As writers, we sometimes loose our inspiration and creative writing abilities; we get distracted or lack the motivation or discipline to continue an article. As a consequence, we are unable to put our ideas into written form. Writers block could result from anxiety in our lives or some other distraction in our daily lives such as an increase in our stress levels.

It is difficult to completely eliminate distractions from our lives; however, we can set goals and milestones for our selves to ensure that we stay on track. Whenever I notice that I am getting distracted or anxious about an article I am writing, I remind myself that I have written articles in the past and can write this one too. I psyche myself up to get starting, knowing that once I get started, I will quickly overcome any anxiety I am feeling or my inertia.

Often, the cause of writers block, is due to inadequate planning for the assignment. It isn't possible to do a good job of any assignment without adequate advance preparation. As the saying goes, "garbage in, garbage out." A good outcome cannot be reasonably expected without an adequate amount of preparation. There is no substitute for preparation and the task of writing an academic paper definitely requires an adequate amount of research. I often start by reading about the topic from a wide variety of sources; this helps me gain a better understanding of the topic and also helps me decide on an approach for writing my article.

I like to develop my thoughts for articles in stages; first, I start by putting my thoughts on paper without any regard to an outline (brainstorming). Once I have put my ideas on paper, I then begin to assemble them into a coherent framework for the paper. This exercise is similar to putting a puzzle together. Just because you haven't quite figured things out in chronological order - beginning, middle and end does not mean that you should not start the paper or you cannot document your thoughts.

There is no substitute for a carefully chosen and interesting topic. If you have been assigned a topic, find an interesting angle or twist to the topic. You must be interested and engaged in the subject to be able to effectively research and write on the topic. We sometimes choose topics that sound interesting to us or that we think we would enjoy writing about without first scoping out how much time it would take to research the topic or how difficult it will be for us to fully grasp the subject matter. If you are at liberty to choose the topic, choose the topic wisely. If your teacher or professor assigned the topic, ask your professor or teacher if you can choose another topic.

Sometimes, taking a short break from writing to do something else for a while is all that is necessary to get rejuvenated and get your focus back. You can also bounce your ideas off a friend, family member, your classmates or your professor. I am always amazed at the number of times that thoughts have popped up in my head just by me discussing ideas or subjects that I have recently read about with a friend.

It is always a good idea to set time aside each day to write, even when you think you have hit a roadblock. You will be amazed as to the quality of your thoughts, even when you feel that the work is not what you would like at the given time.

Learn more about this author, Kodjo Adadevoh.
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