Blank Pages No More “…It seemed such a big task I hadn’t the courage to begin it. I have always hated beginning a story.” (Montgomery 146). Writer’s block is a common predicament for many authors; young and old alike. It silences even the greatest of writers, as Lucy Maud Montgomery indicates in her insightful journal entry titled, Publishing Anne. Writer’s block cannot be generalized, it has separate causes and therefore, separate solutions. Writers often have difficulty producing original ideas when creativity in a written work is absent. Personal issues, causing a specific state of mind, can have a significant impact on an author’s ability to create, thereby hindering their means of communicating effectively. Writers, particularly students,
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Many perfectionist authors attempt to create a perfect first draft, an impossible and daunting task. They become so caught up in editing a specific sentence or paragraph that they are unable to proceed with the main theme. The simple cure for this situation is to write down what you are thinking and edit it in the editing stage. Capturing the basic essence of the idea on the paper allows the writer to continue with their work rather than agonizing over a particular phrase or verb. “Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” (L’Amour). Writers often have difficulty beginning their writing as they have no motivation. Louis L’Amour’s statement relates with many “blocked” writers; they procrastinate because they fear they will not have anything to write about. Writing is similar to sports, practice makes perfect. Free-writing for an hour each day will boost a writer’s confidence and focus their mind to the actual task at hand. Writers, particularly students, are often forced to choose a topic that has no connection with their lives. They immediately convince themselves that they are unable to complete the task. Looking at a topic from a different angle can assist a writer in the idea process. Rewording the theme into a question or transforming a statement into an argument will change the writer’s perspective on the topic, generating more …show more content…
Many students do not have an established foundation for writing, resulting in poorly planned work. Writers will find that when their thoughts are unorganized, their essays or novels will suffer greatly. A writer is like a carpenter, they must plan out each aspect of their project before they can commence. Both professionals do not become overwhelmed with thoughts of doubt of the completion, they start with one brick, one word at a time. Often students are self-conscious about their writing skills and they cannot find a way to express themselves. They feel that everything they are writing is inadequate and they second-guess their decisions. The solution to this predicament is for an author to write what they believe, what they feel and what they love. They must remember that they don’t have to write for anyone, when they write honestly, it lights up the pages of their work. Montgomery’s diary entry, Publishing Anne, pleases
Many perfectionist authors attempt to create a perfect first draft, an impossible and daunting task. They become so caught up in editing a specific sentence or paragraph that they are unable to proceed with the main theme. The simple cure for this situation is to write down what you are thinking and edit it in the editing stage. Capturing the basic essence of the idea on the paper allows the writer to continue with their work rather than agonizing over a particular phrase or verb. “Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” (L’Amour). Writers often have difficulty beginning their writing as they have no motivation. Louis L’Amour’s statement relates with many “blocked” writers; they procrastinate because they fear they will not have anything to write about. Writing is similar to sports, practice makes perfect. Free-writing for an hour each day will boost a writer’s confidence and focus their mind to the actual task at hand. Writers, particularly students, are often forced to choose a topic that has no connection with their lives. They immediately convince themselves that they are unable to complete the task. Looking at a topic from a different angle can assist a writer in the idea process. Rewording the theme into a question or transforming a statement into an argument will change the writer’s perspective on the topic, generating more …show more content…
Many students do not have an established foundation for writing, resulting in poorly planned work. Writers will find that when their thoughts are unorganized, their essays or novels will suffer greatly. A writer is like a carpenter, they must plan out each aspect of their project before they can commence. Both professionals do not become overwhelmed with thoughts of doubt of the completion, they start with one brick, one word at a time. Often students are self-conscious about their writing skills and they cannot find a way to express themselves. They feel that everything they are writing is inadequate and they second-guess their decisions. The solution to this predicament is for an author to write what they believe, what they feel and what they love. They must remember that they don’t have to write for anyone, when they write honestly, it lights up the pages of their work. Montgomery’s diary entry, Publishing Anne, pleases