Overcoming the Obstacle: Writer's Stagnation
By Alexandra Koskosidis, Engineering Correspondent
In the world of research and writing, hitting a mental roadblock can be a common occurrence. However, finding ways to manage stress and break through these barriers is crucial for success. In this article, we explore a creative approach to overcoming writer's block, using the metaphor of squash as a symbol for consolidating and focusing scattered ideas.
Squash, the sport, is played inside a room with four walls, using a racket to hit a small ball, with the aim of making the opponent hit it back before it bounces twice. But in this context, "squash" represents a process of gathering, curating, and editing ideas to create focus and momentum.
Caroline Pedler outlines a four-step process for "squashing" your thoughts:
- Gather all your creative pieces or thoughts into one place, be it physical or digital, so you have an overview.
- Curate these by identifying which parts have emotional "charge" or success, and group related ideas or themes.
- Edit out what no longer fits or serves the work, which helps reduce distractions.
- This process of "collating and curating" can break mental blocks by clarifying what still engages you and where to go next.
If you're stuck, Pedler suggests going back to where the work "felt good" and unpacking from there to regain flow and insight.
This method acts like a mental "squashing" or compression of ideas to find coherence and forward motion. It helps in overcoming blockages by making visible what is working vs. what is not, creating continuity and focus where previously there might have been too many scattered ideas, and providing a reflective toolkit to recognize and move through creative troughs.
Other strategies for breaking blocks include free writing or over-writing to push past initial barriers, even if messy initially, and reflecting on emotions or thoughts that may underlie blockages, by analyzing the purpose or information these feelings convey, which can spark new insights or motivation.
While the article does not explicitly state that playing squash (the sport) can help overcome writer's block, the metaphorical use of "squash" as a process for consolidating ideas is a practical and effective approach to overcoming creative roadblocks.
In conclusion, using a process of gathering, curating, and editing your ideas can effectively overcome writer's or mental blocks. By consolidating your thoughts and identifying strong patterns or elements, you can build from points of clarity and move forward in your research or writing process.
This article is part of "The Writing Process" section of the blog.
- For her senior thesis, instead of struggling through writer's block, a student could opt to adopt a process similar to squash, a sport, where they gather, curate, and edit their ideas like balls within a court, to streamline their thoughts and make progress.
- In the realm of sports, hockey might symbolize the challenge of writing, as managing a puck requires focus, teamwork, and quick responses – analogous to the dexterity needed to develop a strong senior thesis, due to the constant shifts in ideas and perspectives.
