Don’t Let Writer’s Block Ruin Your Essay
What do you imagine when you hear “writer’s block”? A playwright smoking nervously in front of an old-fashioned typewriter, balled-up papers littering the floor around the desk? That’s what most of us see. However, you don’t have to be a writer to experience writer’s block. You don’t even have to write that much. Writer’s block is not a burnout. It’s not a creativity crisis. Anyone can experience it when they have to write some text but for one reason or another freeze before the blank page, unable to construct one coherent sentence.
Many students who turn to PaperWriting know about writer’s block all too well – and we know how to help them! Here is what you can do when the writer’s block is ruining your essay.
Ask yourself “why”?
This must be an earnest inquiry and an honest answer. You see, this is not about you being lazy. This is about you not wanting to do this particular task. Are you bored out of your wits with the topic? Are you afraid your work will not be perfect? Are you anticipating sharp criticism of your instructor? Maybe you just tired and your brain needs a break?
By identifying your problem, you set yourself on the path to its solution. Depending on the initial roadblock you may choose one of the following strategies to cope with it.
Find more information
Maybe you feel uncertain about writing because your research isn’t complete. If you don’t have a full picture, it’s hardly surprising, you cannot make assumptions and draw conclusions. If you believe that your block is caused by lack of information, go and get it!
Sometimes the topic is so unexplored that information is scarce. Don’t be afraid to visit your instructor during their office hours and ask if they can recommend some sources. Ask your librarian – they don’t know everything, but they sure know where to look.
Make an outline
Sometimes you have done so much research that it hinders you. Your mind is overwhelmed with facts and ideas buzzing inside. When you sit down and get ready to write they all rush in to be the first one and trample each other. This is very confusing and frustrating. However, this can be helped.
Make an outline of all the important things that must be in your essay. Jot down some curious facts you want to include. Don’t try to write an essay just now – make brief notes with keywords. This way you will structure the material in your head. Every fact will now know its place and you will find it easy to elaborate on your key statements.
Break it down
Sometimes students are stunned by the sheer magnitude of the task. If you ever had to shoulder one hundred and fifty pages of a dissertation, I bet you felt helpless looking at a blinking cursor mocking you from the blank page. It’s okay! You don’t have to do it all in one go. Break it down into reasonable portions. This way the task won’t be as intimidating.
As Mark Twain once wrote, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one”.
Write and edit
Sometimes the block haunts perfectionists who feel very uncomfortable about their work being anything less than flawless. They generally have a tough time being assessed. If someone made sharp comments about your writing before or you know that your instructor is very demanding, you may feel anxious and uncertain whether you are able to meet the requirements. Colleges with competitive student culture tend to make such insecurities even worse.
If this is your case then the only possible option is just to write. Don’t attempt to nail a perfect entering sentence in your first draft. Just share your ideas. You can always revise and edit the text. As Margaret Atwood said, “If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word”.
