5 Tips for Starting a Paper

by Katie Avagliano

You’re in a familiar place: sitting in front of a blank screen, no idea where to start. The prompt is sitting by your elbow, but you still don’t know what the teacher wants. It’s your first paper for this class. You’re--it’s okay to admit it--a little bit scared.

And the blank screen is still sitting there, waiting. Every first sentence you write sounds awful. The paper is due in twelve hours.

Tip #1: Write Anything Down

Start with the heading. It will make the screen look less intimidating. Then add a title--you can change it later, it can be your dog’s name. Then write down anything you know about your class. It can be something interesting you heard in class. It can be something really stupid you heard in class. It can be about your teacher’s hair-cut or the hot guy sitting in the first row. Anything on-subject. Just write. You’ll be surprised how fast you unconsciously transition into your paper.

Tip #2: Call Your Mom

Call your mom and tell her about your paper. Say “I’m going to tell you what it’s about,” and then tell her. At the end, ask if she has any questions. Answer them. You know more than you think, and having a simple conversation is relaxing. Plus, your mom will be thrilled to hear from you. You can also substitute a friend, or your dog.

Or, if no friend is willing to listen to your paper about 14th Century Gothic Architecture, you can always come into the Writing Center.

Tip #3: The Old Pencil and Paper

Do you even have a notebook anymore? If not, you can doodle on printer paper. And that’s all you’re going to do for a while--doodle. Like the “write whatever comes to mind” thing, the point of this is to trick your brain into thinking about something helpful. Remember those brainstorming things you laughed at Freshman year of high school? Try one of those. Then try sketching out a thesis statement. You’ll be surprised how much less confrontational a piece of paper is. Or how much procrastination you can do even without the internet.

Tip #4: Start With Bullet Points

This is an expansion on “write anything you know.” Instead of writing the whole essay in one go, write down words or themes that you want to build your essay around. If you’re writing about the art history of Disney animation (an actual class I took. Being an English major is awesome) then you might start with “Mickey Mouse. The Old Mill. Snow White. Fantasia. World War II.” You see how these words might be the beginning of their own paragraphs? Plus, this leads into the last point.

Tip #5: Don’t Start at the Beginning

Introductions are hard. You’re basically putting your paper in context, but you don’t even know what your paper is about. So don’t start with the introduction. Start with Mickey Mouse. Go back to your bullet points and write about whichever one you feel most confident about. And, just a reminder you don’t have to stick to your bullet points. If, while you’re writing, you think of a different example, or come to a different conclusion, you can throw your draft out the window. That’s what the creative / critical process is all about--finding that eureka moment where you’re not writing for the word count anymore. You’re writing to finish your thought. And that’s the goal. That’s your paper.

"So what can you do when inspiration seems far off?"

by Matt Ehlenbach 

Unless you find yourself working on a creative writing piece, inspiration can seem like a strange component of the writing “formula.”  Especially when crafting an academic piece, you might find yourself asking, “Why do I need inspiration to analyze something? Shouldn’t it be pretty straightforward?” As most of us know, sometimes it is that straightforward. Other times, not so much.

While the necessity for inspiration might be broadly understood in the humanities, inspiration can be equally important in the “drier” subjects like economics or physics.  Inspiration feeds your intellectual efforts in myriad ways, impacting the research process, the crafting of research questions, as well as rhetorical choices.  When you feel uninspired, you can even suffer from writer’s block.

For many of us, inspiration comes from intellectual curiosity or drive and grows out of a desire to trace an idea from its beginnings to its logical conclusion.  This does not necessarily apply equally to all subjects, though.  When you aren’t interested in the particular assignment or class that you’re working on, this can seem difficult.  This can also be challenging when the prompt for the paper you’re writing seems either too simple or too complex. 

So what can you do when inspiration seems far off?  Below are four ways to help you take your mind off of your academic troubles and find a little inspiration to work on those academic papers.

1.)   Take a mental break.

Do something that you enjoy that isn’t immediately related to the paper you’re working on.  Whether that entails working on another (more personally engaging) assignment, playing a musical instrument, or even going for a(nother) cup of coffee, take your lack of inspiration as an opportunity to reinvest in other parts of your life, not just as a means of procrastination.  According to Huffington Post blogger Chris Baréz-Brown, inspiration necessitates that the brain be in an “alpha state” or a state “of light relaxation where we are able to freely associate, access our subconscious and link various thoughts in unique ways.”   Those links could be the basis for your next paper!

2.)   Get up and MOVE!

Though the link between physical activity and cognitive function has been well documented, researchers at Stanford University have recently demonstrated that the physical activity necessary to improve cognitive function can be as mild as walking on a treadmill or around the block. Though walking won’t necessarily make you smarter, the simple act of doing so can boost cognitive functions and might lead you to an inspired idea for that paper on Kant! 

3.)   Sleep.

According to Lifehacker, simple as it sounds, a good night’s sleep can be instrumental in finding inspiration for those academic papers.  When you’re tired, your brain suffers.  The fatigue associated with not sleeping can impair the cognitive processes that help you come up with those great ideas for that paper on Kant.  I know it’s tempting to stay up all night to work on that paper, but consider taking a nap first if you find yourself lacking the creative bug.

4.)   Go somewhere else.

Sometimes when we try to write papers, we’re just not in a great place to do it.  Occasionally we find ourselves in spaces that are too loud or too quiet, or that just don’t jive with our working style.  Even if the noise level is fine, every so often the space that you’re working in can add to your to-do list or be otherwise off-putting.  Sometimes getting up and going somewhere else can be all it takes to de-clutter your mind and find the inspiration you need to get started on your paper.  When you’re lacking in inspiration, don’t be afraid to mix it up a little and try something new.