Fighting Writer’s Block? Some Tips from SSW Writing Consultant

We’re coming up on the end of the quarter, and I’d imagine some of us (i.e. – me) are trying to not to think about all of those papers due in just a few short weeks. As a result, I decided to devote this week’s tip to writer’s block.

What is writer’s block?

Writer’s block is the inability (or extreme difficulty) to produce new work. The term primarily applies to professional writers, but many people experience writer’s block.

What causes writer’s block?

Although there are many reasons why someone may experience writer’s block, anxiety is usually a major culprit. For example, I often feel most anxious about writing when I’m starting a paper. (What am I going to write about? What if I don’t have enough to say? What if what I have to say isn’t interesting? What if my finished product isn’t “good enough?” What if I don’t finish at all?!) At this point, I already feel so stressed out that it’s difficult to imagine having a successful or even tolerable writing experience.

Okay, so if I feel “blocked” what can I do?

This list is by no means exhaustive, but here are a few tips I find useful:

1.   Warm up with “non-writing.” There are a lot of parts of writing successful papers that don’t require writing at all. Start researching your topic, talk with classmates/your professor about the assignment, make a writing schedule, format your paper (headers, cover page) etc. All of these contribute to the final product, and they might help ease you into writing.

2.   Use invention strategies. Brainstorm. Free write. Diagram. These strategies can free you from anxious thoughts (like those I mentioned above) and instead allow you to just put something on paper.

3.   Identify your successful writing rituals. For example, I find that writing comes easiest to me in the morning, while chewing gum, listening to a particular radio station, and drinking a specific caffeinated beverage (probably not the one you think!). What works for you? Do you like to write in public at a coffee shop? Or do you need absolute silence? Do you prefer to write for only an hour at a time with breaks in between? Would you rather devote a block of time to writing and go straight through? There are no right or wrong rituals, but you must invest time in figuring out what works best for you. Many students tell me that they write best “under pressure” (i.e. – the hours before an assignment is due). It’s entirely possible this is true, but if you don’t give yourself the opportunity to test it by writing under different circumstances, you’ll never know for sure.

Ultimately, most of us will have assignments due regardless of our writer’s block. At some point, we just have to get something on paper. My writing motto is that you can fix a bad page, but you can’t fix a blank one. (And, to qualify, there really aren’t any “bad” pages, just drafts.) So, when you’re feeling stressed about writing, take a few deep breaths and remember that the break is just around the corner.

Megan Farwell

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