<p>I am probably the slowest writer in the universe and have a hard-core case of writer's block. Do you guys have tips, recommended prepping books, or recommended novels to read?</p>
<p>Start a list where examples are sorted by literature, history, current events and people. Under each category, write down examples plus a general summary and list of themes/characteristics specific to each book/piece of history/current event/person. Most SAT essay topics are pretty general so you should be able to adapt at least two of these examples to any prompt. If you find that your content knowledge is lacking, brush up by reading/recollecting some classics (Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, Romeo and Juliet, Fahrenheit 451, Frankenstein, 1984, etc. - you have probably already read some of these in school), history (think of major events like wars) and important people (MLK Jr., Gandhi, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Obama, Washington, Jefferson…you get the gist). Do this before the test and try to master this list; you’ll be less likely to be confronted with writer’s block during the test.</p>
<p>If you’re asking about ACT, you could try the aforementioned tips, but the prompts are more related to high school/daily life and less likely to be connected with history and literature so I think it’s more about generality. Perhaps someone else could post about mastering the ACT essay because I personally never did.</p>
<p>Just give yourself 7 minutes less than the actual time. Do that for atleast 4 times and then come back to normal. Psychological effect </p>
<p>I agree with @Enginebus2015</p>
<p>Once you’ve done some reading/recollecting, take important points from each story. For example, if you can list the moral/main theme or each book and the change/journey the main character underwent (study this list), you have a whole bank of examples to choose from right off the top of your head.</p>
<p>Then, when you sit down to the test, just pick out two that are relevant, make bullet points about why, write your thesis, and fill in the gaps. Easy!!</p>
<p>And most importantly: PRACTICE!</p>