What you will find on this page...
Finding your Idea
There are several reasons why writers don't start writing. These include:
- The desire or need to have read “everything” that relates to the topic.
- The concept should be as complete or sophisticated as possible.
- They feel like their first draft should already be perfect
Try to identify the reason for your hesitation. Writing consultants can support this process and show you techniques and exercises you can try to start writing.
Writer Type
Everyone approaches writing differently. However, there are four general types of writers (The architects, the squirrels, and adventures, and the decathletes). Each writing types has its strengths and weaknesses. By learning what type of writer you are, and the type of habits that you have which help or hinder you during the writing process, you can better prepare yourself for writing tasks.
Follow the link to learn more about Writer Types and to take the test.
Writing Flow
'Flow' is a state in which thoughts, sentences and words flow out of you and writing becomes "easy". Many writers believe that flow is necessary to produce good text. However, this cannot be confirmed for all writing types. For many writers, writing remains hard work, especially when reading, thinking and writing alternate with one another. So don't worry if you don't experience 'flow' while writing.
Writer's Block
In psychology, a "blockage" is when someone is no longer able to act in a certain situation. If you are experience a long-term psychological blockage, professional psychological support is required. Free, professional help is available from: the psychological counseling center of the student union (waiting time for an initial appointment: 10-14 weeks, as of February 18, 2024) or from the AStA's Study Barrier.
However, if "block" is more short term, we can help. Hurdles and challenges can be overcome with the appropriate technique and practice. We, the staff at the Writing Center, can help here. Sometimes, however, whether your problem is a hurdle or actually a blockage only becomes clear during the conversation. In the latter case, we refer the student to other counseling center.
Writing in your Preferred Language(s)
If possible, use one of your preferred languages to draft a rough draft. In a preferred language, you can think easily and express everything you want to say. This way, you relieve yourself of any possible effort that comes with drafting in a working language. In the drafting phase, you can use all the languages that are part of your communicative repertoire. You can make the necessary adjustments to the target language of the text during the revision phase.
Using a Language Translation Software
A translation software is digital tool that converts one language into another. These include proof-reading functions of Microsoft Office, Google Translate, Grammarly, and more. As AI (such as ChatGPT) becomes increasingly popular, these translation softwares rely ever-more on artificially generated content. A fundamental rule of Academic Honesty, is that you create and express your own ideas. Translation software may impact your ability to do this by...
- Changing the meaning of your work, even if that was not your intent.
- Impacting your language-use goals. Part of a university eduction is learning to express yourself well. Using a translation software means that the expressions are no longer your own.
- You gain an unfair advantage over students who have not used these tools.
- Translations and editing software are sometimes connected to other forms of misconduct, such as plagiarism. Text translated by these software may be detected by plagiarism detection programs
When is it OK to use these tools?
The limits of acceptable use of translation and editing tools might vary across disciplines, subjects and assessment tasks. Your teacher may set specific rules in particular assessments, but it is your responsibility to check assessment guidelines and relevant policies, and to understand what is expected of you. ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOU PROFESSOR BEFORE USING A TRANSLATION SOFTWARE ON AN ASSIGNMENT.
Writing in your Working Language(s)
If the text has to be submitted in a language in which you do not feel completely confident, e.g. because you feel your vocabulary or grammar is somewhat limited, write in a working language. It is important for you to differentiate between knowledge-generating and product-oriented activities: Whenever you need to build up knowledge and clarify for yourself what you want to achieve, you can and may use your feel-good language. Your text must then follow the conventions of the target language. This applies not only to you language level, but also to the organizational level of the text. Readers of English-language texts, for example, have different expectations in terms of text structure (keyword: paragraph writing) than readers of German-language texts. You can talk to the Writing Center to learn more about the different conventions common to English or German.