Writing
The first sentence is often the biggest challenge. This page introduces methods for getting started, creative writing, and practical writing exercises.
Not everything has been written yet…
Even if you might have hoped so, writing is not over after school is finished! Especially during your studies—and at the latest when you start your bachelor’s or master’s thesis—writing becomes an important topic again.
But what if you don’t know how to start? Or if you’re completely lacking motivation? Fortunately, there are some useful tips.
Useful Tips
[see also: Besser Schreiben lernen]
- Create a suitable workspace – A first step is to set up an environment where you can write without distractions—ideally in a separate room, with your phone out of reach.
- Understand the topic – Before you start writing, make sure you understand and define what your text is about. Ask yourself: What is my topic? What am I writing about? Without a clear focus, it’s easy to lose track.
- Become an expert on your topic first – Don’t just start writing randomly. First, research your topic and create a plan for how to approach it and which aspects are truly relevant.
Helpful questions you can ask yourself:- What is particularly important?
- What can I leave out?
- Which parts require more in-depth discussion, and what can be treated more superficially?
- Which sections can be combined? What deserves its own paragraph or (sub)chapter?
- What order makes the most sense?
- Forget about perfection (at first) – At the beginning, your text doesn’t need to be perfectly worded or error-free. Focus on getting your thoughts onto the page before they disappear—while following your plan. Once you have a first structure, you can revise and improve the content, wording, and spelling step by step.
If you struggle with procrastination, check out our article with helpful tips.
Freewriting
So-called freewriting is especially useful when you’re just getting started with writing—or when you feel stuck and don’t know how to continue.
How it works
- Set aside five to twenty minutes and just start writing.
- First, come up with a prompt sentence, for example:
“What is the biggest challenge for me when writing?” - It’s important that your hand keeps moving continuously. If you run out of ideas, simply draw wavy lines until new thoughts appear.
- Don’t read what you’re writing while you’re doing it, and ignore spelling and structure. It doesn’t need to be perfect—the focus is on keeping your thoughts flowing.
This technique, which originates from the Anglo-American world, is meant to help you get into writing more easily and overcome writer’s block.
More Tips and Support
- Article - How to Stay Focused: 10 Tips to Improve Your Focus and Concentration
- You problem is motivating yourself to write? Here is an Online-Course offered by the FH Vienna (only available in German), and here is an Article on this topic as well How To Motivate Yourself To Write
- If you are currently working on your bachelor’s or master’s thesis, we also got an Article for you on this!
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