Writing anxiety just means that a writer is feeling bad about a particular writing task. The last question above shows something important about this condition that has been a problem for writers for hundreds of years: writing anxiety is often more about the audience and/or purpose for a given writing task than it is about the act of writing itself.
Writing can be a huge source of comfort for many people, as well as a fun and creative way to learn about a new world and use their imagination. But anyone who has tried to write something knows how frustrating writer’s block and writing anxiety can be. Here are some ways to overcome writing anxiety and get your writing going, whether you want to start a long project or just get the words flowing.
1. Just Get Started
It might sound like it makes things too easy, but it’s the truth. Half of the battle is just getting started when it comes to writing anxiety. Try things like freewriting or taking notes in a dialectic way.
Writers sometimes find it hard to get started because they think their writing has to be good and well-organized or that they have to start at the beginning. That’s not true at all. You only need to get started.
Have you ever watched a potter make something out of clay? Before a potter can start shaping or throwing a pot, they have to bring the big wet blob of clay and smack it down on the table. Even though it’s heavy, wet, and messy, it’s the most important raw material. No dirt? No pot. This is a lot like “bad writing.” You have to put everything down on the table. Get them out of there. Only then can you start putting the words together to make something beautiful and lasting.
You don’t have to worry about making your writing its best until you’re revising it. Just put the ideas on the table for now. Professional book writing services can help you print with the best quality and get into more potential readers’ hands.
2. Smaller Tasks And Goals For The Short Term
One of the biggest reasons why people don’t write is that the task seems too big or the deadline is weeks away. Each of these things can make you feel like you have too much to do or make you more likely to put things off and increase writing anxiety. But there is a simple solution that will help you keep writing every week so you can meet your deadline and finish the project: divide big writing tasks into smaller, easier-to-handle tasks and set deadlines for each smaller task.
This text is a good example because it shows how the authors wrote it. As authors, we had to divide the text into sections and plan for a first draft, peer reviews, and revisions, as well as add images, links, and other resources and put the final text online. If we hadn’t broken down the bigger tasks into smaller ones and set short-term goals and deadlines, it would have been hard to write the text. We didn’t meet every single intermediate deadline on time, but they helped us move forward and helped us meet the most important deadline, the last one, with a complete text that was ready to publish on time.
Imagine that you’re given a term paper in Week 1 of an 11-week term, and it’s due the week before finals. Make a list of everything you can think of that needs to be done, from the beginning to the end, to finish the assignment. Make a list of the tasks and give each due date. Consider going one step further and making a task table with a column for extra notes.
3. Collaborate
Talk to a friend, family member, or classmate for help if you are struggling with writing anxiety. Talk about your ideas for your essay with your friends, family, or a tutor at your college’s writing center. Sometimes, talking about your ideas is the best way to flesh them out, get more ideas flowing, and prevent writing anxiety. Write down notes as you talk or right afterward. Classmates are a great source of information because they learn the same things as you and do the same work. Talk to them often and get together to study. Ask other people to review your ideas or writing and tell them their thoughts. Set goals and hold each other accountable for meeting deadlines (a little friendly competition can be a good motivator!).
Talk to other people who could be readers. Ask them what they think this kind of writing should do. Talk to a teacher in the writing center on your campus. Bring a printed copy of the assignment, a list of what you want to work on, and a printed copy of your essay to the meeting.
4. Seek Out Experts
If you can, find more experienced writers who write the same thing you do and ask them questions. This could mean a friend or family member who has already been to college for a few years. Maybe it’s a fellow student who has already taken the class you’re in now. Also, tutors in your college’s writing center can help at any stage of the writing process. Call them and set up a time to meet. And don’t forget your instructor, an expert you always see in class. Ask your teacher for some ideas. This is why she is there.
You can also learn from what others have done by looking at other writing pieces like the one you’re working on. How does this piece fit together? Does it use things that came before? How does the tone sound? Ask your teacher where you can find examples if you don’t know where to look. If he doesn’t have them on hand, he’ll probably be able to tell you where to look for them.
Conclusion:
Even if you can’t eliminate the cause of your writing anxiety, knowing what it is can help you get past it and start writing. If the topic doesn’t interest you or if you’re having problems at home, those probably won’t just go away. However, if you try some of the following strategies, you’ll find that you can at least move forward with even the most stressful writing assignments.
