Whether it is a journalist for the "New York Times" or a student writing an essay for a class, we all have struggled to come up with a topic to write about at least once. This phenomenon of sorts is called 'writers' block'; the struggle to come up with something exciting to write about. While most of you have most likely heard the term writers' block, do you understand the cause?

Writers' block is a funny thing. I constantly have ideas for articles floating around my head. I even have a list of over ten article ideas in a word document to pursue. All of the ideas I have are things I would like to write about; however, I just can't get myself to write about those topics now.

Why can't I force myself to write one of my article ideas? Truthfully, it is because I know I have so much more going on in my head that I want to write about. For me, writers' block is not an issue about not having anything to write; it is an issue about having to much to write and not being able to narrow down my ideas.

While the cause of writers' block may be different for everyone, the way to handle it is the same.

More often than not, the first step to overcoming writers' block is to get away from your writing for a bit.

You are most likely overwhelmed with how much you have to write and how little passion you have for writing it so take a break; come back to your writing once you have cleared your mind.

After you have taken a break and gotten your mind off of the stress of not knowing what to write, think about what you are passionate about.

If you are passionate about animal rights, I bet you could easily write a five-page paper on that topic. Choosing something you care about will make researching and writing more enjoyable. Once you have a fully formed idea, your writers' block might subside.

Now, before you go stressing about the research, think of it as a way to enhance your writing and a way to gain more knowledge on a topic of interest to you. Research can be boring if it is on a subject you do not care about; however, there are tons of research studies done so at least one is bound to entertain you.

If the research needs to be done on a topic you cannot choose (and are not excited about), having a positive attitude will help make the research more bearable. A little tip I use on myself is to find one piece of knowledge in the research you did not know before that you find interesting. Hopefully, this will spark interest in writing at least a paragraph, which will lead to another.

Another tip to getting over your writers' block is to write an outline.

Outline which paragraphs will be your introductory, supporting, and concluding paragraphs. Include basic information using bullet points that you plan to incorporate. It'll help you organize your writing, and usually after I outline I don't have to do much more to research.

Writing the paper out of order is a great way to eliminate writers' block and stay entertained.

Most people are under this impression that a paper needs to be written from introduction to conclusion, when this is simply untrue. If you have a middle paragraph ready to type, type it out and add an introduction and conclusion when you are finished.

Writing out of order keeps you on your toes because you are always moving around the paper. It also makes you feel like you do not need to write everything at once because you can add to the paper as you go.

To get rid of your writers' block, you really need a positive attitude and be flexible while writing your paper.

Remember you do not have to write your paper all at once; therefore, you should start early so that you have time to add information and make revisions without stressing.

While these tips will not eliminate future writers' block, hopefully, it will make your writers' block subside faster. And remember, you are not the only one experiencing this phenomenon and you will get through it!