Breaking the Block - Helpful tips to getting started.

[Monk]

Hey all.

Lately there has been some talk of reorganization for the Mead Hall. So far it hasn't materialized but we'll get something running soon (i haven't forgotten!), until then I thought I'd post this. I originally wrote this piece for another publication, but seeing as the project never came together I decided to share it here. It's nothing drastic but it might help someone, who knows!

Breaking the Block

Tips on how to get started and countering general problems with writer's block

So tell me if this sounds at all familiar to you writers out there. You’ve got a good idea for a story or a concept in your head, it’s been wracking around in there for a while and you’re quite anxious to finally get it down on paper. So you sit down to hammer out a few pages but nothing seems to be happening. You’ve got the concept, you’ve got the spark, but no matter how hard you try you just can’t get the words to look right. Whether you’re constantly deleting the same paragraph over and over or you can’t even get more than a few sentences on the page then listen up because this article is just for you.

One wouldn’t think so but when writing getting started is often the hardest part. It’s the entry point into your concept where you attempt to dump your vision onto your reader, which can unfortunately lend itself to many stumbling moments along the way. I remember being amazed at how many of my peers struggled with the exact same thing, and you might be surprised yourself with just how common this problem is. Turning concept into something tactile can be a bigger hurdle than someone might expect, as anyone who’s ever starred down a blank page for hours on end can attest to. Fortunately, there are many techniques which are designed specifically to help the struggling writer pass this phase with a little diligence. Hard work is what writing is all about, whether you’re working on college papers or just a story in your free time, these tips can help.

First off you’ve got the simple techniques like free writing. Free writing is where for a short amount of time you write anything and everything that happens to cross into your mind. Even if there’s nothing at all entering your mind you should write that down too! Try to stay on topic, but if you can’t then stray, it’s important that you keep your fingers moving as the entire point is that you’re writing. The thinking behind this technique is to loosen you up and get your mind working. Sounds relatively simple but it works amazingly well. I’ve found this technique to be extremely helpful in getting a start to term papers in particular.

Free writing is a good way to get your brain jump started, but if your problems are a bit more structure wise then it may not be of any help. If you just cannot, absolutely are unable to think of a way to start your work then the answer is simple. Don’t!

What? Don’t look at me like I’m crazy. If nothing you’re trying is working then skip the beginning and write a separate part of the piece. Case in point, I often come up with ideas for works where the concept scene actually lies in the middle, or towards the end. Thinking of a story behind that scene is often the most difficult part but once the concept is on paper it becomes far more tactile. It's much easier to build when you've got the foundation.

The third suggestion I have is my favorite by far but it’s much more an experience than a technique. Take a pad and a pencil and go outside (weather permitting of course) and observe. Write down how the trees react to the wind, the way people hurry about, the sound on the pavement as a car goes by. Anything and everything you can see and experience make a note of and draw from. Inspiration can come from many places, even the wind in the trees. But in the end these are very basic tips to help you out. Don't expect them to work miracles!