Ever begin to write a paper and draw a blank? Or have been on your second body paragraph of an essay and begin to be filled with the frustration of running out of ideas? As a writer and English major I experience "writer's block" very frequently when it comes to writing essays or college papers, so I will share some of my secrets of dealing with this issue.
Sometimes writer's block occurs because it's simply not the right time to be writing. Some write best in the early morning, some the afternoon, some write at night, or find that they write best when under pressure. Another contributing factor to writer's block is fear of imperfection. For me, I become very hesitant and reluctant to even begin writing, if I feel that my ideas and thoughts won't be what my professor is looking for. Sometimes, I feel that I know what I want to write about perfectly in my head, but when I begin to start on paper, it's just not right.
When I have any ideas for a paper I am going to be writing, I jot down everything that comes to mind on whatever I have near me, which is usually a sticky-note, napkin, or even a receipt. I have what I like to call "voices in my head" that are constantly talking to me spitting out ideas, so in order to not forget them, I write them down on whatever is in front of me. However, when I begin to write my papers on those ideas I sometimes draw a blank, which is extremely frustrating because these voices blurt out ideas all day until the time I actually need them to.
When beginning to write, it is important to minimize all distractions as well, meaning shut your tv off and tell your friends to get out of the room because it's time for you to be with yourself and your writing. The first thing I do when I get stuck is move on to something else. I save my work, open another folder and begin working on another task. I then go back to it later, when my mind is refreshed. Sometimes it takes a walk in the park, a phone call, or just a breath of fresh air to clear my mind and refresh my thoughts.
Your environment also affects how you write. Make sure you are in a space that is comfortable and free of distractions. Personally I like to be in my bed or at my desk. I like to light candles and make the room dark, so I can become more relaxed.
For many, music is helpful. Some people can blast music through their headphones while still maintaining focus, or some like more melodic, classical tones, like Beethoven, which is actually proven to increase focus. For me, none of that works, so I turn my phone, my tv, and my radio off because the fewer distractions, the better.
Freewriting is a big factor in preventing writer's block. Freewriting is great because no one is going to actually see that writing. It allows you to outline your thoughts and ideas in a way in which order, grammar, and punctuation do not matter. Freewriting is probably the best thing you can do before beginning a paper, because when you come to that "block" you can go back to your free-writing sheet and read over some of the ideas that you had previously written down, which can even spark a new one.
When it comes to writer's block, the most important thing to remember is that writing down anything is better than nothing, even if it's just a few lines that don't completely make sense. You can always go back to it later, correct or add on to what you have written. Bottom line is, writer's block is almost inevitable. Everyone experiences it, no matter what your major may be in college. It's overcoming that feeling of being stuck that makes you a better writer.
