Struggling with a case of writer’s block? Have an essay due and you don’t know where to start? I speak from personal experience when I say that feeling stuck on a writing project can be overwhelming and discouraging. Over the years, I’ve found 3 tricks that help me out of a creative slump:
1.Take a walk outside. It’s amazing what some fresh air and a change of scenery can do for the creative process.
Hint: Take notes on your phone when inspiration strikes!
2. Make a bulleted list of what you want to include in your writing. This can be a great way to get your ideas on paper even if they aren’t fully formed yet.
Hint: Creating an outline starting with the prompt or information you need to include is a solid starting place. As ideas come to you, you can create bullet points and plug them into the most relevant space on your outline. Before you know it, you will have your whole paper outlined!
3. Record yourself verbally answering the prompt and transcribe the answer. This will probably not be a polished version of your ideas, but it gets them on paper and gives you a starting point.
Hint: Downloading a voice memo app on your phone makes recording yourself easy and convenient.
Writing is a process that has many ups and downs. Trust the process.
We ALL experience writing block as some time or another. You are not alone in this experience. What helps you to work through writer’s block?
Jessica McLeod-Waddell, MA, MEd, CPCC 