We've all stared at the blank page of our word document, the cursor winking at us as we struggle to begin writing. Some might even consider starting writing to be the hardest part of the process. You might be stumped on ideas, or you could be typing and backspacing because you hate what you wrote. Whatever it may be, there are ways to overcome the obstacle. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
1) 200 Words A Day
Setting a daily goal for yourself will help you slowly overcome that writers block. 200 words is only 1 paragraph, which might feel like nothing in the grand scheme of things, but small progress is still progress. Soon you'll finish the first chapter of your book, or you'll complete the first draft of your essay.
However, this tip is customizable for you! If you think that 200 words is still too much to handle in one day you can break it down even more. Start with 100 or 50 words a day if that feels better and more attainable for you. Over time you can increase your goal to give yourself more of a challenge and increase your productivity.
The point of this tip is to help break the work down for you. The idea of starting a 10-page essay from scratch can be daunting and your anxiety might lead to procrastination. This is why breaking down your work into smaller increments can be helpful. You don't have to complete your whole essay in one day, you just need to write 1 paragraph.
2) Write Now, Edit Later
Another roadblock that you might encounter is perfectionism. This might not sound like an obstacle, but if you've ever spent an agonizing amount of time stressing over one sentence you might understand. Editing as you go might work for some, but if you're struggling to get past the first paragraph this tip might help.
Instead of backspacing when you notice a mistake, or if you don't like what you wrote, keep going. Leave the typos and the grammatical errors and just write. Write as much as you can without judgement and leave the editing for later. This is called "Freewriting" which can also be a great tool for brainstorming.
This tip will help you let go of the obsession with perfection. Your writing will never be perfect on the first draft, or even the second. Writing as much as you can will help you work out some ideas, and get your thoughts out of your brain and onto your paper. When you have finished freewriting you can go back and make any changes you think are necessary. Even if you only keep one word, that's great! That word could help you form the thesis for your essay, or be a great idea for a short story.
3) Take Breaks
If you find it's hard to sit still and write for long hours at a time, this is a great idea. Try and space out your writing sessions with small breaks in between. Start writing for 20 minutes straight, then take a 5 minute break. Writing sessions will seem a little less daunting if that means you don't have to sit and write for hours on end.
This is another tip that can be totally customizable to you. 20 minutes might still seem too long for you, so you can try shortening it to 15 or 10 minutes with 3 and 2 minute breaks. You can even make your sessions longer if you like.
Another idea is to give yourself slightly longer breaks if you feel like you need them. If you feel like 20 minute writing sessions with a 5 minute break isn't enough, you can try resting for 10 minutes. They key is to stay accountable, and get back to writing when your break is over. Getting into this habit will help you work productively throughout the day. You'll feel more motivated if you can give yourself time to breathe.
4) What's On Your Mind?
This one might seem a little strange, but if you're stumped on what exactly you should write, just write what's on your mind. Write anything and everything so that you can at least practice the act of writing because you might get a good idea from that.
You might be wondering how this tip will help you come up with an idea for your essay/assignment. If so, these prompts might help you get started:
What are you stressed about for this essay/assignment and why?
What are your curious about?
What would you like to learn more about?
What do you like/dislike about this topic?
The point of this is to help you brainstorm some ideas for your writing. Don't worry about whether or not what your write is bad because you don't have to keep it! But you might be able to form a thesis, idea, or story from this exercise.
You might be able to combine some of these tips together to create the perfect concoction for getting started. By exploring these tips you'll find what works for you and apply it to your writing process. There is no pressure to be perfect with these exercises, they are simply there to help you get the ball rolling with your writing.