ARE YOU STRESSED? - WRITERS' BLOCK

This information is taken from: Cottrell (1999): 7: Writing for university.

Trick yourself into writing.


SCRIBBLE
  • Scribble ideas fast in any order – then rearrange and rewrite.

ONLY A DRAFT
  • Think of each piece of writing as being only a draft. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It is work in progress.

WRITE IN PENCIL
  • This will remind you that your draft is only rough and that you are allowed mistakes.

WRITE ON LOOSE PAPER – NOT IN A BOOK
  • If you don’t like what you have written throw it away. You can also cut it up and rearrange it.

IGNORE MISTAKES IN EARLY DRAFTS
  • Don’t worry about minor corrections. You can sort those out in the final draft.

START ANYWHERE
  • Write things in any order – it is sometimes easier to write the introduction last. You can rearrange things later.
  • Experiment with different starting methods. 

MARK THE PAPER
  • If blank paper puts you off doodle on it.


WRITE BY TALKING
  • Record yourself saying it out load. Copy this out and redraft it.

TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME
  • Break the writing up into manageable tasks.

USE THE COMPUTER
  • If you use the computer you don’t have to worry about handwriting and there is always the spellchecker.

BRAINSTORMING ON THE COMPUTER
  • Brainstorm headings and ideas. Print, cut up and rearrange. Then use this plan to ‘cut and paste’ the headings on the computer to use as a guide for writing.

USE SPECIALIST SOFTWARE
  • A computer package such as Inspiration allows you to brainstorm and organise ideas both as patterns and as linear notes. You can colour code ideas.

REST AND RELAX
  • If your mind goes blank you may be tired or stressed. (Cottrell, 2008, p.172).

REFERENCE

Cottrell, S. (1999) The Study Skills Handbook. Basingstoke: Macmillan.