enjoyed exploring the topic. In the first year, I even published two articles monthly a few times. Then the years rolled by, and the weight of my writing discipline began to take its toll. Twelve years in, I began to panic as each month rolled by, and I had nothing to write — particularly if that month had been uneventful at work.
Now, I often find myself two days from the month’s end with no communication insight to tackle. The pressure is real because, from the outset, I committed to writing high-quality articles (which have earned this blog awards over the years), so writing mediocre pieces wasn’t acceptable.
Yet, each month, I deliver because I’ve developed a simple but effective system to ensure I have an idea, and eventually, an article to write. And that system begins with a one-liner from a renowned author.
Taking a Writing Cue from Hemingway
The simplest system I’ve found to be invaluable when staring at a blank screen or procrastinating writing comes from the timeless advice of author Ernest Hemingway:
Write the truest sentence you know.
That clear sentence becomes the path. Begin with what you know to be true based on your lived experience in specific contexts or accounts from others. All you need is an angle. Then you can proceed to structure and craft the inelegant ‘vomit draft-’ — that first messy, unpolished version that will make you cringe, but will still have vanquished your writer’s block.
Write the truest sentence you know.
– Ernest Hemingway
You’re not Hemingway, and in the workplace, you might have little to no time for creative writing. Still, to move from a blank screen to a complete first piece after deciding on your truest sentence, consider the following steps:
1) Write with the audience in mind
Business writing differs from creative writing because, in a professional context, you’re writing for a specific goal: to request, inform, direct, refute, persuade or change something.
Your communication will only be effective when it’s decoded accurately — when what you’re communicating matches what the audience understands — and it brings you closer to a goal. That effectiveness hinges on addressing the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) disposition of the audience. If your writing isn’t relevant and specific, no matter how well-written your piece is, AI-assisted or not, it won’t be actionable. For over 10 years, grading executive write-ups at the Lagos Business School (a Financial Times-ranked business institution), I’ve seen a problem resurface every year: Vague, irrelevant material diminishes professional credibility.
Your truest sentence becomes the foundation for your writing, while the 2-Step Writing Blueprint™ enables you to define your structure under tight constraints before ensuring granular clarity to amplify persuasiveness.
But to move your audience with your writing, you’ll need to adhere to the checklist below:
a) Tie your big idea to something that matters to the audience to trigger emotional responses, such as the fear of losing revenue or pride in retaining an elite status
Here is why this project is critical to your department…
b) Communicate the consequences of doing nothing using strong verbs
If we don’t overhaul our systems, our revenue will plummet 40% in two weeks.
c) Include a call to action with the rationale
We’re requesting $5,000 in emergency funds to curb x.
If you only remember one thing, ensure it’s this:
Your writing should always tackle the audience’s WIIFM angle. Nothing will shift until it does.
2) Embrace your style
This point might seem like overreaching when that blank page mocks you. But your truest sentence ensures you start writing. That’s the biggest hurdle. Once you write the first sentence, another will follow, and so will the third, fourth, and the next. Hemingway found that to be true, and so have I, having blogged for years and having written Influence & Thrive.
Even when you follow the standard rules of the semi-formal and formal registers and excellent grammar, there’s still room for your style to engage the reader. And it becomes your key differentiator because of the prevalence of AI-generated content. People now place a premium on ‘authentic’ content that triggers emotions. Online, many proudly declare their writing as AI-free. You may not be averse to using AI to brainstorm and polish. But soulless writing, without your unique style or nuance, damages your writing, because, fair or not, it will be judged as AI slop.
Therefore, whether you’re writing an article, an email, a board memo, or a company social media post, embrace your style within professional conventions. Even using simpler words and cutting fluff mirrors how humans communicate, making your writing more relevant, persuasive, and distinguishable from AI-generated writing.
Cases in point:
Writing in the semi-formal register (100% ‘human’)
Let’s put this issue in context:
Competitor X’s incident should have served as a cautionary tale highlighting the consequences of delayed action. But we didn’t act quickly, and that delay has cost our hard-earned reputation. However, all hope isn’t lost. After analysing our data, we’ve provided three recommendations to mitigate the damage — but only if we move boldly within the next 72 hours.
Writing in the semi-formal register, AI-mode (100% Gemini-generated: inappropriate casual register, colloquial phrasing, and weak ownership)
Let’s take a look at the bigger picture here. It’s clear that Competitor X’s situation was meant to be a wake-up call about what happens when you wait too long to move. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to pivot fast enough, and that’s definitely taken a toll on the reputation we’ve worked so hard to build.
But don’t worry, it’s not all bad news. After we took a deep dive into the data, we’ve come up with three key recommendations to help fix the situation. Just keep in mind that these will only work if we can get things moving within the next 72 hours.
Writing in the formal register (100% ‘human’)
We have placed this problem in context:
Competitor X’s incident should have served as a cautionary tale, highlighting the consequences of inaction. However, we failed to act quickly. As a result, the reputation we have carefully built over the years has been damaged. The issue notwithstanding, we have analysed our data and provided three critical recommendations we must adopt within the next 72 hours to mitigate the impact.
Writing in the formal register, AI-mode (100% ChatGPT-generated: wordy, weak urgency, and non-existent relational warmth)
This issue has been reviewed in context:
The incident involving Competitor X reflects the potential risks associated with delayed responses in similar situations. An appropriate response was not fully executed at the relevant time, which has contributed to reputational impact over time.
Following a review of the available data, several key recommendations have been identified for consideration. These recommendations may be reviewed and implemented within a 72-hour timeframe, where appropriate, in order to help address and potentially mitigate the current impact.
Bottom line:
Your ‘human’ writing voice is your advantage when pitted against AI impersonal narratives. Your unique style differentiates your writing from others, connects with your audience, and gets your results.
Conclusion
The next time you’re staring at a blank screen, first follow Hemingway’s advice by starting with the truest sentence you know. Then structure your writing, frame your piece for the audience’s needs, and embrace your style.
These simple tactics are repeatable and work across different business writing contexts.
A blank screen or page need not remain blank.
Note:
We’re refining the Global 4-Domain Communication Skills Rating Tool™ for the commercial launch. Join the waitlist to be notified when it launches in Q2 2026.
In the meantime, please email Lucille@LucilleOssai.com if you’d like me to speak at your event or design and deliver communication coaching and training programmes for your organisation.
——————————————————————
N.B: First image is courtesy of Bongkarn Thanyakij via Pixabay. The second image is courtesy of Pete Linforth via Pixabay. The last image is courtesy of Markus Winkler via Pixabay.