by Caroline Fraissinet

Created on: May 09, 2008

It can strike at any time. Always when you least expect it, it comes over you and stops you in your tracks. You can't think, and completely forget what you were doing. Your brain has frozen and there's no ice cream in sight. Sound familiar? That's right. It's writer's block.

Writer's block strikes all of us at times. Most of the time, it can be remedied by a short break and maybe a little snack. But what happens when it becomes more of a problem, extending over days or even weeks at a time?

First, in order to overcome writer's block, you need to just get your mind off of the problem for a short while. There is no need to stress out about the problem, because worrying will only cramp up your mind and make the block even worse. Put the work down for a moment and do something mindless. Refuel with a healthy snack, watch some TV, go for a walk. Do anything you need to do to relax for a little while. Only when you feel refreshed and calmed down enough to continue should you get back to work.

Now that you've gotten your mind off the problem for a short while, come back to the writing. You are, after all, working under a deadline and it won't write itself. Start by re-reading what you already wrote. This is a good time to edit any phrases and check for typos, because once you're done, you're probably just going to want to print it and immediately hand it in so you don't have to think about it anymore. By re-reading and re-adjusting phrases, you'll get back into the rhythm of your original train of thought. Sometimes this is all you need to fix the block; oftentimes, we get so hung up on details and phrasing that we lose sight of the original point.

If you're still having a block, try doing a little research on the topic. Surf the internet or search an encyclopedia for whatever information you may need. It will give you a little bit more information to work with on your topic and provide resources that you can cite in your paper. Who knows? You may even find a quote or interesting statistic that you can use in your writing that can break the block and put you back on track.

Still having trouble? Maybe it's time to call a friend. If you know someone who knows a thing or two about the topic of the paper you're writing, give them a ring. They might be able to help you through the rough patch and give you some ideas on how to progress further. Oftentimes, we just need a little support and a push in the right direction that only other people can provide.

If you still cannot get over the block, either lather, rinse and repeat some of the methods until you can overcome it, or move onto something else if you possibly can. Perhaps through working on another problem or project, you may come up with ways to better deal with the writing at hand? In the end, you are the only one who can break the writer's block; just take care of yourself, don't stress, be aware of the deadlines, and soon that awful block will shatter to pieces.

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