Writer's Block

Writer's block, or as the French put it far more poetically, l'angoisse de la page blanche ("anxiety of the blank page"), is something that affects many people embarking on a writing task. Confronting the blank page very often causes their mind to freeze. Some others may feel compelled to just fill up the page with words without organizing their ideas in a logical fashion.  Both as a writer and as a writing coach, I think starting with a blank page is the most intimidating way possible to start the writing process. The good news is that you can fill up this empty page constructively to jump-start the process. Start by jotting down ideas into "brainstorm bubbles". Then link the ones that are related to one another to form simple mindmaps. Thus, you are forging the beginning of a logical flow. Based on this "playful" foundation, you can then create outlines that will form the structure of your writing.  The important thing underlying this exercise is to start to spill your thoughts on the paper to make it easier for you to track your logic. Apart from filling up the intimidating white page, it can be really fun to get your writing process rolling.