Anne Ryman
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 29 2008 9:45 pm
It's a familiar feeling.
You have to write a paper for class so you sit there, staring at the blank computer screen and wondering where to start. You fiddle with the TV remote control and check e-mails instead. The dreaded writer's block has hit.
Before you panic, relax. Writer's block is common and can be overcome by following a couple of tips.
• Think before you write: Good writing requires thought. Students sometimes start writing before they are ready, said Diane C. Clark, an English professor at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Take time to consider what you are going to say before you begin, she said. This is why it's bad to start a paper the night before it's due. A tight deadline gives you less time to think and can also cause panic, which makes writing even more difficult.
"You need to start thinking early," Clark said.
• Eliminate distractions: Answering your cellphone, checking e-mail or listening to television can interrupt your concentration when you try to write. Shut off the potential distractions.
• Write an outline: An outline, or a guide to the main points you want to make, can help you get started, but leave room for flexibility. You may think of other points to include as you write.
Some people find outlines useless, so do what works for you.
• Just start: Writing is messy, said Jeanne Simpson, director of Arizona State University's Writing Center in Tempe. Sit down and start writing whatever comes into your head.
"A lot of people think they have to produce a clean text, carefully thought out, and it just doesn't work that way," she said.
Your first draft doesn't have to shine, she said. You can revise from there. She likens the writing process to starting a cold car engine on a winter morning. Sometimes you have to keep cranking the engine and eventually the motor will start.
• Rewrite: Rewriting is where the writing gets done, Simpson said. As you rewrite, you get new ideas and find better ways to say something.
• Have a clear starting point: If you don't understand the assignment, you end up spinning your wheels. Ask your teacher for clarification if you're unsure.
• Look for gaps: If the paper requires research, remember journalism's five Ws and H: Who, what, why, where, when and how. This will help determine whether you have gaps in your knowledge, and gaps can slow the writing process.
If you have an essay that requires you to "discuss" something in the answer, the five Ws and H help you answer that question.
• The conclusion: Writing the ending can often be problematic and cause writer's block because you're unsure how to end the paper.
A conclusion is the "what" and then "so what." You're telling people why they should care and the "so what" is where your conclusion comes in, Simpson said.
Reach the reporter at anne.ryman@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8072.
