WRITERS BLOCK AS EXPERIENCED BY STUDENTS IN WRITING
CREATIVE NON-FICTION ESSAYS
Abstract
There are a lot of causes behind a writer’s block that prohibit them from producing words
to write. The purpose of this study was focused on the experiences of 12 students who
attended private school in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay. This study utilized descriptive
qualitative research which specifies the case study research design. The researcher gathered the
data using an interview guide. The primary issue was how students would characterize
their experiences with writer's blocks in their writing process. It was crucial to ascertain
the different experiences of the students. Findings revealed that the participants
experienced manifestations of writer’s block, such as difficulty focusing on writing
activity, and being unprepared in doing the activity. The type of activities that are too
difficult for the participants were essays, short story writing, concept paper etc. shared
their opinions about their writer’s blocked experiences in writing an essay. A series of
experiences were given by the participants. The participants also shared a range of
challenges and strategies on how to cope, while facing writer's block in their writing
process as learners. Writer's block is a common issue experienced by students, causing
difficulties in writing, lack of vocabulary, and perfectionism. These issues can be
exacerbated by their surroundings, such as noises and distractions. To overcome writer's
block, students often seek interventions such as writing simple vocabulary, creating their
own endings for short stories, and reading more books to capture unfamiliar words and
enhance their understanding of the topic. By staying calm and seeking help, students can
overcome writer's block and improve their writing skills. It was concluded that for
students who struggle with writer's block in creative nonfiction essays, strategies were
suggested, like simplifying vocabulary and creating alternative endings to overcome the
issue. It was recommended that students should engage in activities that release potential
and reduce writer's block, with teachers providing guidance and vocabulary notebooks
for practice and exploration of unfamiliar word
Keywords:
writer’s block, writing process, challenges, cognitive procedures,
physiological and motivational components
Introduction
"Writer's block," sometimes known as "misery block," is a melancholy state in
which one wonders why they are even bothering to write and feels as though it would be
painful. This idea is frequently the result of the dread of failing, which envelops the mind
and sometimes prevents one from starting at all. As a result, a downward cycle begins,
and writing appears to be an unfinished work (Chintamani, 2014).
2
The phenomenon of writer's block has been defined as "the inability to begin or
continue writing for reasons other than a lack of basic skill or commitment" by writing
expert (Mike Rose, 2006). He goes on to say that durations of time during which authors
try in vain to put something down on paper but feel little or no meaningful engagement at
all can be used to gauge the severity of writer's block. Almost all writers have had writer's
block at some point, but having some techniques to get past it is useful, particularly when
deadlines approach. There are two primary types of writer's block: writing anxiety and
motivation/distraction. There are subcategories and approaches to addressing these
obstacles within these two primary categories.
Writing needs to be factually correct while also paying attention to literary
devices and style. "The ultimate goal of creative nonfiction writers is to convey
information in a way that looks like fiction, but in the same way that reporters do," stated
Lee Gatkind (2018),
Writer's block, as defined by (Duchene, 2008), is the momentary incapacity to
start or finish a writing project because of fear, anxiety, or lack of inspiration; it affects
both professional and amateur writers. Conversely, (Traynor, 2019; & Mike, 1984)
characterize it as the state experienced by writers when they are mentally blocked and
unable to begin or finish a piece of writing. This attitude does not stem from a lack of
fundamental knowledge or a dedication to the writing task.
Given that writing is such an essential process, according to (Flower & Hayes,
1981), composition is profoundly intellectual conduct, necessitating numerous subprocedures inside the three primary planning phases, reviewing well as translating.
The current study set out to these goals: to identify the writer's block that students
encounter when writing essays, to document the common behaviors observed by students
when writing essays, and to gather information on writer's block from students enrolled
in creative non-fiction courses, this study looked into various reasons why writers get
blocked and present ways to get past those obstacles and to offer potential strategies
employed by writers to overcome and get past writer's block.
Framework
This study is anchored on the theory of traits that have been described by (Lachs,
2018), (Flower & Hayes, 1980), (Fadda, 2012), (Rahmat et al. 2017), and (Cheng, 2004).
Lachs (2018) discovered that writer's block can occur for several reasons. Fear and the
need for perfection are a couple of the causes. Just as writer’s block can be caused by
different factors, writer’s block can impact different parts of the writing process (Boice,
1985; Kaufman & Kaufman, 2009; Michael, 2016; Rose, 1985). Blocks have sometimes
been described as a failure to come up with new ideas despite the author retaining a
normal level of technical fluency (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2009; Smeets, 2008). Other
blocks have been described as primarily affecting the writer’s ability to carry out the
more technical aspects of composing work, such as retrieving the right words to express
an idea or structure one’s work in a logical manner (Rose, 1985; Smeets, 2008).
3
Objectives of the Study
This study examines the difficulties that the students are experiencing..
Furthermore, this study determined the student’s writer’s block experiences in writing
creative non-fiction essays and activities that will help them alleviate the writer’s block.
METHOD
Research Design
This study utilized descriptive qualitative research which specifies the case
studied researched design. An empirical investigation that looks at a phenomenon in its
actual setting, according to Yin (2009, p. 18). Several data collection techniques are
employed in case study research because it entails a thorough examination of a
phenomenon.
It should emphasize that, as Yin (2009) pointed out, a case study was a research
strategy or design to examine a social unit rather than a technique for gathered data. The
primary goal of the researcher is to collected and display qualitative data and general
information from a sizable sample of writers regarding writer's blocked: what they
believed to been the cause of their latest blocked, when it happened during the wrote
process, how longed it lasted, and what strategies that writers had discovered worked
well for getting past writer's block in the past.
A case study design was a suitable research design if you wished to learn
specific, contextualized, in-depth information about a particular real-world topic. The
researcher would have been able to investigate the case's salient features, interpretations,
and ramifications. Primarily choosing the Yin case study model (2014) would help the
researcher evaluate the phenomenon of the study more.
Research Setting
This study was conducted in one (1) sectarian college in Region IX. (1) Marian
College located in Poblacion Climaco, St. Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Research Participants
Twelve (12) Grade 12 students HUMSS Strand from the sectarian school Marian
and three (3) English teachers serving the school in Region IX, Marian College (Ipil).
Research Instruments
With the help of a semi-structured interview guide, the researcher would serve as
the main research instrument in this study. In essence, the guided question was gathered
with the necessary data. The interviewees were able to freely express their opinions
4
regarding their experiences about writer’s blocked and were able to write creative
nonfiction essays, they simply responded to open-ended questions. In-depth interviews
would have been used by the researcher and collected the required information. The
interview guide was validated by the experts.
Data Gathering Procedure
This study followed the systematic process and standard of research, a permission
letter to conduct a study was prepared by the researcher. The researcher would first seek
the signature of the Dean of the Graduated School of Saint Columban College, notifying
the validity of the letter. It was also approved by the private school principal.
The authorized permission letter for the study, along with the SDS endorsement
letter attached, was given to the principal of the school in the Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay
Division. The time for the interview orientation was determined by the researcher. A
brief overview of the study's history and the ethical issues surrounded by research
provided in the orientation. The parents of the potential participants got a consent letter,
read the content, and duly signed it.
Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data, and open-ended questions
were also used. The best method for conducting semi-structured interviews in
phenomenological research enabled the investigator to investigate the participants'
subjective interpretations and gathered detailed accounts of tangible experiences
(Lynden, 2016). Given that the study was question-centered on essential elements of the
creative writing process, the objectives were gathered in rich and thorough accounts of
that encounter.
Data Analysis
Yin (2014) defines a case study as an empiric elevation and a radical
analysis of a topically existing phenomenon within a real existing environment. Whereby
it is obvious that information in those environments is linked to individual experiences so
that gained knowledge might be blurred between circumstances, real information, and the
context.
Yin (2014) The six stages of case study research are as follows: plan, design,
prepare, gather data, Analyze, then disseminate a report. Five guidelines are described for
the case study design. Initially, appropriate research questions must be expressed to
define analysis objects and fixing premises. Afterwards, it can explain both individuals
and communities. Similarly, rational correlations between information and Proposals
need to be positioned. Ultimately, appropriate criteria for the interpretation of the results
must be set. Based on validity and reliability, the research structure’s quality must be
examined.
Ultimately, case study databases and protocols need to be created to offer an
extensive gathering of unprocessed and combined data, and to produce an associated
5
dependability of the statements under examination. The researcher selected case study
research because it is appropriate for numerous analogous research initiatives.
Ethical Considerations
Ethical considerations were strictly observed ensuring integrity of the research
process. Permission was sought from the one sectarian college to be the research
participants of the study and followed by obtaining informed consent from the
participants. Questions were not given ahead to get accurate and reliable answers from
their experiences in writing creative non-fiction essays.. Confidentiality of the data was
observed to protect the integrity of the institution. Finally, harm was avoided by ensuring
the anonymity of participants’ identity, and in the case of damage caused by the
researcher, the researcher is held accountable.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This chapter presents the results and discussions of the study on the results
and discussion to understand better the writer’s block as experienced by the students in
writing creative non-fiction essays.
The study is divided into four subheadings, each of which has a primary theme.
The first subheading is the causes and manifestations of Writer’s block experienced in
writing a creative non-fiction essay: (a) Difficulty in Constructing Sentences, (b) Lack of
vocabulary, (c) Afraid to have Wrong Answers. Second subheading is the Coping
Mechanisms of Students (a) Asking questions or seeking help (b) Staying calm (c)
Looking for inspiration, third subheading is the teacher’s ways to help the students
alleviate writer’s block in writing an essay (a) Journal Writing (b) Vocabulary notebook.
(c) Short Story.
Some the of students’ and teachers' responses were also in English, take note that
the hyphenated terms represent the participants' responses in that language. The study
subjects were assigned the numbers ST01, ST02, ST03, and so forth, (Participant
Student) and T1, T2, (Participant Teacher).
Writer’s block was shared by students based on their experiences in writing an
essay. It was difficult on their part as students because they never expected this to happen
to them.
Causes and Manifestations of Writer’s Block
Difficulty in Constructing Sentences. The results show that students have difficulty in
constructing their own sentences to form their essays. Some obstacles have been
identified as having a major impact on the writer's capacity to complete the more
intricateelements of writing a piece, including finding the ideal words to convey a concept
or logically organize. Like for example students when ask by teacher to write an essay,
they must first come up with a sentence before they can come up with an essay. So, in
this case, students tend to struggle with this difficulty.
6
Most of the student participants claimed that they have experienced the
manifestations and causes of writer’s block, the following were common responses
among participants.
Six out of fourteen participants claimed that writing an essay is difficult for them.
The following were common responses among participants.
“Sometimes I experienced difficulties, because I am not really good in imagining
stories like that”. (S3)
“It is quite difficult ma'am, like I want to encounter things that I already have a
solution. After knowing the solution if ever I will encounter it”. (S4)
“What I experience ma'am, when writing an essay, I felt difficulties. Like since it
is based on your own experience it is quite easy, but when you construct a
sentence. And then you will write an essay, there should be an introduction body,
and conclusion, in order. The grammar should be exact so that the readers will
understand your essay. And then based on my own experience when writing an
essay, non-fiction just write it, I am different when writing an essay. I will not
directly write it, instead I have my extra paper where I should first write. That
moment I then realize that this should be place in here, then and there I place
everything”. (S6)
“I think it is difficult for me ma'am. Because we are already in grade 12,
incoming college. Most of the time, much when you do not understand the
question. My mind will be like what I understand base from the question, when I
have a classmate who wants to ask to the teacher, "Ma'am what is the meaning of
the question?". When explained by the teacher, it is like the meaning of the
question is different, then I realize to ask further to my teacher and refrain from
answering incorrectly”. (S9)
“It is a big deal, because I have experience short writer's block. Every time I
make or construct a sentence. I cannot get the context, sometimes it is difficult to
make sentences. Then I will make a very broad one, not well detailed, straight to
the point, not interesting. So, I guess this is a big issue”. (S10)
“It is difficult, like negative. Because it is difficult if ever you will encounter
writer's block, because you will have the difficulty to construct or you will be
confused how to organize your thoughts, that is why it is difficult”. (S12)
The student-participants emphasize that during the activity, they cannot get the
context, which often leads them to have difficulty constructing their own sentences.
Sometimes they would feel confused and lose track of the activity. Students also cannot
fully understand the questions being raised.
Experiencing difficulties generating ideas as well as communicating them
(Kaufman & Kaufman, 2009; Michael (2016). In other instances, writers who have been
blocked have talked about freezing in the middle of a piece. Fearing it wouldn't live up to
expectations has paralyzed them (Murray, 1985; Rose, 1985), and some have discovered
7
it challenging to select one idea out of several to explore (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2009;
Michael, 2016; Rose (1984). Blocks can be chronic, lasting several days, or very brief,
lasting only a few minutes. several decades (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2009).
Just as there are various reasons why writers could have writer's block, The
writing process can be affected by block in various ways (Boice, 1985; Kaufman &
Kaufman, 2009; Rose, 1985; Michael, 2016). Blocks have occasionally been
characterized as an inability to generate novel ideas. concepts even when the writer
maintains a typical degree of technical proficiency (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2009; Smeets
(2008). Some obstacles have been identified as having a major impact on the writer's
capacity to complete the more intricate elements of writing a piece, including finding the
ideal words to convey a concept or logically organize your work (Rose, 1985; Smeets,
2008). Occasionally, authors have described.
Lack of Vocabulary. Based on the results, it shows that students manifest difficulties
through lack of vocabulary. Often, students, when writing something, describe the
student’s inability to adequately express oneself in a language. It can obstruct clear
communication and prevent fluent speech, particularly for speakers of second and foreign
languages. Depending just on a dictionary, ignoring word context, training vocabulary
passively, being inconsistent, and not reading frequently are some common errors that
result in a lack of vocabulary.
Two out of fourteen participants claimed that writing an essay is caused by lack of
vocabulary. The following were common responses among participants.
“Maybe because of lack of vocabulary of one student. Because of the block, they
cannot construct a sentence, and they should read, so that they will improve their
construction of sentence in non-fiction. (S2)
“It is quite difficult, or it's different for you because you feel disappointed.
Because you cannot construct a good sentence, maybe because of lack of
vocabulary, or maybe because you don't read. That is why it cannot be processed
the way you construct your sentence. And you feel downgraded because others
are good and like you and you feel disappointed. (S3)
Something that students experience in writing an essay is likely the lack of
vocabulary; they cannot come up with an idea because of this. Vocabulary acquisition
simply means learning more words in each language. Even though developing your
vocabulary is mostly associated with learning a second language, it’s just as important for
developing the native language. You’ll have a lot of time to search your mind or the
thesaurus for the exact word you need. You can use the word and understand its context
in the sentence, which helps develop a deep vocabulary, so words flow effortlessly from
your mind.
Good vocabulary development is essential for fluency in any language. Lexical
competence is, therefore, seen as an essential component of language learning.
Furthermore, a lack of vocabulary knowledge causes learners to struggle with language
acquisition, making vocabulary a crucial component of language learning. Thus,
regardless of the degree of learners’ competence in grammar and pronunciation, without
sufficient vocabulary knowledge, they cannot have effective communication (1). This is,
8
in large part, because the lexicon carries more of the meaning of a text than the grammar
does (2). In fact, grammatical errors result in ungrammatical utterances whereas the
inappropriate use of vocabulary affects the communicative act. That is, vocabulary is one
of the linguistic components influencing the development of communicative competence
and learners’ language skills as well (Brown, Waring, & Donkaewbua, 2008; Meara &
Jones, 1990; Moir & Nation, 2002; Schmitt, 1998; Schmitt, Wun-Ching, & Garras,
2011).
Afraid to have Wrong Answers. Based on the results, students show that having
disorganized ideas tend to make them feel like they are afraid to have wrong answers.
Students tend to be looking for something to settle with sometimes, because they want to
have a good come out of their essay. But being afraid comes from one root cause, fear. It
might be fear of being judged, fear of writing itself, or fear that we won’t be able to make
a living doing what we love. But however, we dress it is rooted in fear.
Two out of fourteen participants claimed that writing an essay is caused by
perfectionism. The following were common responses among participants.
“If I have writer's block. Based on my experience, it is difficult because you
cannot write anything, and then after your thoughts are not even organized. Then
being perfectionism, the words you used, vocabularies, and you organized your
sentence” (S2)
“Number one ma’am is being doubtful. Being doubtful about your ideas, you are
not that confident. And you are not confident when there is something who wants
to interfere. You want perfection, you will seek perfection, you are not complacent
with your ideas. It is like you need more things to pack up with. (S5)
The interview revealed that students felt the need to write flawless essays
because they did not want their work to be judged, laughed at, or ridiculed after it was
finished. When they start to feel deeply connected to their work and start worrying about
the results and afraid that they will go wrong or other will disapprove of it. Ironically,
they hold themselves to such a high standard that they are never able to live up to, even
while they believe they will fall short.
In a study verifying the relationship between perfectionism and work and the
phenomenon of workaholism, the so-called perfectionistic work style was identified
(Hornowska & Paluchowski, 2007). This style is characterized by striving for the perfect,
flawless, and qualitative performance of assigned tasks, a strong focus on order,
competition, and achieving only professional success, and not tolerating failures. The
result of a perfectionistic work style is often job burnout. Maslach and Leiter (2017)
describe burnout as a process of depletion of emotional resources and gradual
depersonalization, evident in progressive indifference to others and low evaluation of
personal achievement and professional effectiveness.
Coping Mechanisms of Students
Ask Questions or Seek Help. The results show that students feel that they are not
sure about their answers or the instructions, so they first ask questions from their teachers
9
or from their classmates to seek help and clarity. Students work on several techniques to
enhance their writing abilities to manage their writing difficulties. Data from document
analysis and the interview provided information about the coping mechanisms the
students employed to deal with their writer's block. Additionally, they developed coping
mechanisms that tried to get better at writing as one way to lessen their writer’s block.
Four out of fourteen participants claimed that asking questions is their coping
mechanisms or strategies if they are having difficulty in writing an essay. The following
were common responses among participants.
“To cope from writer's block, for me when I experience it. Go seek help again
from my friends and professionals, how to deal with this problem called writer's
block. To be able to assess this situation”. (S1)
“I think I will seek for help with my friends, or more on idea ang ask if how they
do it, but we have to make sure we will not cheat or copy the works of others. If
you know already the idea, or if you did understand what their answer is about, I
think you can now apply it in yourself so that you can express your thoughts in
your essay.” (S2)
“Most of the time ma'am, if I don't have any idea, I have seatmates. I will not
cheat or copy the answers of my seatmate, I will just ask and read so that I will
have an idea, and get the point, to easily understand the question. It depends on
ma'am, if I cannot help it”. (S5)
“Since I am a student ma'am, the actions that I should be doing is to ask
questions to my teachers or to my classmates who knows the topic or activity. Ask
to explain the words to you or you ask for examples, so that you can understand
those thoughts. (S6)
Student participants reveal that it is challenging to become stuck when writing an
essay and trying to think of the appropriate questions to ask. Getting input from editors or
peers can be quite beneficial during this phase. Getting a second set of eyes to review
your work will help you spot any area that requires additional attention or improvement.
It also provides you with the chance to learn from other viewpoints and formulate fresh
question ideas. Receiving criticism from others can improve the quality of your responses
to inquiries.
Additionally, it can assist you in viewing your own essay from a fresh
perspective, which will enable you to craft more interesting queries. Sometimes, simply
discussing the essay concept with someone else might shed light on the subject and
inspire you to write fresh and when asking for input, it's critical to clarify that your
objective is to formulate thought-provoking questions. The individual evaluating your
work will then be able to provide extra assistance in that area. Sharing any prior study
you've completed, references you've looked up, or readings you've come across that can
bolster your arguments might also be beneficial (Blunt 2005).
Staying Calm. Accordingly, one of the most important ways to cope with
difficulties in writing an essay is to practice staying calm and relaxing your thoughts and
mind. As shown in the responses given by the participants, students suggest that staying
10
relaxed and calm will make you feel at ease and relieve your stress. Focus on letting go of
your anxieties and fears as a student, based on the interview. Meditating and creating a
sense of calmness within you. Students revealed this in an interview.
Six out of fourteen participants claimed that staying calm and meditating is their
coping mechanisms or strategies if they are having difficulty in writing an essay. The
following were common responses among participants.
“When I am experiencing problem like that, I just put my pen down and stop. And
have a break, take a deep breath and exhale. And take a moment for the problem
to stop, to slow a bit down. And I seek help to my friends. Especially those who
know the current situation, those who have experienced the problem. By seeking
help, I can be able to find solution for the problem”. (S1)
“First, I will calm down, because sometimes I tend to panic. Like my thoughts
rumbled, first I calm myself down, then think of my weaknesses and factors
causing it. There I would find a way to have a solution for it. Go with the flow
with your thoughts and idea”. (S3)
“All I can say about it ma'am. Is you take a moment to relax, like you don't have
to always force yourself to write something. Because if you are forcing yourself to
write if you don't even know what to write. Take time to be calm”. (S8)
“If it will happen, ma'am, I will move away from my writing and take time to think
and contemplate. And then if I have an idea already, I will first organize it in my
mind, what should be the point of the story or what is the flow of the story. If I
have an idea, I can start writing”. (S3)
“I can cope writer's block in my own way, I think I will meditate first and think
properly. Then I will put myself whatever I am trying to write”. (S9)
“First ma'am is, make yourself calm. You should be calm; you should not let
yourself be pressured of time. Because of that ma'am, you will panic to think of
your ideas”. (S4)
Students revealed that it is a must for a sense of calmness and meditation to
achieve this coping mechanism, it is not just a mere practice, thus one should always
value the calmness within oneself, to be able to pursue more of their work and task as
students. S1 and S2 say that taking time to breathe in and breathe out helps you a lot as a
writer.
A sense of calmness is a coping mechanism intended for students suffering from
difficulties in writing essays, academic writing etc. (Joseph and Henry, 2009). There is no
denying that students face challenges by numerous difficulties and issues. All can
confirm that life being a senior in high school is challenging. It offers the first significant
obstacle to the intellectual goals and abilities of students. Additionally, high school is a
period when students deal with a variety of demands and difficulties students face in the
classroom as they work to sustain peak performance levels or even to stay in the
curriculum in academia. (Colley, 2002)
11
Look for Inspiration. Looking for inspiration is one of the attested coping
mechanisms of students when they are experiencing difficulties at times, they tend to lose
their focus and focus on things that cannot help them improve. Shown in the reviews of
responses by the students.
Two out of fourteen participants claimed that looking for inspiration is their
coping mechanisms or strategies if they are having difficulty in writing an essay. The
following were common responses among participants.
“Look for new inspiration. Since I started way back when I was still grade 11,
right there I found that that impact of writer's block is very big to me. My
sentences are not that good, the only way to solve it on the first-place kay to look
for new inspiration, books, or anything that you see online are mostly sentences.
It is best to avoid picture related since it will distract you. The only way to widen
my understanding in writing sentences is through reading. Or look for new
inspiration to lighten up your inspiration”. (S10)
“My ways that I am doing ma'am is to look for inspiration in my writing ma'am, it
should that my writing has meaning so that I will not have writer's block”. (S7)
Students suggest this as a way of coping when having difficulties in writing an
essay. Students nowadays do not often look for inspiration in writing. That is why for
these two participants S7 and S10, looking for inspiration is a must for beginner writers.
Some of them tend to just write without inspiration. Inspiration can be defined as "a
sudden brilliant, creative, or timely idea" or as "the process of being mentally stimulated
to do or feel something, especially to do something creative." Sadly, inspiration fades
quickly. It's something you have and don't always have. Fortunately, you can foster
inspiration and maintain a creative flow of ideas, enabling you to complete assignments
and meet your own writing objectives.
Read your best novel again: you know, the one that inspired you to pursue writing
as a career. Do you recall how you felt about it? To keep track of your creativity, keep an
inspirational journal. Record the time and location of your inspirations as well as any
notes on your recent activities. By keeping track of your inspiration, you can get insight
into what motivates you and use that knowledge to find inspiration more frequently.
Assess your needs: Begin by using the HALT approach to ask yourself if you're
exhausted, hungry, angry, or lonely. While there may be times when you must put your
writing on hold, you shouldn't let obstacles in life to stop you from creating. Observe
self-care. (Lewey, 2004)
Teacher’s Ways to Help Students Alleviate Writer’s Block
Vocabulary notebook. An interactive vocabulary notebook is a
personalized, student-centered notebook for researching word meanings, drawing
connections, and writing about terms. With its assistance, students can record every
phrase they learn and maintain organization. Students usually receive a graphic organizer
or layout to use in their notebooks when taking notes. Notes, visual organizers, images,
writing, and even word cards might be used for these exercises. There are also digital
equivalents that don't require cutting and sticking.
12
Two of the teacher participants claimed that letting their students have vocabulary
notebooks can help them alleviate writer’s block in writing an essay. The following were
common responses among participants.
“One thing that I could really suggest. To alleviate the writer's block of the
students is to have a vocabulary notebook since that is one that I really identified
reason why students encounter writer's block, so I really suggest for them to have
a vocabulary notebook. In writing their vocabulary notebook I really suggest to
them to make it more experiential and localize, by means of that they could
somehow identify some difficult words from tv or from the song that they listened
to”. (T1)
“I guess one of the ways to alleviate the writer's block is having notebook
intended for vocabulary, to come up their own ideas, asking questions, allowing
the students to share their own ideas to survive that, they are given the chance to
explore or to come up with solutions to the problems, to come with an idea”. (T2)
The teachers, participants T1 and T2, suggested that this would help the students
to improve their vocabularies, so that they will become more confident in their writing
materials. As teachers they also wanted their students to grow to their full potential and
learn to progress by saying that they have a lot of skills within themselves. Believing in
what they can achieve is also a must for teachers to help their students lessen writer’s
block.
The scant literature on the role of vocabulary notebooks has pointed to the general
positive potential of this teaching and learning tool. (Schmitt, 2006), propose wellfounded principles for consideration when utilizing notebooks for vocabulary
development of students to propel them to move forward and continue improving their
vocabularies to make good sentences and essays. McCrostie (2007), in turn, noted that
student notebooks and scanned sources of entries, segments of speech selected by
students, and justifications for word selection. His research sheds light on how students
utilize their vocabulary notebooks and shows that mastering basic vocabulary is not
always the result of students choosing lexical terms. Similarly, Fowle's usage of
vocabulary notebooks led to beneficial results like language acquisition, the growth of
strategic knowledge, and the encouragement of student independence.
Journal Writing. Accordingly, teacher participants suggest this journal writing
which is designed to generate not only ideas but also about experiences, feelings,
thoughts, ideas, and observances. The writer writes for a few minutes, chooses one idea
or word from that and then writes their feelings about anything they want to write for
several minutes, and then repeats that process again, successively refining their writing.
Two of the teacher participants claimed that letting the students freely write
something can help them alleviate writer’s block in writing an essay. The following were
common responses among participants.
“As of now, even though they are SHS students, I could still encounter and
identify like the grammars, even constructing simple sentences. Even identifying
the parts of speech, they are still having difficulties with that. And most especially,
13
vocabulary as what I keep on saying. I let my students freely write through
journal writing something they wanted to write that is meaningful to them” (T1)
“So, like aside, while reading their outputs is that most of them are not that
familiar with subject verb agreement, most of them are having difficulty with the
grammar. So, I let them first write on their own, whatever meaningful experiences
they wanted to write so that they can practice journal writing activity. (T2)
The teacher participants clearly state that based on the interview, they wanted
their students to practice and be welcomed in the journal writing process, which indicates
that students can freely write their meaningful ideas as much as they want, to further
practice their writing skills in many ways through the help of their own journals. Students
who are experiencing writer’s block need support from their teachers as they battle and
surpass these difficulties.
Students can learn while they write by using the effective strategy of reflective
journal writing. Journals can be used by students for a variety of tasks, including writing
about engaging subjects, developing their creative faculties, and making connections
between new and prior knowledge. Journal writing is thought to be an essential part of
knowledge processing, according to Kerka (1996), and it aids students in "articulating
connections between new information and what they already know". By using this
strategy, students can think more deeply and reflect on what they have learned, which
helps them learn more effectively. Writing in a reflective journal can also encourage
critical thinking. Priest and Sturgess (2005), journal reflection offers a priceless
knowledge.
According to Casanave (2011), writing on a regular basis promotes improvement.
One particularly useful writing method in this context is journaling free hand. Firewitch
(2019), free writing is the act of writing down whatever ideas or thoughts occur to you at
any given moment and never stopping. The general features of free writing can change
depending on the situation, such as the topic or the time allotted. Self-sponsored
(unguided) free writing occurs when there is no predetermined writing topic; focused
(directed) free writing happens when there is (Belanoff et al., 1991).
Short Stories. Writing short stories, according to teacher participants, enhances
the critical and analytical thinking skills of the students. This may help them lessen their
writer’s block as described in their statement.
Two of the teacher participants claimed that letting the students write or compose
short stories, can help them alleviate writer’s block in writing an essay. The following
were common responses among participants.
“So, I guess, just like what I said a while ago. Like most of the students are less
interested in writing an essay, so like I guess the intervention would be, students
are allowed to read short stories and they are going to make a question out from
the story and they are going to answer it. They are going to come up with their
own alternative ending of the story”. (T2)
“So as for me. I really encourage my students to still practice writing as much as
possible to make use of writing simple short stories, which could be based on
their own experience or from other experiences. Even though it is not already
14
used to in having at this generation. But I really wanted them to practice this way
of writing”. (T1)
Since short tales are brief, they can introduce students to excellent literature
without taking up the time needed to read a whole novel. Just like what is being shared by
teacher participants 1 and 2. While there is nothing wrong with books, short stories are
far easier for students to read than hundreds of pages, particularly if they are reluctant or
struggling readers. Divide short stories into digestible portions or read them aloud in a
class of one or two! The fact that these stories are shorter implies that students will spend
more time studying the words on the page rather than merely reading them, regardless of
how they feel about reading.
This is particularly valid in situations where you have a mixed-ability class or are
pressed for time. A short tale or two that satisfies the same learning objectives can be
used in place of a study novel if you're pressed for time or have students who struggle
with reading. For instance, Fitzgerald's "Winter Dreams" can be taught instead of or in
addition to his renowned novel The Great Gatsby. Ray Bradbury has a plethora of short
stories that are suitable for anyone who wants to explore dystopian literature but is unable
to read Fahrenheit 451 entirely. (Jackson, 2001)
Overall students need their teachers, so they can regain their positive outlook in
their studies and have a sense of belongingness as their teacher imparts strategies that
would help the students overcome writer’s block. Through this experience of the
students, others would learn from them. Teachers will guide them more and let them
achieve things they never knew that they could achieve.
The act of writing itself serves only to elicit certain emotions in certain
individuals. We're training ourselves to identify phrases that feel important to record and
then disseminate them for others to consider closely (or not!). That process might have a
lot of emotionally taxing components. We refer to this process as writer's block if it
causes us to feel so uncomfortable that we are unable to continue. The root cause of
writer's block is not writing in and of itself, but rather the emotions we experience when
we write—such as rejection, judgment, and self-criticism.
Proposed Writing Interventions
Here is the proposed writing intervention given by the teacher participants,
Vocabulary Notebook, Free Writing and Short Stories. These interventions would help
the students, lessen their writer’s block and continue to improve their writing skills as the
time goes by.
Figure 01.
15
A "vocabulary notebook" is defined as "a notebook kept by each learner" by
Fowle (2002: 380). especially to record fresh and practical vocabulary words.
Furthermore, Dennison (2014: A lexical notebook is any type of personal dictionary used
to store new or updated information, according to 55). practical vocabulary and extra
meaning-related information about words. She went on to state that "word meanings,
parts of speech, word forms, and more can be recorded in lexical notebooks." semantics,
pronunciation, context sentences, synonyms, antonyms, and collocations (Dennison,
2006). It's common to recommend vocabulary notebooks as a tool for kids to take charge
of increasing vocabulary acquisition (Fowle, 2002), with the bonus of increased
vocabulary learning (Laufer and Nation, 1999; Schmitt and Schmitt, 1995).
Figure 02.
16
A guided or teacher-sponsored free-writing diary is essential to getting started on
real writing, even if the main advantages of unguided or self-sponsored free-writing
journals are thought to be improving writing fluency and helping ESL learners discover
their own self-concept. According to Belanoff et al. (1991), directed free writing makes
writing more difficult. Nonetheless, because free writing encourages inductive thinking
as opposed to rash generalizations, the researchers believe that it helps pupils acquire a
better understanding of subjects.
Figure 03.
As recognized as separate literary works, short stories are among the most
effective ways to enhance reading comprehension. The best way to teach or revise
grammar is through a legendary story that illustrates or conjectures the relationship
between objects and people. Students gain proficiency in reading, language, morality, and
social principles. They also learn about the key ideas and plot mechanisms of stories and
develop their cultural literacy (Naidoo, 2011; Salamun, 2020). The comprehension level
of the respondents will also be determined in this study by using fables from the
Philippine Island of Mindanao.
As recognized as separate literary works, short stories are among the most
effective ways to enhance reading comprehension. The best way to teach or revise
grammar is through a legendary story that illustrates or conjectures the relationship
between objects and people. Students gain proficiency in reading, language, morality, and
social principles. They also learn about the key ideas and plot mechanisms of stories and
develop their cultural literacy (Naidoo, 2011; Salamun, 2020). The comprehension level
of the respondents will also be determined in this study by using fables from the
Philippine Island of Mindanao.
17
Conclusion and Recommendations
This study focused on writer’s block as experienced by senior high school
students in their creative nonfiction writing tasks of the Grade 12 students in a sectarian
college in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay during the school year 2023-2024. The study focused
on the central question: “How do students encounter and experience writer’s block in
writing creative nonfiction essays?” Below is the summary of the findings: What are the
common frequencies and manifestations of writer's block experienced by students when
composing creative non-fiction essays?
The common frequencies and manifestations of writer’s block experienced by the
students is the Difficulty and Disappointment in writing, Lack of vocabulary,
Perfectionism. Lack of vocabulary to move forward as they write their essays, or even
being a Perfectionism, because they thought that everything should be done perfectly
made.What type of writing activities/tasks are too difficult for them?
The type of writing activities/tasks that were too difficult for them came up with a
lengthy essay or simply sentences. They have a hard time dealing with this since English
is not their first language. Writing short stories or even making narratives are quite
challenging for them. What are the causes of these difficulties? The causes of their
encountered difficulties were their surroundings, students shared that when they wanted
to write something they were bothered by the noises around them. Contemplating in their
writing process to have a good outcome of essay.What coping strategies do students
employ to overcome writer's block?
The coping strategies students employed to overcome writer's block were asking for
further questions to their teachers, or even to their classmates and staying calm to
overcome writer’s block. What proposed writing interventions can be developed to
address the writer’s block?
Refer to Chapter 3 Pages 36-38 on Writing Interventions. Students typically
experience interventions that aid in their recovery from challenges, such as creating basic
vocabulary that will help them use better terms while writing their own essays.
References
Ahmed, S. J., & Güss, C. D. (2022). An Analysis of Writer’s Block: Causes and
Solutions. Creativity Research Journal, 34(3),1
16.https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2022.2031436
Bastug, M., Ertem, I. S., & Keskin, H. K. (2017). A phenomenological research study on
writer’s block: causes, processes, and results. Education + Training, 59(6), 605–
618. https://doi.org/10.1108/et-11-2016-0169
Burnell, C., Wood, J., Babin, M., Pesznecker, S., & Rosevear, N. (n.d.). Overcoming
Writing Anxiety and Writer’s Block. Openoregon.pressbooks.pub; Open Oregon
Educational
Resources.
18
https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/wrd/chapter/overcoming-writing-anxiety-andwriters-block/
Castillo, M. (2013). Writer’s Block. American Journal of Neuroradiology, 35(6), 1043–
1044. https://doi.org/10.3174/ajnr.a3729
Cavkaytar, S., & Yasar, S. (n.d.). Using Writing Process in Teaching Composition Skills:
an Action Research. Retrieved November 22, 2023, from https://conference.pixelonline.net/conferences/ICT4LL2010/common/download/Proceedings_pdf/SLA07
-Cavkaytar.pdf
Chintamani. (2014). “Challenges in Writing”—The Writer’s Block? The Indian Journal
of Surgery, 76(1), 3–4.https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-014-1058-x
Crosby, C. (2003). Writer’s Block, Merit, and the Market: Working in the University of
Excellence. College English, 65(6), 626. https://doi.org/10.2307/3594274
George, E. O. (2022, September 23). How to overcome writer’s block and build your
academic
writing
skills
|
Paperpal.
Paperpal
Blog.
https://paperpal.com/blog/researcher-resources/phd-pointers/how-to-overcomewriters-block
Glatch, S. (2020, October 20). What Causes Writer’s Block, and How to Overcome It:
Regaining Creative Motivation. Writers.com. https://writers.com/writers-block
Hanim Rahmat, N. (2020). Writers’ Block for Writers: How Far is it True? Global
Journal
of
Social
Sciences
Studies, 6(1),
51–63.
https://doi.org/10.20448/807.6.1.51.63
HENNING, L. H. (1981). Paradox as a Treatment for Writer’s Block. The Personnel and
GuidanceJournal, 60(2),112113.https://doi.org/10.1002/j.21644918.1981.tb00655
Hermann, B. P. (1984). Unsuccessful Self-Treatment of a Case of “Writer’s Block”: A
Partial Failure to Replicate. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 58(2), 350–350.
https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1984.58.2.350
Hernandez, J. (2022, May 20). Writer’s Block: Its Causes And How To Fight It. Leaders
Press. https://leaderspress.com/writers-block-its-causes-and-how-to-fight-it/
Ionescu, I. (2020, March 27). Morning Pages: Unleash Your Creativity And Crush Your
Writer’s Block. Iulian Ionescu. https://iulianionescu.com/blog/morning-pagesunleash-your-creativity-and-crush-your-writers-block/
Kara,
H.
(2017,
May 10). Writer’s
Block
Debunked.
https://helenkara.com/2017/05/10/writers-block-debunked/
Helen
Kara.
19
Konnikova, M. (2016, March 11). How to Beat Writer’s Block. The New Yorker.
https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/how-to-beat-writers-block
Lab, P. W. (2021). Symptoms and Cures for Writer’s Block // Purdue Writing Lab.
PurdueWritingLab.https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_proce
ss/writers_block/index.html
Lai,
P. (n.d.). Academic Guides: Writing a Paper: Writer’s Block.
Academicguides.waldenu.edu.
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/writingprocess/writersblock
Lee,
A.
M.
(2005).
Writer’s
https://doi.org/10.1038/nj7031-418a
Lu,
S.
(2015).
Blast
through
writer’s
block. Https://Www.apa.org.
https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2015/11/writers-block
block. Nature, 434(7031),
Lumivero. (2023, February 10). Dealing with writer’s
https://lumivero.com/resources/dealing-with-writers-block/
block.
418–418.
Lumivero.
Márquez-Zacarías, P. (2022, October 25). Don’t Despair: How to Handle Writer’s Block.
The Open Notebook. https://www.theopennotebook.com/2022/10/25/dontdespair-how-to-handle-writers-block/
Mauer, B., & Venecek, J. (2022). Writer’s Block. Pressbooks.online.ucf.edu.
https://pressbooks.online.ucf.edu/strategies2e/chapter/writers-block/
Miller, N. (2019, August 19). Writer’s block. Counselling & Psychological Services.
https://services.unimelb.edu.au/counsel/resources/study-related-issues/writersblock
Palay, L. G. (2021, September 26). The writer’s block. PALAWAN NEWS.
https://palawan-news.com/the-writers-block/
Potter, H. (2022, April 12). Grief induced writer’s block – how to get through it.
Prolifiko. https://prolifiko.com/grief-induced-writers-block/
Prihandoko, L. A. (2021). Students’ Writing Self-Efficacy, Writers’ Block, and
Academic Writing Performance: An Empirical Study in Eastern Indonesian
Students. AL-ISHLAH:
Jurnal
Pendidikan, 13(3),
2029–2037.
https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v13i3.1156
Rahmat, N. H. (2020). AN INVESTIGATION OF WRITERS’ BLOCK THROUGH
RHETORICAL SITUATION. European Journal of English Language
Teaching, 0. https://doi.org/10.46827/ejel.v0i0.2978
20
Rasch, D., & Rasch, M. (2013, June 17). Overcoming Writer’s Block and Procrastination
for Attorneys, Law Students, and Law Professors. Papers.ssrn.com.
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2272868
Rashdan, N. (2018). Effective Reading Strategies for Increasing the Reading
Comprehension Level of Third-Grade Students with Learning Disabilities.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4212&context=dissertations
Reza, R. (2016, October 26). Addressing Writer’s Block Through Physical Movement.
AMLE.https://www.amle.org/addressing-writers-block-through-physical
movement/
Rohmah, N., & Muslim, A. (n.d.). Writing Anxiety in Academic Writing Practice:
Insights
from
EFL
Learners’
Perspectives.
https://www.atlantispress.com/article/125956018.pdf
Ryskamp, D. A. (2020, January 24). Here’s What the Research Says About Writer’s
Block. Medium. https://dani-alexis.medium.com/heres-what-the-research-saysabout-writer-s-block-e3dbf8478d72
Singer, J. L., & Barrios, M. V. (2009). Writer’s Block and Blocked Writers: Using
Natural Imagery to Enhance Creativity (J. C. Kaufman & S. B. Kaufman, Eds.).
Cambridge
University
Press;
Cambridge
University
Press.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/psychology-of-creative-writing/writersblock-and-blocked-writers-using-natural-imagery-to-enhancecreativity/697E89A94547662F8326CD28D7179DDD
Unit, R. (2018, January 15). RIA # 94: Dr. Joli Jensen on Writer’s Block. Ecampus
ResearchUnit|OregonStateUniversity.https://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/research/podcast/e
94/
Upper, D. (1974). The unsuccessful self-treatment of a case of “writer’s block.” Journal
of Applied Behavior Analysis, 7(3), 497. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.1974.7-497a
Valero, C. S. (2021, November 7). How I Overcome Writer’s Block When Preparing a
Research Paper. César Soto Valero. https://www.cesarsotovalero.net/blog/how-iovercome-writer-block-when-preparing-a-research-paper.html