Timed Writing to Break Writer's Block

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, especially if we are juggling lots of other projects or assignments. Writer's block—whether it's when we are trying to get started or when we are trying to move to the next paragraph—can be hard to get passed. Here are a few tips.

First, stop thinking so far ahead! When you are trying to take your first steps with your writing projects, looking too far ahead can seem intimidating. It’s good to plan ahead and sketch out your long-term goals, but when you sit down to write, you only have one goal: get some words down on paper. Those words can be edited later. Everything you write should be a rough draft. Remembering that can take a little of the pressure off when you're trying to write.

Second, try a timed writing exercise to get your words to flow if you have been staring at a blank page. If you feel stuck, try 30-second free writing exercises. What does that involve? Set a clock alarm or timer for 30 seconds (or up to three minutes but no longer). Write or type about your subject without stopping for the entire time. If you are writing about pineapples, for example, your writing may look like this (remembering that grammar and spelling don't matter in the timed writing):

Pineapples are healthy. Pineapples are grown in Hawaii. Pineapples are heard to peel. They have a thick skin. you can make pineapple juice. I don’t know what else to say. I have seen them growing. They are sweet. They are yellow inside. the canned ones come in chunks or rings. My grandmother ate them with cheese and mayonnaise.  

When you are writing quickly like this, some of your thoughts will be completely crazy. You may discover, though, that you have unlocked some new ideas for your writing project. Nothing about my pineapple paragraph will be what is turned in to a teacher or used for a book. However, I got some words down and broke writer's block. I stopped staring at a blank page (or stopped feeling stuck, hopefully).

Third, look at your timed writing and pull out ideas for your paper or project. Sometimes, once we start writing, we can think of even more to put into our project without feeling stuck again. If not, look back at what you wrote. If I really had a paper due on pineapples, what ideas did I get down on paper during the timed writing? I can create an outline of ideas from what I wrote:

1. What climate can pineapples grow in? (I mentioned they are grown in Hawaii. That's something I can research and write more about.)

2. What do ripe pineapples look like? (I mentioned they are yellow inside. What else could I say?)

3. What are the health benefits and uses of pineapple? (I mentioned they are healthy and can be canned. I also mentioned how my grandmother ate them. I can write more about how pineapples are used and how beneficial they are.)

I can take what I wrote quickly and pull out ideas to write more about. You can try this for any topic you are writing about, whether for a history paper, a literature term paper, or any other academic writing. You can also try this for your character sketches if you are writing a novel or short story. This exercise also works well for plot twists in creative writing. Write out several options for how a scene could end. This timed writing exercise can help writers start or finish writing projects with less stress.