As an English major, I write at least twelve essays every quarter. And when I’m not writing essays, I’m either helping a friend out with theirs or working on some creative form of writing. Needless to say that writing becomes both a blessing and a burden. But the one thing that is bound to happen is a block.
For me, the block is usually an inward manifestation of something totally external and or physical. So really it has nothing to do with the fact that I’ve run out of things to say, that’s hardly, if ever, the case. A hazy mind will almost always result in a block, when I’m stressed out or confused at something in my life my writing suffers on its account.
Because writing is such a demanding force in my every day schedule, I can only afford a block for a couple days at most. Anything longer could seriously damage my, oh so fragile, schedule.
But here are some tips that just might help:
- Essays: Sometimes I have up to two essays at a time, that will usually set me off and I can be easily distracted. What always seems to help is to build an outline. I usually go with a totally rough outline which includes: Formatting the essay. Plan out how many paragraphs you want and the general content in each paragraph. Write down a couple sentences in the form of the outline. On your computer try to type out the thought process or just general idea.
- Creative forms of writing: If I’m struggling creatively, which I tend to be, then the easiest thing for me to do is read. Exchanging your work with other writer’s can lead to great feedback and ideas for your next project. It always helps you remember what you love about writing when you indulge in your favorite book or poem. Talking to other people who write creatively can help you thrive off of their experience; new inspiration is always waiting around the corner.
Getting closer to finals week means that you may be assigned more essays or maybe your final is an essay. But the sure fire way to prepare is to make an outline. That way when you begin an essay everything seems much more organized and much simpler. The last thing you want to do is to sit there typing down random words.
GOOD LUCK!