Dear Roxy Readers - Spring has finally sprung, and I am excited to share more writing tips from Rylie, a Stone Writing Center tutor. Read on to see her suggestions about getting started on a writing project!
I look forward to
seeing you next time the sun is up, the breeze is cool, and the waves roll into
view.
Roxy
Hi, everyone!
If this blog seems a little different than what you’re used to, it’s because Roxy let me guest star for another special topic today. Thanks for letting me chime in on your blog again, Roxy! Today, I’d like to talk about something many people struggle with when it comes to writing: getting started.
I’ve certainly struggled with starting writing projects throughout the years. Writing is one of my favorite things, yet that blank page still scares me sometimes (although not as much as spiders). Remember, just because you struggle to get started doesn’t mean that you’re a bad writer. Still, issues with getting started can cause trouble when you’ve got a deadline to meet, so how do we push past that apprehension? One of the biggest problems I have boils down to finding my focus—my interest—for the essay. Although the cause for my lack of interest differs for each assignment, I’ve found a solution for each.
Have you ever felt a topic was boring or too vague? I used to begrudgingly accept that the assignment wasn’t going to be fun or interesting and press forward. Eventually, I decided I’d had enough of writing papers that bored me to tears, so I started to look for fresh angles that inspired me. Although it took me a bit longer, I found that I wrote my papers faster and the end result was better.
For example, if you had to write a critical analysis over a book you found boring, it might seem impossible to make the prompt interesting, but you can use your dislike for the novel to your advantage. Think about why you didn’t like it. Did you disagree with one of its messages? Were the characters unlikable? Did the plot drag on? Each of those can be used as the basis for your essay, but be careful not to rant. Similarly, if you like the topic, think about why. Determining why you like or dislike something can help make the subject more interesting.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, I’ve struggled to write because I had too many ideas for an essay. If you’re someone who struggles to come up with one idea, I can imagine you’re rolling your eyes. It sounds like the dream, right? In truth, however, too many ideas can be overwhelming because it’s hard to stay focused. If this is a problem for you, try making a bulleted list with a sentence or two for each of your ideas. This exercise will help you determine what you can write the most about.
There are also times when the prompt seems so personal that you struggle to write anything. When that happened to me, I stared at a blank page for hours, writing and deleting sentences more times than I care to remember. How did I eventually write the essay? I found a way to distance myself so that I could manage my emotions. See if you can approach the prompt from a different angle that has fewer personal and emotional ties. Remember, you are in charge of how much you share, and there’s often a way to tackle these assignments without added stress.
Conversely, you might have a prompt that you desperately want to answer using your own personal experiences. You might be crushed if your professor says that you can’t use examples from your own life, and you wind up not knowing what to write about. If that’s the case, remember that your experiences can be used as a starting point for your essay even if you don’t write about them. Use your personal knowledge of the subject to inform your research. That way, you won’t refer to your own experiences, but your essay will still cover the same ideas.
That’s all I have to say about getting started for now. Remember, finding an interest in a prompt will always motivate you to start writing. Thank you for letting me share my thoughts with your readers, Roxy!
Rylie
No comments:
Post a Comment