5 Tips for Overcoming Writer’s Block
by Nick L.
Writer’s block. These two words have plagued writers ever since ancient Mesopotamians began scrawling ideas into clay tablets, and the advent of a long list of helpful writing tools— from the typewriter to the modern computer—haven’t made things any easier for writers who find themselves searching in vain for the next word.
Whether you’re just beginning and trying to come up with an exciting subject for your college essay, or polishing a final draft, at some point during the essay writing process, you’ll almost certainly hit a creative roadblock.
But fear not. Writer’s block is incredibly common, and there are several things you can do to regain momentum.
- Move around – The mind can be a stubborn thing, and can require new stimulations, even if they have nothing to do with your college essay. Close your laptop, get out of your chair, and take a quick walk around the house (or better yet outside, if possible).
- Write in a different location – Most of us tend to write in the same environment, whether that’s a desk, sofa, or a busy coffee shop. While familiar locations can be comfortable, they can also hinder creativity in the application essay process. Try working on your essay in a new location, even if that means just moving to another room.
- Distractions can be your friend – It’s tempting to assume that while you’re crafting a college essay, your mind must be 100 percent focused on the job at hand. But it can be helpful at times to engage your mind in something entirely unrelated to writing, like playing an instrument, brainstorming a new introduction hook while looking at movie scenes, or thinking back to a valuable life experience that you may want to incorporate into the body of the application essay.
- Stick to a schedule – Stephen King, one of the world’s most prolific writers, is said to write 2,000 words every morning, every day. And while King’s discipline is admittedly a bit extreme, the idea of a writing schedule is incredibly important when you’re a busy student trying to juggle coursework with college applications. Even if you’re not feeling very inspired to work on your Common App essay or supplements during a scheduled writing time, give it a shot anyway. The key is to strive for consistency, not perfection, and you may be surprised what you come up with.
- Try free-writing exercises – Coming up with a college essay topic isn’t easy, especially with a variety of prompts and supplementals for different schools. Sometimes the answer to our writing woes is staring right at us, but we’re too hyper-focused on our work to see it. This is where free-writing exercises help. Instead of trying to craft the perfect follow-up sentence or paragraph, simply look at what you’ve already written and jot down anything that comes to mind, no matter how irrelevant. This strategy can help bring out new ideas and connect past experiences in ways you otherwise wouldn’t have seen, and can be a great way to get back on track when feeling stuck.
