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Every new skill that you take on learning has some challenging aspects to it. When you start to write articles for article marketing, one thing you'll start to learn is how to write articles on a consistent basis over the long term.

Writing is a discipline and a skill, and even if you feel like you aren't particularly disciplined or skilled, you can still have article marketing success. There are all sorts of writing tips and productivity strategies that you can try. Here are a few that I have found helpful:

1 - Incorporate your article marketing campaign with your blog. Look at your blog for article topics. You can use the main points of a blog post as an outline for creating a new article.

2 - Sleep on your topic. Once you have an idea for your topic, lie down for a while and let the idea of your topic roll around in your mind. Let your mind relax, and take a nap. When you awake, you may notice fresh inspiration for your topic. There have been some studies that show that napping stimulates creativity.

3 - Set a goal, any goal. Just working on one article at a time with no end in sight can be daunting. It helps to have a goal that you can shoot for. You can aim for a specific number of articles each week or focus on a writing a certain amount of time, such as 30 minutes a day.

4 - If you get stalled at a certain point when writing your article, and you can't figure out how to go forward, try reading your article from the start all the way through to the point where you stopped, and you'll be more likely to know how to continue.

5 - Write from an article outline. Your outline doesn't need to be formal-- you can start by jotting down main points that you want to cover in your article, and then fill in the information. It is much easier to write when you aren't starting with a blank page. Jotting down notes is a very effective way to get an article rolling.

6 - Try writing in the morning. Many professional writers are early morning writers. The say that their minds are freshest before the distractions of the day are upon them, and the early morning is often the quietest time of day as well. Experiment with writing at other times that are quiet in your household--late at night or after the kids have gone to school.

7 - Think about your general topic, and break it into sub-topics. Use the sub-topics as a guide to brainstorming article ideas. For instance, you can make it a goal to write 2 articles a month on sub-topic A, 2 articles a month of sub-topic B, etc.

8 - Pay attention to the questions that your customers ask you. If one person asks, it's likely that others have the same problem as well. Write articles to address those questions.

9 - Change your work location. Instead of working from your office, go to a coffee house, the library or a book store. The new location can help you focus and stir up your creativity.

10 - Organize your desk. A messy workspace can make you feel overwhelmed. The clutter reminds you of everything you need to do but haven't done, and that can create anxiety about your work and your writing. If you're feeling burnt out on writing, try making your desk as neat and clutter-free as possible.

11 - Put your office in the quietest spot you can find. Maybe it's a garage with no windows or an attic closet. Writing requires concentration, and distractions can come from sounds (people talking, traffic noise, etc) and also from objects that cause your mind to stray. Many professional writers try to make their offices as remote and as plain (bare) as possible.

12 - Use your headphones to block out any unwanted sounds. You could listen to your favorite music or even try listening to "white noise" to insulate against a noisy environment.

13 - Don't give up on the idea of writing just because you don't feel like it. Writing when you're not feeling up to par or "in the mood" can actually be a benefit. You're more likely to be relaxed, to not be so concerned about "getting it right", and you may try writing on aspects of your niche that you wouldn't have otherwise.

14 - Warm up your hands and your mind before beginning to write your article. For 3 minutes typing anything, even if it doesn't make sense. At the end of that time, you'll have an easier time writing.

15 - Create a pre-writing ritual to help you get in the mood to write. You may have the ritual of having a cup of coffee and reading the morning paper. Maybe your ritual will include taking a shower or going on a walk before sitting down to write. Keep your ritual short though--it's just supposed to prepare you mentally for the act of writing.

If you're feeling challenged to write articles on a regular basis, go through this list and try each one. You may develop some powerful writing habits that serve you for a lifetime. Many of these tips are ones that professional writers use to make the writing process easier. Even if you're not a professional writer (and most people doing article marketing aren't), you can still easily incorporate these tips into your writing.