Welcome to the second installment of the Expository Writer.
It is 94 degrees in Boston today, and my brain feels like it. I happen to be struggling with a bit of my own writing today, and I am especially in touch with what some people call “writer’s block” (a hilariously euphemistic way of referring to a condition that is nothing short of hellish, as any dissertation writer will tell you).
A perfect day for writing a blog post on writing essays and the trials of expository writing...
Maybe this will do the trick.
Last time, I left off with the need for structure in expository writing. In the interest of honoring my own exhortation, let me begin with a structure for this blog post. I will discuss the phenomenon of writer’s block in three parts: What is it? What causes it? How in the world can it be vanquished? (N.B. The first paragraph of this post was my “hook,” this paragraph is technically the introduction, and the ones that follow compose the body. More on all these juicy items in future posts).
Ok, so let’s dig in. What is writer’s block? Wikipedia’s definition makes it sound pretty bad:
“Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some "blocked" writers have been unable to work for years on end, and some have even abandoned their careers.”
Yikes, bad definition, folks. Should have selected something lower down in the Google search. The worst thing you can do for writer’s block is approach it like it’s a chronic affliction. It’s not. It can be solved. Start by considering why you are having trouble. What are the roots of your writer’s block? Here are some possibilities based on my experience:
- You are tired or hungry.
- You are unsure what your argument is.
- You are sure of your argument, but you don’t like the sound of it. So, net result: you are unsure of your argument.
- You thought something was true that now does not seem true; you can’t find any evidence for it. Gripping fear: maybe there is no evidence for your claim, maybe it’s untrue.
- You have too much time to write and not enough pressure.
- Converse also works: you have too little time and too much pressure. All you can think about is your deadline.
- Your aspirations are grandiose and, in comparison, your prose looks, well, pedestrian.
- You think you have writer’s block, so guess what: now you do. In this last instance, writer’s block is almost exactly like some kinds of insomnia in that you can give it to yourself.
As you can tell from my bullets, writer’s block is a condition that can emerge from a lot of different causes. So, what can you do about it?
- Take a break: eat a meal, sleep, or walk outside. Foolproof. Except that today it’s 94 degrees and if I take a walk, I could end up fried on the sidewalk. In-home yoga?
- Break down the structure of your argument. Maybe you already have an outline, but it’s no longer working. Look at what you’ve written and outline your existing prose. Pretend that you do not have an outline already (if you don’t have one, well, problem solved: write one now!). This procedure can help you find the inconsistency that’s causing your mind to turn off. A lot of writer’s block happens because there is a missing connection in your logic and your mind gets exhausted trying to leap over it, around it, through it, etc.
- Regain footing in your evidence. Go back to the text. Maybe spend an hour reading and underlining. Stay active! Pencil in hand, mind at work. Can you see the same evidence in a new way? Is there anything useful here?
- No matter the time situation at hand (too much, too little), get back to basics. Do this thing one step at a time. What is the next logical move in your thought process? Don’t worry about how it sounds. Just put it down. The flow will re-emerge if you take small steps. I promise. The flow will re-emerge.
- Write down everything you’re thinking. Alternately known as free writing. A magic potion of sorts. In this exercise, make yourself write on a blank sheet of paper or screen. No editing, deleting, or spellcheck. Just raw stuff. Then, at least you’ll have something on the page. The value of something on the page cannot be overstated. It is like a small lemonade on a hot day. It won’t solve all your problems, but it’s an amazing start.
- Be reassured that your writer’s block will pass. This is an article of faith. If you can make it happen to yourself, you can make it un-happen. Believe.
If all else fails, try writing a blog post. It’s worked pretty well for me.
Thanks for reading,
MFM
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