Dodging Writer’s Block

Have you been checking Facebook or Twitter every two minutes? Are you spending most of your time ‘researching’ the topic instead of writing? Or, are you checking and rechecking the one word that you’ve just typed in: the? If your answer is yes, then you’re suffering from the ill-fated writer’s block.

The term is common in the journalistic and literary writing fields but not so common in academia. Instead, as academics, we usually refer to it as procrastination. Other expressions include distraction of social media, paranoid email checking and staring at the computer screen for hours waiting for the perfect idea to strike.

Understanding Writer’s Block

Writer’s block is simply an inability to start or continue writing. However, it does not concern an individual’s ability to write well or the access to material or information required for writing.

In academia both, undergraduate and postgraduate students, need to submit a number of assignments and other papers. Getting stuck at writing is dreadful, particularly when deadlines are approaching. We suggest a few ways to overcome writer’s block and complete your next assignment before deadline:

1.     Dedicate writing time

The very first step to writing an assignment is committing to it. Dedicate a few hours at a time that suits you or multiple 20 minutes sessions throughout your day to writing. Close all the numerous tabs open in your browser window, disconnect internet, switch off your phone and concentrate on your word processor document.

2.     Begin your writing

Think about your topic and write down everything you know about it. It does not have to be continuous or polished.

For example, you can start by brainstorming the topic and then jotting down all the points one by one. You can also write down a few sentences on a sub topic and when your brain jumps to the other topic, leave a bit of space and start writing it too. The idea is to jot down immediately whatever comes to your mind. This can be more productive if you have read a few relevant papers beforehand.

Ignore formatting and referencing as well as these things can distract you from the task at hand.

3.     Set realistic goals

Scheduling specific topics can be unrealistic as you might not feel more interested writing about a topic at a given time. Instead, tackle the assignment step by step. Set goals such as writing a number of words, editing and proofreading a pre-written draft for quality, or formatting the in-text references and finalizing a sub topic. If you have attempted most of the parts separately, spend time in bringing them together by identifying and removing any conceptual gaps.

4.     Reward yourself

As soon as you accomplish your goal, reward yourself. Eat a snack, uncheck those distracting social media notifications, or go for a walk. Do what you need to relax your mind.

Coming out of this blocked state is no easy task but only getting down to writing can bring you out of it. However, we understand that you also need to meet deadlines so we offer excellent assignment writing services. We also provide special student discounts on custom essays.