Sometimes, finding a place to start for your essay can make you freeze up.
Writer’s block is common, but there are tricks for getting past it. The main thing you need to do is just start writing. It can literally be about anything: the posters on your wall, your lunch, your shoes. Just the act of writing will help you get started.
Follow these useful tips from high school English teacher, Sarah Ramsey, to get over writer’s block:
Tip 1: Do a 20-minute free write
Sit down for 20 minutes straight without taking the pencil off the page and write about any topic that comes to mind. Get something down on paper and then go back and sift through to find inspiration in your writing piece. It may be a phrase or a sentence that serves as a starting point for your college essay.
Tip 2: Find inspiration from your own life
Sit and look around your room for inspiration, you may see a memento, souvenir, or poster that spark memories of a trip or experience you’ve had that have been important to you. If you’ve journaled through your childhood, read back through journals to find important moments in your life. You can also look through your photos on your phone to find different experiences you’ve had with friends or family.
Tip 3: Ask the people who know you best
Ask your friends or family who know you well, “What are three adjectives you think of when you think of me?” If you see from multiple people the same adjectives surfacing, you know that could be a good thing to communicate about yourself.
