This handout explains some of the causes of writer’s block and writing anxiety, and it offers reflective prompts you can use to manage writing challenges.
Writer’s Block is most commonly thought of as a mental obstacle—caused by any number of issues—that prevents people from producing writing. Too often writers blame writer’s block when they are actually guilty of procrastinating—putting a writing task off for later. Before blaming writer’s block, be honest with yourself about whether you are really stuck or just avoiding writing.
Writing mindfully requires being aware of the present moment, including your thoughts about your writing. This handout includes an activity to help you recognize and externalize your inner critic, an inner voice about your writing that, when functioning healthily, can facilitate effective writing, but when too powerful, can impede your writing progress. Finally, the handout offers a guided meditation script that can help you connect to the present moment and thereby silence the inner critic, who is often fixated on past experiences with writing or imagined future experiences with writing.
This 5 to 10-minute writing prompt is designed to help you plan how you will use your time in your upcoming writing session productively. In a few sentences, complete each of the following statements with your plans.
This writing warm-up invites writers to reflect on a semester's worth of writing and recognize moments of growth.
This worksheet provides two brief writing prompts to use as a warm-up as well as to recognize and celebrate moments of growth in writing skills.