By Katheryn Rivas
When you are a writer, there are few things that are more terrifying and utterly infuriating than staring at a blank page and not knowing what words to put on it. A crippling bout of writer's block can strike at any time, though it seems more prone to rear its ugly head at the beginning of a writing project than anytime else. Luckily, there are methods that you can employ to combat writer's block. This way, you may remove the mental blockage and actually get your assignment written, edited, and submitted.
- Start writing from anywhere but the beginning of your assignment.
If you can't find the perfect opening paragraph, drop that for a while and instead work on writing the middle or ending of your assignment. Beginnings are typically one of the last things writers dwell on when coming up with a story or essay, so do not feel alarmed if you can't seem to write a satisfactory one right away. Instead, put the beginning on hold and begin writing from the middle of your assignment. This change of order can give you the warm-up your mind needs to come up with a snappy introductory paragraph later. - Talk about your assignment to someone else.
You may feel that your thoughts are jumbled and you do not know how to express them in written form. Try talking to your parents, friends, roommates, or siblings about your assignment. Explain to them what you want your assignment to cover and the points you want to make. You will likely find that verbally explaining your assignment to someone can instantly put your thoughts into sentences that you can write down. If this clarity does not strike, however, you will still have the opportunity to ask your audience for opinions and advice on how to proceed. - Seek out visual or musical inspiration.
Chances are that staring at your screen for hours on end will do little to provide you with the spark you need to get the words going. Instead, consider watching a television show, taking in a movie, reading a book, or listening to music in order to jolt your brain awake. Pay careful attention to the tone, words, phrases, and themes of whatever you choose to listen to or watch. It can be especially helpful to watch or listen to something that is similar in tone to what you are striving to write. For example, if you are struggling to pen a comedic short story, try watching or reading something funny in order to draw inspiration from the source. It can be helpful to see how that source got its jokes to work so that you may do the same. You should not simply copy what you just watched or saw, but you can emulate it in order to help you get the ball rolling. - Get a change of scenery.
If all listening to a song did was get a melodic hook stuck in your head rather than inspire you to write, then a change of scenery may be in order. Go outside and take a walk, or go to your favorite restaurant for a quick meal. Soak in all of the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of your new surroundings and think about how you would write to describe what you are experiencing. This mental writing exercise can give you the nudge you need to plow through your writer's block and begin putting your thoughts into coherent sentences. - Give your assignment an audience.
It can much easier to write something if you know why you are writing it and for whom you are writing. Assign an audience for your assignment, even if that audience is not real. For example, if you are tasked with writing a persuasive piece, imagine that you are writing an article that will be read by a staunch opponent of whatever topic you are arguing. Having a clear idea of who you are writing for can give your assignment a better direction and purpose, which in turn can provide you with the breakthrough you need to remove your mental block.
Katheryn Rivas is a freelancer who blogs about online universities. She can be contacted at: katherynrivas87 AT gmail DOT com.
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Flickr photo courtesy of Jonno Witts