A Paper of A Thousand Pages Begins with a Single Word

When you see that flashing cursor on a blank Word document, do you feel excited for the possibilities of what can fill the page? Or are you consumed by dread and anxiety, knowing you are the one who has to fill the page? Getting started on a new assignment, even when you are excited for it, can be a difficult task. Armed with your assignment prompt, a clear understanding of the topic, ideas about what you want to say, and stacks of research at your disposal, you may still find yourself struggling with where to start.

Preparing to write is an important part of the writing process. We, as writers, take that time to get to know our subject through careful reading and thinking. However, moving in to the first draft can be a sticking point for many writers. You may know what you want to say, but where do you begin? Let's look at a few possible starting points that might work for you as you begin your next writing project.

Start at the very beginning (a very good place to start!)

Some writers find that crafting an introduction to their entire final product is a way to not only introduce the future reader, but to introduce themselves to the essay. Hammering out that introductory paragraph (or two or three) with relevant background, definitions, and stage-setting can turn on the faucet of ideas.

However, if you want to be the type of person who starts at the beginning, but can’t figure out how – try typing a sentence. Really. Get that first line down. What is the one thing you want to keep in mind as you write? What is that point of interest or driving force behind your research, reflection, or discussion? Type it! Congratulations, that’s the first line of your introduction.  If this isn’t working for you, it might be time to consider starting elsewhere.

Start in the middle

Whenever I work with writers, I remind them that it is hard to start with the first sentence of a piece because it is difficult to introduce something that doesn’t yet exist. Think about it – how can you introduce all of your developed ideas when they haven’t been developed yet? There is nothing wrong with starting right in the middle of your final essay. No one will know. (For example, I drafted the section below first while working on this blog post. You wouldn’t know that if I hadn’t told you.)

              

Find the section you know, the one you could explain to anyone at any time. The one that reaffirms why you do what you do. Write that first. I see a lot of assignments come through the Writing Center with a clear set of directions laid out saying, “Do 1, 2, 3, and 4.” Let’s say you feel good about #3. Write that one first! Once it is in place, you will get that figurative ball rolling and may find the rest of the essay easy to write.

Start somewhere else (you thought I’d say end, didn’t you?)

If you can’t get a sentence on your screen, or can’t find a way to keep it going, you may want to start somewhere other than typing. The writing process isn’t a clean line from research to draft. If it isn’t flowing, it isn’t flowing. Instead of forcing it, try starting your draft in some way other than staring at a blank page.

Try chatting with your friendly Walden Writing Center Instructor during our Live Chat sessions. Try talking with a peer or instructor, or try reading something you wrote in the past, or… start at the end. Go ahead and write your concluding thoughts. Maybe writing where you WANT to end up will inspire the journey there. 

After reading this post, please tell us which of these starting points has worked for you in the past. Are you a beginning starter, a middle-starter, or a somewhere else starter? Keep the conversation going in the comments. 

Melissa Sharpe is a Writing Instructor in the Walden University Writing Center. Her favorite part of working with writers is helping facilitate the writing process.

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