ARE YOU STRESSED? - WRITERS' BLOCK
This information is taken from: Cottrell (1999): 7: Writing for university.
Trick yourself into writing.
Trick yourself into writing.
SCRIBBLE
ONLY A DRAFT
WRITE IN PENCIL
WRITE ON LOOSE PAPER – NOT IN A BOOK
IGNORE MISTAKES IN EARLY DRAFTS
START ANYWHERE
MARK THE PAPER
WRITE BY TALKING
TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME
USE THE COMPUTER
BRAINSTORMING ON THE COMPUTER
USE SPECIALIST SOFTWARE
REST AND RELAX
- 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.
Cottrell, S. (1999) The Study Skills Handbook. Basingstoke: Macmillan.