Avoiding writer's block, step-by-step

June 21, 10:18 AMLA Self Publishing ExaminerValcine Brown

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AP Photo: John Bazemore

It has happened to everyone at some time or another. They sit down to write at their computer or with pen and pad and… nothing happens. Their mind is blank. The ideas which had come at a time when pen and pad were not handy have now drifted off into the darkness leaving behind no trail or forwarding address.

While studying at California State University of Dominguez Hills, CSUDH, I had the pleasure of taking English 350 with Andrea Scarpino. This lovely lady offered great tips for approaching writing assignments. These step by step tips are useful for any writing project. An accomplished writer, poet, and teacher, Ms. Scarpino had these tips to teach her class.

Step 1: Understand your Writing Prompt
a) Read the prompt. Read it again.
b) Study the prompt’s verbs. Verbs like explain, describe, narrate, compare, contrast, explore, discuss, elaborate, etc. tell you how to approach your task.
c) Write a one sentence explanation of your prompt and how you plan to approach it
I will pause here to add that while these steps are geared toward an assigned writing task, they are also useful when writing fiction or non-fiction. In the case of non-fiction, when a writer has gathered data, facts, or research which they intend to include in a book, they want to be sure that they are keeping towards the goal of their intended project and sticking with their theme. In the case of fiction, one would use this step to draft their plot and begin writing characters which will be needed to carry out the storyline.

Step 2: Brainstorm (or Pre-writing)
a) Free-write
b) make a list
c) Cluster
d) Ask journalistic questions: Who? What? Why? When? Where? How?
Whether free-writing for fiction or non-fiction, the point is to begin writing. Whether you are jumping from topic to topic, not sticking to chronological order or etc. this step is used to get the juices flowing. I want to point out that at this time, no corrections should be made to grammar, syntax, or sentence structure. This step is allotted strictly to creating.

Step 3: Organize your Brainstorming
a) Pick and choose the strongest ideas and form an outline
b) Group ideas together by relevance
Start following the threads of your writing which you think develops strongest and will take you to your desired destination. Feel free to take some time between steps three and four. Depending on the depth of your project and its desired destination, you may have done quite a bit so far.

Step 4: Write the First/Rough Draft
a) Don’t worry about grammar, spelling or word choice
b) Start putting your ideas into sentences and paragraphs
c) Start with the easiest material for you to write
d) Reserve at least 2 hours to write the rough draft
Whether you are writing a non-fiction or fiction title, you can use step four to begin breaking your work into chapters based on the flow or desired presentation of your work.

Step 5: Revise
a) Wait a day or two
b) Re-read your draft actively, asking yourself:
i. Is my paper addressing the prompt?
ii. Is my paper logically developed? Does each idea relate to the last one?
iii. Is my thesis specific and significant? Is it supported by examples? Does my writing support it?
iv. Are my introduction and conclusion interesting? Informative?
c) Re-write as needed
Again, while these steps are designed to help when writing to a prompt, the same question can be asked but phrased differently to cover what you intend to accomplish with your book. If writing non-fiction a writer would ask him or herself, a) Am I telling the facts that I wished to cover in my piece? b) Is my book following a logical outline and pace? With fiction: a) How is my timing of the events? B) Is my chronology going to achieve the desired affect C) How is my development of my characters?

Step 6: Proofread
a) Wait a day or two
b) Read a paper copy of your final draft aloud
c) Make sure every sentence is complete; correct any grammatical mistakes, typos or other surface errors

These steps have been outlined courtesy of Andrea Scarpino, with many thanks for this valuable step by step process to approaching writing
 

To learn more about Andrea Scarpino, visit www.andreascarpino.com/. Click the enclosed link to purchase Andrea Scarpino’s poetry collection The Grove Behind