by Amber Rothrock

Created on: June 12, 2010   Last Updated: July 01, 2010

How to Write Without a Muse

“My fingers were poised over the keyboard like a row of ghastly knives ready to sink into soft, human flesh. But nothing came. I wasted the entire afternoon.” * This quote from Stephen King is proof that even the greatest writers get stuck from time to time. Everybody has the need to communicate their thoughts and feelings to the world. Writers do this through poems, stories, and letters.

Okay, so maybe you don’t have plans to become the next J.K. Rowling, but at some point in your life you will be required to put your thoughts on paper. Whether it is for a college essay or just a letter to grandma. Writing can be an effective communication tool, but the meanings of written words can be misunderstood; therefore, breaking down the writing process into three phases will assist in creating and communicating your ideas.

The first phase is probably the most difficult, most time consuming, and by far the most important. By employing the suggestions given in this first step it will be much easier revising your paper later. First find a quiet, secluded place to do some brainstorming. My best ideas come to me when I’m relaxing by the riverside. You can also brainstorm on-the-go while out hiking or riding your bike. Be sure to take a tape recorder or a small notepad and pen with you so you can record your ideas before you forget them.

Another useful method for developing ideas is called free writing. I use this most often when writing fiction. I jot down ideas that I may have and continue writing until I’ve gotten everything that’s in my brain onto paper. This could take mere minutes or half a day so it’s best to make sure you will have the time to write down everything you need to.

Many texts will recommend outlining your paper before writing it, but I have always found this to be both tedious and constrictive of the creative process. The only time I would suggest using an outline is when organizing your research notes. Summarizing, on the other hand, I can vouch for. Summarizing requires you to take the most important details of each paragraph and sum them up in a few short sentences. For example, the summary of this paragraph would look something like this: Outlining your research notes is helpful. However, outlining your paper can be a burden. Summarizing each paragraph before writing is more efficient. Write each summary on a separate sheet of paper or index card to allow room for any details

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