As someone who has written dozens of papers in my lifetime, I am very familiar with the frustration of sitting down to write a paper, staring at the blinking cursor on your screen, and realizing you have absolutely no idea what to say. Writer’s block is something that many students struggle with, even those like myself who write on a very regular basis. I’m even having some writer’s block as I write this post!
Unfortunately, writer’s block is exactly what it sounds like: it’s a barrier that prevents us from being productive, and oftentimes it’s a barrier that we can’t afford to simply ignore. Papers are typically some of the most heavily weighted assignments in college courses, which makes it very difficult to get away with simply not doing the paper. Even if you’re in a STEM-heavy major that doesn’t involve many written assignments, it’s almost inevitable that, at some point, you’ll find yourself needing to write an essay or lab report.
When you’re faced with a daunting written assignment, it’s important to remember that writer’s block is perfectly normal, and that there are things you can do to help you get past it. However, writer’s block has no across-the-board cure-all. Every person’s writing style is unique, not only in the way we use language but also in the steps we take to get from blank page to 2000-word research paper. When using the tips I’ve included in this article, keep in mind that no single piece of advice is likely going to be the singular solution to your problems. Rather, the real way to fight writer's block is to simply write more. Over time and with practice, you will learn what tips and tricks work best for you and your personal writing style. Until then, however, you’re welcome to try out some of the techniques that I've found work well for myself and others.
1. JUST WRITE!
I once helped out a friend who was struggling to start the introduction of their paper. I got up for a few minutes to run a quick errand, and when I came back, their computer screen was just as blank as it had been when I left. When I asked what was holding them back, they said they kept thinking of things to say, but could never quite figure out how to form their ideas into a sentence.
I’ll suggest to you exactly what I suggested to them: just start writing! Write whatever words come to mind, regardless of whether they’re formed into perfectly structured sentences. Getting over that initial hump of trying to start writing is often the hardest part of the process, but once the words start coming, they tend to keep flowing. If you don’t know where to start, try simply stating what your subject is. For example, if you’re writing a paper about laundry detergent, start out by saying “Laundry detergent is…” and see what comes up.
2. Don’t aim for perfection
Building upon my story from Tip #1, another thing that was holding my friend back was their belief that whatever they wrote needed to be perfectly written, even though they were just writing a rough draft. They were so worried about producing something “good” that they ended up simply producing nothing at all.
While I understand wanting to make your writing as appealing as possible, it’s hard to do that if you don’t have any words down in the first place! You can always come back later in order to clean up the quality of your rough draft, so don’t worry too much about making mistakes during the early stage of the writing process. I like to say that writing is like a lock of hair, and editing is like combing out the knots to make it sleek and shiny. Keep in mind, however, that it's hard to comb if you don't have any hair in the first place!
3. Imagine your ideal audience
One thing that can be paralyzing when writing papers is the knowledge that your professor will likely be the only person who ever reads your work. Not only does this take away the satisfaction of watching people engage with your work, but it can also be intimidating to write on a subject that your professor presumably knows much more about than you do.
When writing papers, I’ve found it helps to tell myself that someone other than my professor will be reading my work. In an ideal world, who would you be writing your paper for? Fellow students? Young kids? Brilliant scientists? Taking a moment to conjure up your ideal audience can help you figure out what information is most important to say. Often, our professors are simply trying to gauge that we have a good foundational understanding of a subject, so try to aim your paper toward someone who isn’t already well-informed on the topic.
4. Say it out loud
It can be easy to forget that writing is basically speaking, just on paper. After all, the goal of writing a paper is to inform the audience about a subject, just like giving a presentation or a speech. However, considering the fact that most people speak much more than they write, it’s understandable that connecting the two feels like a bit of a stretch.
If you’re the kind of person who generally prefers public speaking over writing papers – or, just generally, if you feel more comfortable speaking your words than writing them – I highly suggest that you try talking through your papers out loud. You can share your thoughts with a friend, record yourself as you talk through the subject, or use a voice recorder to get your thoughts down more quickly than if you wrote them. Even if you don’t use all of your verbal records, saying things aloud is a great starting point for figuring out what you want to write.
5. Walk away for ten minutes
If you’ve been sitting there staring at a blank screen for ten minutes and still can’t think of anything to say, you’re probably not going to accomplish much by continuing to sit and stare. Sometimes, there are just times when we try to write, and nothing shows up – and, as frustrating as it might be, it’s okay to take a break and focus on something else for a bit.
If you’re stepping away from the computer, there are a few things I recommend doing in order to release tension from your body and get back to 100%. First of all, eat a snack; this will help increase your blood sugar and, hopefully, get your mental juices flowing. Second, try to do something physical, such as stretching or taking a ten-minute walk around campus. To combine these goals, I’ll often go buy a snack from the vending machine across campus: it gives me a fun mission, an excuse to exercise, and some much-needed calories all in one!
What are some tricks you’ve learned to help get through writer’s block? Have any tips on this list worked for you? Let me know down in the comments!
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