Once you have finished outlining, here is the beauty of an outline. You can start anywhere. If you want to start with a body paragraph, you can! If you want to start with the introduction, you can! Here are some helpful tips for when you start writing:
- Follow your outline. This will make your life much easier.
- Set aside a specific study area in your house, apartment, or other venue where you will do your work.
- Set aside a specific time every day when you sit down to do work. Make it the same time everyday.
- Spend about an hour doing your work. Then, take a ten minute break so that your brain has a chance to rest and process information. After that, continue working as needed, using the same one hour of work/ten minutes of rest model.
- Do not wait until the last minute, as then you will feel rushed, and your paper will leave much to be desired.
- Make sure that you are analyzing, not just summarizing or explaining.
If you find that you are experiencing a little writer's block, there are a couple of tricks to try:
- Think of six numbers in no particular order. Recite those numbers back to yourself as best as you can.
- Play a word association came with a friend or family member. For example, "I say dog, and you say..." The other person fills in the blank. This activity can help unfreeze your brain.
- Try talking yourself through what you think you want to say.
- Record your ideas and play them back to you.
- Doodle for a moment on a scrap piece of paper.
- Any other quick activity that can take your mind down a different pathway for a moment.
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