What to do with writer’s block

There are a number of reasons why you may experience Writer’s Block from time to time.

  • First, you may lose sight of your goal. Go back and review (TQR) where you ultimately want to be.
  • Next, you may feel somewhat anxious about the project. When you’re anxious, it is difficult to focus on what you’re doing. Try to break the project into smaller pieces, or you may even want to start with familiar material.
  • The last reason is you may be too focused on writing “correct sentences”. Grammar is important, don’t get me wrong, but when we write, we should focus on communication our ideas, and then when we revise and edit, make corrections in sentences, punctuation, and vocabulary.

So if you sit down to write and nothing is coming, try reviewing your goal, or breaking the project down into small pieces, or focusing on communicating your ideas.

Richard Carrigan

Richard Carrigan has been an educator for over 30 years and a filmmaker for the past thirteen years. He has experience teaching business English and conversational English in Asia and teaching academic English at the university level in the United States.