There are as many ways to start writing as there are writers. If you often have difficulty putting words on the page, you might want to try a new method. Here are some of the most common ones:
Freewriting is the practice of writing without paying attention to details like spelling or sentence structure. Freewriting can be helpful for writers who tend to procrastinate because of anxiety about getting things “right.” Often, a project feels much more manageable once some words and ideas are on the page. The key to successfully incorporating freewriting as part of your process is to leave lots of time for revision and develop a system for tracking your in-text citations.
Some programs and apps have gamified word count to encourage writers to free write.
Visual Brainstorming allows you to map out your research and ideas before writing. Venn Diagrams, for instance, can be useful for comparing and contrasting two or more ideas. For a persuasive paper, you might make a pros/cons list of your proposal. If you’re not quite sure how a bunch of different ideas fit together, you might try making a mind map. Coggle is a Google extension where you can create a basic one for free.
a Coggle map based on the content of this page
Outlining creates a skeleton for your paper before you start writing. For some projects, it might be appropriate to start outlining as soon as you’ve done your research. For others, you might want to brainstorm or free write first. For more on outlines, see the next section: “Outlining.”
Please give attribution to the University of Minnesota Crookston