Having a hard time getting started writing about a topic? We’ve all been there. Here’s a pro-tip you might find useful: narrow down until it starts flowing.
Say, you’ve been asked to write a book report — you read the book, write down notes, think about the things you want to discuss and sit down to begin work on the paper. For some reason, though, the entire thing feels like a blur and you can’t quite come up with anything to write.
Oftentimes, this will happen because you’re thinking of the book project as a whole. In that mode, ideas can become unclear and abstract. If you’re stuck, try drilling down into narrower sub-topic. If that doesn’t work, narrow down further.
For example, instead of reporting about the book, start writing a paragraph about the opening chapter. If you’re still stuck, write about the first page. Still no luck? Write an entire paragraph about the first paragraph. Or the first sentence. Or, heck, the first word. Once that’s done, move on to the next until a fuller structure flows.
The narrower your drill down, the more tangible your subject becomes. That’s because all your attention gets focused on that single thing. Instead of an entire book to report on, you just need to talk about that one item you’ve zoned in on.
