What to Do When Your Words Go on Vacation

Imagine the impending due date of your final paper. You settle down comfortably with a promising topic in mind. You are happy, motivated, and ready to get this paper started. Your fingers barely brush the keyboard of your trusty laptop (or pencil) and— 
 
Where did all the words go?
 
The Oxford Dictionary describes writer’s block as, “the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing.” The image of an exhausted writer, face flat on their desk in defeat, is commonly associated with the term “writer’s block.” However, you don’t have to be a professional writer to experience writer’s block. Students are writers, too, and sometimes our words go on vacation. 
 
Here are three strategies that may help: 
 
Relax.
Sometimes, the pressure of cranking out a beautiful, flawless paper can scare your words away. But remember, your first words don’t have to be perfect! Neither does your entire first draft. After all, it isn’t called a draft without reason. Go for a walk, drink some coffee, do some breathing exercises, etc. Take some pressure off yourself, do some relaxing activities, and let your mind breathe. It might just be the thing you need to get back in the flow of writing. 
 
Write something—anything—down.
Writing the first sentence can be a daunting step, especially with a blank expanse of white screen staring back at you. Putting some words down can help ease that dreadful feeling you get from looking at an empty document. These first words can be anything that comes to mind—and they don’t have to be polished. A random thought only somewhat related to your topic? Go ahead and write that down. You can even write about how you think your topic is too complex! You can always come back to edit or remove these opening thoughts later, but the first sentence itself could very well be the thing that gets the ball rolling on the rest of that draft. It could be that push you need to start finding all your other thoughts. 
 
Meet with a buddy.
Meeting up with someone you feel comfortable talking to and discussing your paper(s) often helps move the writing process along. Having an interested person provide their genuine thoughts and feelings about your work-in-progress may unlock ideas you can use in your writing. Consider meeting with your fellow classmates, friends, family, or mentors when you’re feeling blocked, and talk about your paper topic, goals, and struggles. Study or writing groups with more than two writers can also be a great way to enhance this strategy: more minds often mean more inspiration and motivation. 
 
Another great option is to schedule an appointment with the Writing Studio. Remember—you can make a Writing Studio appointment at any stage in the writing process, including the brainstorming stage. Writing Studio consultants can help you think through ideas, develop thesis statements, and begin outlining arguments. 
 
If your words have gone on vacation, take a deep breath and start with one of the above suggestions that appeals to you most. Perhaps one of them will even become a permanent part of your writing process. What are you waiting for?
 
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Liana is a sophomore majoring in business data analytics and graphic design. She loves drawing, painting, digital painting, and all things art related! She has a lot of experience with academic writing and is all too familiar with the unfortunate writer's block that often comes before a paper's due date. Fortunately, Concordia University Irvine has a Writing Studio, and Liana is happy to help you out with anything you may need. She looks forward to working with you!