<p>I'm trying to finish my essays for my applications, but every time I sit down to do it, I just can't think. And because I can't get my thoughts flowing correctly I get frustrated and procrastinate. :(</p>
<p>Any suggestions?</p>
<p>Thank you so much.</p>
<p>I suggest that you talk about your essays with a sympathetic listener/questioner. In the course of the discussion, I suggest that you jot down a FEW words, to remind you of the main idea of that part of the conversation. </p>
<p>Then I suggest that you use those few words to begin to form the essay. The next step could be an outline, it could be a few sentences, it could be a few more words. Gradually, the essay can take shape.</p>
<p>Don't start with the beginning of your essay--start in the middle and then go back to the beginning later.</p>
<p>Sit down with pencil and paper - not the computer, because then your mind will start to wander and you'll soon be IMing your friends or wasting time on MySpace. Think in general terms what you want to write about and start jotting ideas down in bullet point form. Begin to flesh out the bullet points into paragraphs. Start linking the paragraphs together into a a coherent whole. Stop and talk to others at any or all steps in theis process to keep the ideas flowing and your mind focused.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Bring a notepad around with you, inspiration strikes at the most unexpected times!</p>
<p>Start with a list --I am the kind of person who.....
I am not the kind of person who.......
Some of my most formative experiences were.....
I am at my best when I...
I find the deepest satisfaction in doing.....
My friends always tell me that I am.....
Contrary to appearances, I am really....
What people often don't undertand about me is ......</p>
<p>Look at your list and pick out four or five points that seem most interesting and show you at your most intellectual, creative, original, accomplished ...best. Then think about how these points connect logically or by a chain of free associations. Organize into paragraphs that are linked by transitions--there's your essay.</p>
<p>Write bad stuff. Seriously. A lot of writer's block comes from the knowledge that what you're thinking about writing down isn't really up to the standard you want to meet. You're trying to get your thoughts flowing "correctly" and they just won't. So you write nothing. (Old saying: "Perfect is the enemy of good.") So instead of trying to write stuff that you think would make an acceptable essay, write stuff you know is bad. Stuff you'd never, ever actually put in your important essay. And then keep writing. (Once you start it's not that hard.) Write 4 or 5 times as many words as the essay is supposed to end up being. Eventually you'll have something worth keeping, and you can cut back to what you want. Editing out the bad stuff is easier than writing perfectly in the first place.</p>
<p>Step one is to decide what you want to communicate. This involves thinking. Thinking can happen all in your head, by jotting down notes, making outlines, or through stream of consciousness writing. Everybody is different. But, once you know what you want to say, the writing often flows easily. Muddled thinking results in muddled writing (as someone once said). Step two is to use events/situations in your life to illustrate your points (show, don't tell). I agree with Kluge that you want to write more than you need and then cut and rearrange (step three). I personally believe in getting within 25 words of the requested word count. Less is more, but you usually have to start with the more. Finally, you polish (step four). Make sure your opening sentence grabs the reader and the closing sentence is satisfying and memorable. Recheck every sentence, as well as every paragraph, to make sure its purpose still rings clear. If what you are trying to say isn't clear, go back to step one.</p>