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You’ve been staring at the blank screen for weeks now. You know the college essay won’t write itself, but no coherent, creative thoughts are surfacing. You reread the essay prompts. Still nothing. You check your Facebook Page, your tweets and texts, return to your now familiar blank screen, hoping the latest influx of social media updates has sparked something interesting to write about. But it hasn’t. You’re still stuck. What do you do?
Here are some tips to unblock.
Move
Get off your bed, away from your desk, out of your go-to spot. Move to your little brother’s room, the kitchen, the nearest Starbucks or library. Just move! Get out of your routine, say good-bye to your go-to spot. Your new venue can unlock your brain and let all those great ideas surface.
Disconnect
Shut down your Facebook page, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Vines, text alerts, e-mails, sports updates. Close them all. I promise you can reconnect later. For now, shut it down. Nothing distracts from the writing process more than social media. When you take that much-needed break, you can consider a timed-reconnect as your reward.
Pen and paper
As a writer, when I’m blocked, I embrace tradition and write the old-fashioned way with pen and paper. It feels less permanent, less committal. I feel freer to express myself. And, if I hate it, I can rip it up and begin again. Give the pad a try. Not a fan of paper, open a new document, but don’t title it college essay. Just call it thoughts. See if that no-pressure space helps the flow of your ideas.
Exercise
There is nothing that gets the brain moving more than a little exercise. Go for a run, walk around the block with your dog (or borrow your neighbor’s). Don’t want the full exercise commitment, do twenty jumping jacks or fifteen push-ups. Still not convinced, open your playlist, play three songs and dance like crazy around your room. Just get your heart rate up. It will clear your head and allow your ideas to float to the surface.
Talk it out
Still stuck? Phone a friend, parent, or sibling. Talk it out. When I’m stuck writing a scene in one of my books, and I’ve stared at my blank screen for a respectable period of time, tried the paper routine, and done my requisite jumping jacks, I know it’s time to start talking. I call a friend and tell her what I’m trying to say. Her questions, answers, thoughts, and input enable me to look at my writing through a different lens. Nothing uncorks like a good conversation.
Now you are ready. It’s time. Write that first draft of your essay. When you’re done, let’s talk revision.
The post Say Good-bye to Writer’s Block: Tips on Writing your College Essay appeared first on TeenLife.