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Writer's Block: Explanations and How to Overcome It for College Students

12 Juli 2024

Writer's block is a condition in which a writer experiences difficulties or obstacles in producing written work. This condition can happen to both novice and experienced writers. Causes vary, including pressure to produce perfect work, fear of criticism, mental fatigue, or even lack of inspiration. 

Writer's block can appear in various forms, such as difficulty starting a piece of writing, confusion about the direction of the story, or the inability to complete the project at hand. Dian Nusantara University students who will face a project or final project are expected to overcome burnout in writing their final project. 

Writer's Block is one of the challenges that must be faced by students, especially those who are working part-time while completing their final project. This will slow down the completion of the paper from the due date set by the institution and will potentially slow down their graduation. Of course, Writer's Block arises from several factors such as:

  1. Perfectionism: The desire to write perfect work can make students overly critical of their own writing. The fear of making mistakes or producing work that is deemed inadequate often inhibits the writing process. This has the potential to put students off due to the subjective feeling that what they have written will never live up to the expectations of the examples they have reviewed.

  2. Time Management Difficulties: Students who cannot manage their time well may feel overwhelmed by the number of tasks that need to be completed. The inability to allocate specific time for writing can lead to stagnation in the writing process. Time-consuming work and previewing writing materials will automatically hamper the writing performance.

  3. Lack of Inspiration: Students may feel like they have no ideas or interesting topics to write about. This lack of inspiration can be caused by a lack of time to explore personal interests or too much focus on the technical aspects of academic writing. With minimal inspiration, it will automatically make students confused in writing. One example of this can be found in the placement of maximum and minimum word rules required in writing a paper. Lack of inspiration can also make students experience 'burnout'.

  4. Anxiety and Depression: Mental health issues such as anxiety and depression can greatly affect writing ability. Excessive task anxiety or feelings of hopelessness can hinder the flow of ideas and motivation to write. Anxiety can make students overthink every little detail of their writing. Students feel that their ideas are not good enough or that their arguments are not strong enough, so they spend hours thinking about how to structure certain sentences or paragraphs. This causes them to get stuck in the thinking process without actually writing.

Writer's Block is indeed a condition that at some point will be experienced by experienced or inexperienced writers. This condition can occur in every individual criterion from journalists to students and even novelists. Therefore, some strategies that can be applied are:

  1. Set up a Conducive Environment: Choosing a quiet, distraction-free place to write can improve concentration. Some students may find that listening to instrumental music or white noise helps them focus. Students can try changing the place where they write such as writing assignments at the National Library or at a cafe such as Jco, Starbucks, or a cafe that is not high-class.

  2. Creating a Writing Plan: Creating an outline before starting to write can help students map out their ideas and avoid confusion. A clear writing plan also helps break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable parts. A writing plan doesn't need to be perfect or neat, just enough for you to understand where your writing is going. That way, expectations will be focused on the closest paragraph goal that can be written.

  3. Avoid Perfectionism: Students should accept that the first draft does not need to be perfect. Focusing on writing without over-criticising themselves can help their ideas flow more freely. By avoiding perfectionism, students can write more calmly and not be burdened by comparing their writing to others.

  4. Identifying and Managing Anxiety: Stress management techniques such as meditation, breathing exercises, or yoga can help reduce anxiety levels. Students should recognise that failure is normal and is something that can improve the quality of writing in the future.

Thus it is hoped that some advice on why a Writer's Block condition can occur in students, especially in the final stage of college students. Writer's Block is a natural condition that can be overcome simply, and it is hoped that Dian Nusantara University (UNDIRA) students can apply the advice that has been given when experiencing difficulties in the final stage of writing. 

Overcoming Writer's Block is not just about completing assignments, but also about building mental resilience and skills that will be useful throughout their academic and professional careers.  

(Danang Respati Wicaksono / HUMAS UNDIRA)

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