Whenever I teach a writing course, many students tell me that they have trouble getting started on academic papers or creative writing. That first blank page can seem so intimidating. We want our words on the page to be perfect—words that grab the attention of our teachers or our peers who will read it. We want to get that A+ on the assignment. We want to pass the course. Writing longer academic papers (or creative writing projects) can seem a bit overwhelming at times, espec

As I’m writing this blog post, I’m in the process of assessing my writing goals for myself and my students. I think writing goals are...