AWC Blog

We have all experienced, at one point or another, that annoying condition that is writer’s block. Unfortunately there seems to be no known way to avoid it. What you can do, though, is keep it under control and avoid letting it turn the process of writing your essay into a nightmare. Coping with writer’s block is easier than it seems and following these few simple tips might help.

Tip 1: Start by making a list of everything related to the topic that you can think of. Once you have a list, you can use a bubble diagram to see how the various concepts are linked. The bubble-diagram will allow you to ease into writing by examining the connections between the different ideas.

Tip 2: Remember the saying ‘knowledge is power’? The more you research the more material you have to work on, and the less likely it is for you to incur in writer’s block. Many people make the mistake of just skimming through a couple of chapters on the topic and expect to be able to write 2,000 words, making a point and avoiding plagiarism along the way. That is not realistic.

Tip 3: Just write what comes to mind. You do not need to produce a masterpiece and you can revise your first draft later on. Leave the introduction until later, and just write as much as you can. By putting your ideas on the page you have a canvas on which to work for a better final result. By contrast, if you leave your ideas in your mind or in an outline stage, it will be harder to produce a polished piece of work by the deadline.

Tip 4: Give yourself deadlines. Break up the time the lecturer gave you and decide by which date you will have the first and your second or final draft ready. This way you will set up a work schedule which will help to organize the rest of your coursework around a particularly important essay.

Tip 5: If writer’s block hits you, don’t stay at home. A blank page or the black spacer line winking at you from your word processor will not help you focus. Go out, take a walk or exercise: it will be easier to start writing with a clearer brain.

Tip 6: Start your essay early. If your lecturer has given you a month, it is unrealistic to think you can do everything in a week. There is nothing like that quiet little voice at the back of your head telling you that you do not have enough time to trigger panic and writer’s block. So start early, and if it takes you three weeks instead of a month – well, enjoy your holiday. 

Take a look at this sort film about a student struggling with a deadline:

Barbara M. Patrizi

NUI Galway

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