Overcoming Writer’s Block in College

Students have to deal with a lot of writing assignments on a daily basis. Of course, each assignment will be different, requiring new approaches, unique knowledge, and skills. In addition, no writing process will be the same. Sometimes, you finish an essay in a few days without delay. Everything just falls into the right places without any effort. Yet, usually, it’s quite the opposite. Students sit in front of a blank page for hours, waiting for a miracle to happen. It’s the worst struggle writers face. Here are a few tips for dealing with writer’s block when nothing else helps.

Brainstorm 

Perhaps you have run out of ideas too quickly. Maybe you lack some crucial peace that will connect everything together. Overall, some powerful brainstorming will bring everything together in no time. Just step away from your computer and take a pen with paper. Start with your essay’s main argument. Add the supporting statements, data, and opinions you’ve already put in the essay. Finally, draw some visuals to enhance your flow of thoughts.  

See what is missing in your graph. Have you skipped the ideas you planned on adding? Is there a connection between elements that you failed to see at first? Have you been repeating yourself throughout the essay? have you lost your thought much earlier in the text? Is there anything missing from the whole picture that you failed to add earlier? Start from the beginning and get all your answers in order. 

The hardest part of any essay is to plan what you need to say. However, as long as you ask the right question, the answer will pop up. You just need patience and persistence. Chances are, you might have missed an important piece of information or valuable transition in the written text. 

Essays are similar to puzzles. If one piece is missing, the picture is incomplete. Perhaps, your writer’s block is just an indication that you’ve made a mistake previously. Go through your work one more time to spot where you can improve or add the missing element. 

Have a rest

Maybe, what you perceive as writer’s block is just a call to take a rest. No human can work and be creative for hours straight. Everyone needs a break. So look at a clock and see how much you’ve been sitting at that desk without a rest. Of course, you may experience some type of writer’s block at this point. No muse will sit with you without having regular breaks.
Overall, don’t start getting desperate over a pause in your work. A tired brain will force you to see the worst-case scenario when it’s not an accurate reflection of reality. The best solution to prevent such writing blocks is to take frequent breaks. Give your body and mind time to rest and recharge. Even a five minutes break will be sufficient enough to refocus your attention and gain new inspiration for the next writing session. 

Change the environment

You were sitting in a single room at your desk for hours without moving. It’s quite a chance that you need to change the environment. Consider going to a library, park, or coffee shop. Take your laptop with you. Changes in surroundings, new sounds, and smells can spark your imagination. Maybe, your brain just took everything it could from the environment you were in previously. Perhaps, it’s hungry for new sensations. The feeling of the sun on your skin or the smell of fresh coffee will surely charge you with new emotions and ideas. 

So, whenever you are too stuck in your ways, go outside. Change the environment and see what happens. But, of course, you can also go outside to enjoy a lovely day while getting some professional help from WritePaperForMe. A reliable writing service is also a tested option for killing writer’s block. 

Talk to someone

Sometimes, the best way to understand what you want/need to say next in your text is through a discussion. So, ask someone to discuss your work with you. Explain what you are trying to do there. What your goals are and what message you are trying to deliver, etc. Mention where you have stuck in your process. Discuss what thoughts you wanted to express there and why, in your opinion, you can’t go past that moment. Chances are, an open discussion will already inspire you to new ideas and solutions. Though, you will always have another person’s help if the block doesn’t disappear on its own. 

Exercise

“I’m in the middle of the writing process! Why on earth would I start exercising now?” Well, actually, exercising can be a great recharging moment for you. They will release the happiness hormone, massage any stiff muscles, and rush oxygen to your brain. So, both your mind and body will be quite appreciative. Also, all these processes in your body will charge you with energy, positive thoughts, and inspiration. You will get back on track in minutes, as now you’ve regained your confidence and motivation. 

The good thing is, you don’t even have to do much here. Just do a quick yoga routine, a couple of minutes of rope jumping, or a set of pushups and situps. Anything will do here as long as you get your blood rushing. Meanwhile, your mind will benefit from such a drastic change in activity and enjoy this rest. 

Chris Eva

Chris Evan was born in Quebec and raised in Montreal, except for the time when he moved back to Quebec and attended high school there. He studied History and Literature at the University of Toronto. He began writing after obsessing over books.