Overcoming Barriers

The Symptoms:

• Expressions of nervousness or uncertainty about what to write

• Underdeveloped ideas

• Surface-level sloppiness

• Repetition

• A sense, as a reader, of being rushed through the ideas

• Wordiness/ filling space meaninglessly

The Solutions:

• More low-pressure free writing

• Writing by hand

• Discussion or So What game

• Interim deadlines

• Greater familiarity with a range of pre-writing techniques

• Dictation in early stages of brainstorming

The Symptoms:

• Not opening the computer or notebook to begin writing

• Saying things like, “I just need to think a little more” or “I’m going to find some more sources first”

• Crying

• Expressing a helpless feeling

The Solutions:

• Conversation before writing

• Having someone else take notes on the conversation so the page isn’t blank

• Writing by hand and transcribing to screen

The Symptoms:

• Inability to finish work on time

• A feeling of being “stuck” or “blocked”

• Disliking the “sound” of one’s writing

• Precisely written but very short drafts

• Deleting sentences early in the writing process

The Solutions:

• Writing in multiple stages

• “Writing ugly” at first

• Writing without deleting and without looking back at the draft

• Using “placeholder” words rather than trying to find the perfect word in early drafts

The Symptoms:

• Handing in a first draft as a final draft

• Long-winded or diffuse drafts

• Tangents

• A final argument that differs from the argument stated at the outset

The Solutions:

• Time management techniques to finish draft earlier

• Fast, messy early draft writing

• Printing draft to revise on hard copy

• Practicing revision arts and crafts

The Symptoms:

• Inability to get started

• Expressing self-hatred or disgust with one’s writing

• Repeatedly deleting everything and starting again

• Changing topics frequently with the hope that a new topic will be better

The Solutions:

• Recognizing that most or all writers feel insufficient much of the time

• Explaining that the reader is genuinely interested in the student’s ideas and that they don’t need to pretend to be anyone they are not

• Being locked into a topic at a certain point and not permitted to switch

The Symptoms:

• Errors across a range of issues (punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, etc.)

The Solutions:

• Lack of clarity on the ideas level. Go back to brainstorming before worrying about proofreading! If the ideas are clear, though, try to…

• Check on process: is the student leaving time for proofreading steps?

• If yes, try new or varied proofreading techniques

The Symptoms:

• Errors that fall into a particular category or more than one category (consistent run-on sentences or missing apostrophes with general grammatical correctness otherwise)

The Solutions:

• Grammar mandates

• Specific rule review

• Follow usage rather than grammar guidelines in those limited areas

The Symptoms:

• Repetition

• Multiple ideas in a single paragraph

• Tangents or meandering

• Disconnection among or within paragraphs

The Solutions:

• Check on process: is the student trying to write straight through a single draft? Is so, recommend multiple, discrete steps

• Revision arts and crafts

• Pre-written outline that stays beside student during writing process

• Reverse outline

• Expand transitions from one-word to phrase-long

The Symptoms:

• Assertions without proof

• Repetition of central idea that doesn’t go further

The Solutions:

• Read like a reader

• Engage in imaginary or real debate on issue

• Envision a critic’s response and address it in writing

• Feel genuine interest in and passion for topic (or choose a new topic)

The Symptoms:

• Argument is insufficiently bold and therefore does not require support

• Argument is too bold and therefore lacks support

The Solutions:

• “Three points” thesis-writing technique

• Read like a reader

• Hone thesis using subordinate clauses or through discussion and debate