4 simple strategies to help you combat writer’s block
Writing can be difficult, especially for those who like to call themselves writers by profession or deep passion. And one of the things that makes writing so difficult, whether you’re trying to come up with something to write or to hit a word count for an assignment, is writer’s block. What exactly makes writer’s block such a formidable obstacle? And how can we fight it?
There are many things you can try in order to prevent writer’s block from coming into your life so frequently, as well as exercises you can try when all else seems to fail. Maybe you’re using a thesaurus incorrectly, confusing the meanings of affect vs effect, or just having a hard time coming up with a topic. Whatever your situation, we have a few tips you can try. Stop Getting Tripped Up by Easy to Confuse Words
No matter how experienced you are as a writer, there are always going to be a few things that make you stop dead in your tracks while you’re working, slowing down your entire creative process. For instance, many of us still have trouble determining whether affect vs. effect is the correct way to go.
Right now, I can explain that, in terms of the affect vs effect debacle, this is relatively simple to figure out. “Affect” is typically used as a verb, when something is changing something else. For example, the angle of the sun can affect the growth of the farmer’s plants.
But “effect” is used as a noun, when something has caused an effect. So if I wanted to write the sentence about the sun changing the farmer’s plants, I could explain that the sun caused a negative effect on the plants.
However, explaining how to use affect vs effect here will not change the way you’re able to write in the long term. There are many other words that fall under a problem that is similar to an affect vs effect type issue. How do we combat this on the whole?
It might be useful to create a little cheat sheet for you to use while you’re writing, explicitly for the things that you know commonly give you trouble. This might explain affect vs effect; the problem you have with there, their, and they’re; and other specific rules you’ll need to follow while you’re writing. Start Using a Thesaurus Properly
Many writers have also gotten into the habit of using a thesaurus in order to make their writing feel more engaging, interesting, or academic. However, by only using this tool to use larger, more important sounding words, you’re not using your thesaurus to its full potential. Additionally, you might even be getting in your own way by following this practice.
Instead of stopping yourself and getting out of your writing flow, write what comes naturally to you as you’re scribbling down notes on the page or typing. Then, instead of ceasing work in the middle of your progress, wait until you’ve hit a certain milestone to pull out your favorite […]
