College Essay Tips: How to Deal with Writer’s Block

Writer’s block is real, folks. Whether it’s a blank page or a blank screen, there’s something intimidating about that empty space, and getting those words out of your head can feel daunting.

This is when I say to ignore the number one piece of writing advice: “butt in chair.” (Yes, the most common advice given to professional writers, or aspiring professional writers, is to plant your butt in the chair and just write. Even if it’s garbage.) Instead, I encourage students to walk away from the computer … and keep walking. 

If you’re one of the many people whose words get jumbled and stuck somewhere between their brain and their pen or keyboard, talk instead. Grab your phone, turn on the voice recorder, and just talk. You can transcribe it later. For many people, talking out loud is an easier (and clearer) way to get their thoughts down on the page.

I worked with a student who knew what he wanted to write about, but when he shared his initial draft with me, it was a bit of a mess. Not grammatically or structurally, necessarily. It’s just that his voice wasn’t there. His thoughts didn’t feel authentic. We first met that day, but I could tell this writing wasn’t him. So I opened up my computer and we began a conversation. I took notes as he was talking. I asked a few guiding questions and his words started flowing. Not flowing, so much as flooding! I was typing furiously trying to keep up.

Every once in a while, he’d say, “I don’t think I’m making any sense.” But he was expressing himself beautifully! I told him to keep talking. He practically “wrote” his entire essay in that first conversation. I don’t think I’ve ever typed so fast in my life! But speaking, rather than writing, allowed these amazing details and insights to come right out. All he had to do was take my notes (his dictation) and shape them into a narrative.

When my oldest was putting together his architecture portfolio, he had to write a short blurb about each piece, describing his thought process and inspiration. It. Was. Torture. So I suggested he play darts instead. He set his phone to record, glanced at each project on the computer screen, and threw tiny projectiles at a dartboard while he described his work. I’m not sure if he ever got a bullseye, but he wrote those blurbs in about 20 minutes. All he had to do was transcribe it and add some punctuation.

Agatha Christie, Voltaire, Alexander Dumas, Homer, Dan Brown, Dostoevsky and Henry James all are believed to have used dictation to write their famous works. So if it works for you, too, fan-tastic.