Confronting an Empty Page: How to Write when Inspiration Forsakes you.

“This is how you do it: you sit down the keyboard and you put one word after another until it’s done. It’s that easy and that hard.” Neil Gaiman

 

 Staring at an empty page, that seems to get bigger, more desolate and blank and impossible to fill the longer I wait; panic sets in, as my assignment is due tomorrow, and I’ve been thinking about it for a week now but somehow my ideas have run dry, my imagination has taken a holiday, and my motivation is… unmotivated.

Do you perhaps recognise the situation I’ve just described? Have you ever asked yourself what on earth you should write and how you are going to produce a coherent text when you lack inspiration? Well, I must confess to being a victim of this predicament this evening, as I sit down to write my weekly blog article, which I’m committed to publish on Mondays. I had jotted down some notes on a topic I was interested in a few days ago, but they were somehow swallowed up by the chaos of my desk and now I’m left completely alone: the uninhabited page and me. So I thought perhaps we could face this common terror together, and try to find a way out of it. I have a stock of strategies I’ve learned to rely on when I’m stuck; curiously, there isn’t a single one that works consistently, which is why it’s useful to have more than one arrow in my quiver (i.e. different strategies to use in solving a problem). One thing that often helps me begin to write is having some sort of outline, even just a list of thoughts; I know that each point will correspond to about a paragraph, which I can then shuffle around until I find the most logical order.  Sometimes, however, an outline can restrict the free flow of thoughts, so don’t hesitate to skip it and allow yourself to start writing, stream of consciousness, anything vaguely related to your topic. What’s really important in this first phase is to overcome the block and fill the page with words, any words. Dr. Brené Brown, who researches and writes about shame and vulnerability, author of several books and an excellent TED Talk, encourages us in Rising Strong to write “unedited, uncensored narratives of our lives”, and quotes the advice of another author, Anne Lamott: “The only way I can get anything written at all is to write really, really sh*tty first drafts. The first draft is the child’s draft, where you let it all pour out, romp all over the place, knowing that no one is going to see it…” – Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird (quoted in B. Brown, Rising Strong)  Sometimes, the lack of pressure and judgement of a “Sh*tty First Draft” is exactly what we need to build momentum. If it’s sh*tty, it’s not supposed to be perfect. The editing phase will come later, once the fear has subsided;  and often we’ll be surprised to discover that most of what we’ve written can be saved, once it’s been cleaned up a little! A good way of practicing stream of consciousness writing is by keeping a journal. The discipline of regularly confronting our thoughts on paper is a great help in overcoming that terror of the blank page.  Julia Cameron, in her book The Artist’s Way, suggests the practice of writing “Morning Pages”, which are three pages of longhand writing to be done possibly first thing in the morning. (More about this here: http://juliacameronlive.com/basic-tools/morning-pages/ ). I did this for a few months last summer and found that the act of sitting down to write and reflect each morning brought a heightened sense of awareness that flowed on into the rest of the day. Furthermore, there’s no rule that states that we have to start writing from the beginning and follow through to the end. If you’re stuck with one bit, skip it and tackle another. Some thoughts are harder to express than others: even in speaking, we often jump forward or return to something we’ve already said and rephrase it or add details or depth. It’s natural to follow this method when we write, as well. In the editing phase, we can make sure we have a more linear structure, which is easier for the reader to follow. If none of these strategies work, it might be time to get up and do something else. As a master-procrastinator, this piece of advice is rather dangerous for me to follow, as I often find myself inventing tasks to avoid working on what needs to be done. However, inspiration may hit while you’re taking a walk in the woods, having a heart-to-heart chat with a friend, even choosing a new pair of shoes.  When I have an article or paper due, I often keep a pad of paper and a pen on my nightstand, as I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with a brilliant new idea or the perfect conclusion: if I don’t write it down immediately, it’ll be lost by morning. This short article didn’t seem to want to come to life just an hour ago, but we’ve reached the end, together. Once you get going, words and thoughts just seem to follow one another. There is a popular saying in food-obsessed Italy which is rather appropriate here: “L’appetito vien mangiando”, your appetite will develop as you eat. Write, and you’ll be hungry for more!        

 10 Tips to Make your Writing Shine – Part 2, Style

 

 “Writing is the painting of the Voice” – Voltaire

 

 This week I’d like to address the more elusive topic of style, which is as personal as it is important. Our moods, emotions, opinions, and even our personalities come across in our writing; through our technique, we can successfully steer our thoughts in the direction we prefer. Voltaire’s words which introduce this article perfectly express the nature of writing: our words are a verbal work of art.

Last week, I published my first five basic tips to help your writing really stand out. These related to the more structural elements of writing. You can check out last week’s blog post for more details. However, to quickly recap, they were… 1. Check your spelling, punctuation, grammar, and syntax. 2. Use any available resources, but remember: all translations are not created equal! 3. Pay close attention to the type of text you are writing. 4. Choose your register, or level of formality, carefully. 5. Know your audience: whom are you writing for?   And now, here are some of the key stylistic elements to consider when writing: 6. Keep it simple.

• Avoid Wordiness: Contrary to other languages, elegance in English writing is achieved by a crisp, clear style, where redundant and excessive words (called “wordiness”) are avoided. 

    For example: “Mary became better at being able to establish the defendant’s alibi”. This sentence contains too many redundant words and is confusing for the reader. It would be better to write: “Mary could better establish the defendant’s alibi”.

• Keep your sentences short: In many languages, sentences tend to run on for half a page and contain numerous key concepts. There is the constant risk of losing one’s way and needing to return to the beginning and re-read the same passage. In English, sentences tend to contain one key concept and are quite linear in their structure and easy to follow. This simplicity should not be confused with a lack of sophistication: on the contrary, complex concepts are addressed using specific vocabulary and a clear, essentialist style. In academic writing, the topic sentence will generally occur at the beginning of the paragraph, allowing the reader to more easily scan for gist. 

7. Edit like there’s no tomorrow. Stephen King said: “To write is human, to edit is divine.” Allow your words to tumble onto the page at first, without too much restraint. Next, put some distance between yourself and your text, letting your first draft sit for a while. Once you return to it, read it with a critical eye and a merciless pen! Check for spelling and grammar mistakes; follow the thread of your thought throughout your sentences and make sure it is coherent. I find that reading my own written work out loud really helps me to spot mistakes and inconsistencies: a patient friend may serve the same purpose. When in doubt, try reformulating your thought in a clearer fashion; if that doesn’t work, eliminate it. If you are confused by what you’ve written, your reader will be clueless. 8. Take pride in your writing. This is one of the concepts that is nearest and dearest to my heart. Writing, even writing an essay for class or a short note, is a highly creative act, an expression of the author’s soul. (Yes, OK, that might sound like an exaggeration, but I really believe that the written word wields tremendous power!) I’d urge you to care deeply about the words you put on paper, to let them speak for you and to make you proud! 9. Dare to experiment. Experiment? Being urged to experiment after having been told to edit mercilessly doesn’t seem to make much sense, but in order to develop as a writer, we need to be ready to go beyond the proverbial comfort zone, beyond the types of text and turn of phrase we are familiar with. Words are like plasticine: we can model them into an infinite number of combinations to express our every thought and emotion. Play with them, listen for interesting sound combinations, for unusual rhythms that might support your intention. Use metaphors and analogies to illustrate your point. Be free! And then, if your freedom has led you too far from your original path, you can always retrace your steps and edit out some of the failed experiments, but you will still be transformed as a writer: you will have dared to venture into new and unchartered territory, having grown as a result of the experience.  10. Find your voice. Just as we do when we speak, we present ourselves to others in our writing as well. I believe that important questions to ask ourselves regard our identity as writers: “Who am I as an author? How do I want to come across to my readers? Though I’m not advocating we all strive to become the next Goethe or Shakespeare, authors whose writing was immediately identifiable, I believe that having reflected upon our identity as writers will allow our thoughts and opinions to come across more clearly on paper.  Finding and developing our voice is a process that reflects our own evolution and will accompany us throughout our lives.  Hoping that you may be inspired to try out something new in your writing this week, or that you have gone a step further in gaining awareness of who you are as an author, I’ll close for now. Don’t hesitate to continue the conversation in the comments below. Happy writing! Other interesting articles about writing: “Be a Better Writer in 15 Minutes” (Ted-Ed) http://blog.ed.ted.com/2014/05/29/be-a-better-writer-in-15-minutes-4-ted-ed-lessons-on-grammar-and-word-choice/ “Overused adjectives” (Grammarly) https://www.grammarly.com/blog/common-adjectives/?utm_source=Facebook_org&utm_content=&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cleanwriting&utm_id=R9XpyOCS4oHt7O “24 Quick Tips that will Improve your Writing” (Grammarly) https://www.grammarly.com/blog/writing-tips/?utm_content=&utm_source=Facebook_org&utm_medium=social “10 Grammatical Errors that Damage Credibility” (Grammarly) https://www.grammarly.com/blog/grammatical-errors/?utm_content=&utm_source=Facebook_org&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=grammar&utm_id=9vWChuoB6brm5f “Everything you Should Know about Cleaning up your Writing” (Grammarly) https://www.grammarly.com/blog/proofreading-tips-and-tools/?utm_content=&utm_source=Facebook_org&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cleanwriting&utm_id=5MVYhJnm9s0AkJ              

10 Tips to Make your Writing Shine – Part 1, Structure

“Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.” –  E.L. Doctorow “Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words.” –  Mark Twain

Few activities are as polarising as writing: a creative vehicle of expression for some, an unusually cruel form of torture for others, not many people remain completely indifferent when faced with a written task. The words we place on a page, to be read by others, are a form of communication just as powerful as those we speak, at times even more so; for this reason, they should be clear, well-chosen, and a joy to read.  Faced with piles of student work to correct each week, my reactions also sway from pure delight to absolute horror: I  often suggest my students take the same pride and care in their writing as they do in getting ready in the morning. Just as we try to look our best when facing the world on a new day, so should we feel confident that our best efforts are displayed on the page. Having said that, what are the key things that make our writing great? Here are a few tips to help you get started; this week I’ll concentrate on structural aspects, leaving style for next week:

1. Check your spelling, punctuation, grammar, and syntax.  These are the fundamentals of language, the very scaffolding that holds your thoughts together. If they are wobbly, even the most brilliant ideas won’t have much of an impact on your audience. 

• Spelling: All computers are equipped with a spell-check tool: use it! Also, take time to memorise and distinguish between those frequently-confused words, such as they’re/their/there, it’s/its, to/too/two, or who’s/whose. Decide whether you are going to use British or American spelling and use it consistently. Check out this list: https://www.grammarly.com/blog/commonly-confused-words/
• Punctuation: The rules of punctuation change from language to language, as they follow the natural pauses in speech. The use of the comma (,) is especially problematic!
• Grammar mistakes, especially when made at higher levels, lower the overall standard of the text. Some of the most common mistakes are subject/verb agreement (eg. “All my friends is going to the party next week”) and tense errors (eg. “Yesterday I have taken my dog for a walk”). 
• Syntax, the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences, includes paying attention to word order, which differs substantially according to the language; run-on sentences that confuse the reader and lead nowhere; and incomplete sentences, perhaps missing the subject or verb. Re-reading the text out loud can help bring to light many of these problems. 

2. Use any available resources, but remember: all translations are not created equal!  Dictionaries, whether online or old-fashioned, paper ones are any writer’s primary resource. A monolingual dictionary may be the best resource for more advanced students who are looking for the most suitable terminology. I personally rely on the thesaurus to supply me with synonyms while I write, but remember that it isn’t cardinal sin to repeat a word every now and then. Web resources such as “Grammarly” may also be very helpful tools to support your writing. 3. What are you writing?  Structures vary substantially between different kind of texts ( articles, essays, reviews, emails, reports…), and you should have a clear idea of how to organise your writing according to your task. It is not only the structure that varies with the kind of writing you are doing, but also the language you will be expected to use. This brings me to the next point… 4. Register  What level of formality is required for the task at hand? Formal texts tend to avoid contractions and never include slang expressions. In the past, writers used the passive voice extensively in their formal writing; however, this is changing in favour of a greater use of the active voice, which sounds lighter and less stuffy and old-fashioned.  5. Know your audience: whom are you writing for? Having a clear idea of who your reader is, his or her level of expertise and competence, is vital, so you can target appropriately. For example, if you are a medical researcher writing for your colleagues in the medical profession, you can use a range and complexity of vocabulary that would be incomprehensible to the lay person.  Also, by keeping your readers well in mind, you can target your message specifically to their needs and interests.  I hope this short checklist may prove useful as you work on the construction of your writing. I’ll publish stylistic tips, as well as links to useful resources, next week. Please stay tuned and don’t hesitate to address any questions in the comments. Happy writing!