Laura's+Paper+1+Reflections

I get terrible writer's block. It has been a problem for years and it has taken a long time to figure out ways around it. I was not going to let this happen, again, with my first paper this semester. I decided to take all the pressure off of myself and just start writing down thoughts that came to my head that could have anything to do with the given prompt. By taking the pressure off, and just brainstorming without care, I was able to find my big idea for my paper. I sat down with that new idea and wrote out tons of notes about what I already knew about it. I was quickly able to see exactly what I wanted to include, what worked well and what did not, and what research I needed to conduct to back up my points. This process, for me personally, eliminated the dreaded blank screen and flashing cursor. So my advice to you is to just start writing, it does not matter what. The big idea will come through in your writing. This exercise has also helped me to not only find my big idea, but to worry about all the revising later. I am the type of writer that goes back and reads each sentence after typing to correct and revise. This causes me to not only lose my train of thought, but it also wastes time I could have spent carrying on with my writing. I strongly encourage that you continue to write, just as you would speak, regardless if you have a misspelled word in the last sentence or have a grammar mistake in the last paragraph. You will find it when you return to it, so for now it is best to continue on with your thought. If you must go back and revise while you are working, try to stop at the end of the paragraph and then start correcting. You will be ending your thought and therefore have a natural break to go back and reread.