Writer’s block is a pain for students
There is nothing worse than a white page staring back at you and the cursor blinking when it’s two hours before the deadline and you’re still trying to come up with an idea.
There are a few causes of writer’s block. Some of the causes of writer’s block are fear, self-criticism and external pressure.
Being fearful of putting your work out in the world and having someone read it can be daunting. Fear is completely normal, but if it’s preventing you from completing things, it’s not healthy.
Self-criticism is another cause of writer’s block. Whenever I write an assignment and then must critique someone else’s paper, I always compare my work to theirs. But this is not good or realistic; each writer is different and needs to focus on their process and assignments.
For college students, external pressure can be the biggest cause of writer’s block. Having to complete an assignment or write an essay about something you’re not interested in is brutal. But it’s just an assignment. The sooner you start, the sooner you can be done with it and do more important college things, like sleep.
The best way to overcome writer’s block is to make a schedule and stick to it. Plan backwards from the due date and give yourself time to work on it. When planning time, make sure it’s when you won’t be interrupted by anything.
It also helps to spread things out or change the task you are doing. Don’t do everything right before you submit it, and if you are lost on what to do next, take a break. Most professors know this and give you days and sometimes weeks to work on an assignment or essay.
Another helpful tip is to have someone look over your work. Other people might have new ideas for you, and they may also help find grammar mistakes.
One thing my creative writing professor does is give the class a writing prompt. Then he sets a timer and lets us run with our imagination. When the timer goes off, the class gets back together and looks at how everyone’s story is different. This can also be used for assignments or essays. Think about the main idea and set a timer. While the timer is going, just work. When you are finished, see if anything you wrote gives you a new idea.
Starting a new assignment or an essay can be difficult. If all else fails, just start writing everything that comes to mind. You can always come back and delete, add and improve. Even if you aren’t able to finish an assignment, it’s still better to have some of it completed.
