Write Effectively & Overcome Writer’s Block Do you have a hard time deciding what to write about? Do you have trouble developing a thesis? Have you gotten feedback on your papers asking you to more clearly develop your ideas? This workshop will introduce you to the principles of effective writing. You will also learn some strategies for how to critically analyze information in order to more effectively write your essays & get through writer’s block.

1. Unblock the Writing Experience
Resources to help develop your writing skills and style
Presented by
Kate Stockton, Learning Coach at NEC

2. Workshop Agenda
•Learn the best way to get started with your
writing assignments
•Build confidence in ability to write
•Become aware of writing resources
•Questions? (Stop me and ask throughout)

3. Writers need to know…
• How to get inspired & motivated
• How to get started
• The mechanics of writing
• How to get resources

4. Get Inspired!
• Talk to your instructor and classmates about your topic
(start brainstorming if/when instructor discusses the
assignment during class)
• Visit a local library or bookstore and skim through relevant
books/magazines
• Search for ideas and inspiration on general search engines
(google, bing, blogs, etc.)
• Talk to others about your assignment and ask for their ideas
and feedback
• Read! But when you read ANYTHING pay attention to the
writing style not just the content
• Create a writing ritual in a comfortable, quiet place at a
productive time

5. Why is it so hard to get started?
• Pre-existing condition: writing anxiety?
• The “eternal perfectionist” syndrome
• Lack of experience, or lack of confidence
• Not familiar with pre-writing exercises or
writing resources
• Procrastination – under too much time
pressure and/or stress to do a good job
• Don’t understand the assignment

6. Inventor, Reader, Editor
• Writer’s block is usually because the writer is
engaging in more than one entity at a time
• So… take turns acting each part!
• A rough draft is a writer’s best friend
• You need to read your rough draft with a critical
eye, compare to the expectations of the assignment
• You don’t have to be the only editor! Use your
resources (smarthinking.com, learning coaches, peer
coaches)
Adapted from Elaine Handley’s “Writer’s Block” at
http://www.esc.edu/esconline/across_esc/writerscomplex.nsf/3cc42a422514347a852567
1d0049f395/e3e4e891568bf8b185256a010073d22d?OpenDocument

7. Gathering Information
• Research based?
– Become familiar with online library and how to ask
questions
• Your knowledge, insight or opinion
• Understanding the text, article, topic
• Will you need to interview or observe others?
• Laboratory study, experiments
• Keep track by using a consistent system

8. Pre-Writing Exercises
• Brainstorming
• Making lists
• Asking questions
• Re-reading the assignment expectations
• Mindmapping, clustering
• Creating an organized outline

9. Organizing the Information
• See if you can use your brainstorm or mindmap to get started
• Decide how you want to organize the information
• Consider the “flow”
– Comparing and contrasting information
– Chronologically
• What stays vs. what needs to go
• Complete your outline

10. Writing
 Keep in mind that the hard part is done!
 Write body first, then worry about intro &
conclusion at the end
 Just write! Don’t worry about using fancy words
or sentence structure, proper grammar YET…
 Keep your outline, brainstorm, mindmap nearby
to consult when necessary
 If you get stuck, skip and move on!
 Read out loud as you go

11. Breaking Down the Assignment
Assignment: Your goal is to write a 3-4 paged paper (for students taking the study at
the advanced level -- 1-2 for introductory level) that is an indepth analysis of yourself
in personal, professional and academic contexts. (Enhancing the Academic Eye Fall 2010)
• First – analyze the question
– What kind of a paper is it? (i.e. reaction, persuasive,
research, journal, literature review)
– What are the action words in the assignment?
(analyze, apply, argue, compare/contrast, describe, discuss
, define, evaluate, critique, interpret, react, summarize, syn
thesize)
– What are the rules of the paper? (length, line spacing,
topic, deadline)

12. Make Your Plan to Answer the Question
Assignment: Your goal is to write a 3-4 paged paper (for students taking the study at
the advanced level -- 1-2 for introductory level) that is an indepth analysis of yourself
in personal, professional and academic contexts. (Enhancing the Academic Eye Fall 2010)
•INTRODUCTION - why am I writing this. State your purpose by restating the key parts of
the question - this helps the reader (instructor) know you understood what was being asked of
you and you are aiding the reader (instructor) in understanding what you are going to talk
about.
•BODY – Can take different forms –
•Could be strengths as the focus in each of the three areas (academic, personal and
professional) and then the limits in those areas as separate paragraphs
OR
•Each area (academic, personal and professional) as a separate paragraph with strengths
and limitations both discussed under that particular area
•CONCLUSION - make a plan for success including a connection to the strengths,
limitations, and your learning style.

13. How to Mind Map
• Start by writing the topic of your assignment
in the center of the page
• Write subtopics around the topic and draw
lines to connect where appropriate
• Narrow the topic down even further (details)
• Include any other pieces of information and
make lines to show patterns, relationships and
other connections.

15. BRAINST O RMING
LECTURE
STUDY GROUP TEXTBOOK
CHAPTER
CHAPTER
NO TES
NOTES
LESS ON What Can I
WHAT TO PARAGRAPHS
O BJECTIV ES
Graphically? Organize
G.O
RO UGH TES T
DRAFTS REVIEW

16. Similarities
Differences Differences
Object, Event Object, Event
or Person or Person

17. The Writer’s
Complex can be
accessed via the
Learning Support
Tab
Check out the Writer’s
Complex for more help with
responding to assignments

18. PTR 2
P
roblem
= INTRO
T hesis
R easons = BODY
R esults
= Conclusion

19. Examples on how to create “flow”
• State that you have 3 points to make, then
begin paragraph with “My first point…”, etc.
• Start the second paragraph by
comparing/constrasting with information you
discussed in the previous paragraph
• Break up your essay into sections and give
each section a catch phrase (think of the book
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert)

20. Proofreading & Editing
• Read the entire paper first, make only obvious corrections
• Know your own weaknesses (sentence structure, run-
ons, tense problems, etc.) – use feedback from your
previous papers!
• Read out loud to help with flow and sentence structure
• Ask others to read and ask for their ideas and input
• Submit paper to www.esc.edu/smarthinking
• Take a break before you read it the last time before you
hand it in

21. For your next writing assignment:
1. What kind of assignment is it?
2. What is the goal of the assignment?
3. Consider why your instructor is having you
complete this assignment
4. What is the topic/thesis statement?
5. Start brainstorming ideas
6. Draw a mindmap
7. Create an outline
8. Write your rough draft
9. Review and Edit

22. How to Find More Help

23. More Writing Resources
• ESC Writing Center
http://www.esc.edu/ESConline/Across_ESC/WritingResourceCenter.nsf
/homepageForm?OpenForm
• ESC Library Online Workshops - dates and registration info on
www.esc.edu/library
• Research Tutorials: http://subjectguides.esc.edu/tutorials
• Free online writing help - www.esc.edu/smartthinking
• Writers Digest - http:// www.writersdigest.com
• VisuWords - http:// www.visuwords.com
• Fuel Your Writing - http://www.fuelyourwriting.com/
• Diana Hacker’s Writing Reference http://dianahacker.com/writersref
• Mind Mapping Resources: http://www.buzanworld.com

24. Work Consulted:
• Dobie, A. et. al. "Who, What, When, and Where of Writing Rituals." The
Quarterly of The National Writing Project 24.4 (Fall 2002). 18 March 2004.
<http://www.writingproject.org/pub/nwpr/quarterly/2002no4/dobie.html
>.
• Hacker, D. “A Writer’s Reference” Fifth Edition. 2003.
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/writersref6e/Player/Pages/Main.aspx