How to Face and Conquer Writer’s Anxiety
Hi, I’m Sofie Campbell. I’m a member of the class of 2024, double majoring in Marketing and English Literature and minoring in Professional Writing and Rhetoric. I also work as a Writing Center Consultant. There comes a time in every writer’s life when they must do the unthinkable: allow someone else to read their writing. It happens to the best of us, myself included. Sharing your writing for the very first time can be an intimidating prospect, especially when first entering college. It can sometimes be an uncomfortable experience, especially if you’re prone to writer’s anxiety. What’s writer’s anxiety? Here’s some common scenarios: “I sit down but then choke.” “I paralyze myself by overthinking.” “I feel completely unprepared.” “I’m terrified that my ideas won’t be good enough.” If you’ve ever experienced one of these thoughts before writing or during writing, it may have been writer’s anxiety. This can lead to writer’s…
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It’s harder to stay motivated and engaged when you lack interest in your topic. Here are 4 tips to help you get interested in your writing and to stay on task!
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You are not alone if you have ever dreaded having to give a presentation, speak to a professor, or attend a job interview. However, when you know the rules and are adequately prepared, it is much easier to express yourself and impress the person on the other side of the PowerPoint slides.
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In this blog post, I offer some strategies used by Writing Center consultants to work towards a more inclusive language practice in The Writing Center.
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Today, many of our classes will have more online components than before as we strive to stay safe and physically distanced. It can be hard to stay motivated when we are working on online modules and at our own pace. In addition, uncertainty about what the future will look like, or whether the Covid-19 virus will spread, might impact our motivation. You’re not lazy or a bad student for this drop in motivation; however, your coursework is still important and papers still have to be written. To help spark your motivation during these uncertain times, here are five tips that help me stay motivated and focused.
Read MoreYou’re Required to Go to The Writing Center. Now What?
Sometimes, when I am required to do something, I immediately want to do that thing less, even if it’s something I want to do or had already planned to do like a household chore. The Writing Center is not immune to this aversion. Occasionally you might be required to attend a Writing Center appointment even if you think you don’t want or need to. So, I’m here to talk about how to make the best of this situation and to get the most out of it.
Read MoreHow to Come Up with Topics for Open-ended Assignments
When it comes to writing papers for class, I have found that most difficult assignments are the ones that are open-ended. Sure, it’s nice to have the freedom to write about a topic of my choice, but when I’m juggling the work of other classes, it’s much easier to answer a specific prompt. Nonetheless, we will all continue to get assignments where we are responsible for coming up with the topic. Generating ideas is something I often have trouble with as a writer, but thankfully help is available!
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