Writer's block

[flybye023]

Hey all. I am having trouble writing my term paper. I have a major case of writer's block. I haven't ever really had this problem before. Even if I wasn't particularly interested in or agreed with points in a class I've always been able to come up with something but I am really struggling this time. Every time I try to write something down I just feel incredibly anxious and my mind just goes blank.

How have you got past this issue?

[Kheldarson]

More research for me. That usually sparks something.

[jedimaster91]

Depending on how close you are to crunch time, go do something else for awhile. Let your brain relax and try again later.

[Sheldonrs]

http://dramaticapedia.com/2010/02/08...writers-block/

[TheSHAD0W]

I read an article a while back that said the best way to break writer's block was to write something DELIBERATELY BAD. Laughably bad. How difficult could it be? Give it a shot.

[Seshat]

Write.

Just sit down at the computer and write. Write 'I don't want to do this I really don't it's scary and it's pissing me off and I hate it'.

Write 'I need to write a term paper and my topic is worms and I know nothing about worms except that they're crawly things that live in the ground and Roald Dahl or someone wrote a book called how to eat fried worms and there's a story about a kid who ate worms on a bet and worms look like living spaghetti and its disgusting....'

Write. Just write.

What's happening is that you're trying to write and edit simultaneously. And that Does. Not. Work.

So writing free-flowing stream-of-consciousness stuff that's deliberately unedited can break you out of it.

Or writing stuff that's deliberately bad.

Or going and cleaning the bathroom and coming back later.


Since I realised what happens when I have writer's block (writing and editing simultaneously), I have been able to break it reliably using the above techniques; or by using one additional technique.

I write down notes.

Again, if on the topic of worms, I might write something like:

* segmented (FIXME: which class?)

* chordata

* primitive creatures - mostly a gut and a nervous system and some muscle FIXME: research this

* vital for soil texture

* vital for recycling dead plant and animal matter

* aerate the soil

* FIXME put the above in a sequence

* FIXME need three more major points - what?



I also always leave myself with a couple of incomplete, reasonably easy FIXMEs at the end of a session, so I have something to start the next session with. Once I'm started, I'm okay to go.... it's just the blank page that screws with me.