Rose Breaks Down the Perplexity of that Vicious Devil Called 'Writer's Block'

Mike Rose's research on writer's block proves to have some interesting results.  He claims that some students block out good writing by perplexities (i.e. the ability to use rules, but sometimes move past them).  His students seem to offer good results.  He spends a lot of time talking about Martha in particular and the other UCLA students.  I understand that's he trying to show that most students can break through the webs and chains of writer's block by simply psyching themselves out of their habits.  However, I think that in my own personal experience that writer's block came to be when I was a younger student rather than I currently am.

I've noticed in my time as a tutor as well that some students are often stymied (one of his favorite words in this essay) not by rules, but by not having rules.  Mike Rose refers to the five-paragraph essay with one student where she was taught there should be 3 main points and that's it.  One girl follows that formula, while another student logically expands her ideas based on those 3 main points.  I explain to them that as long as you have the ideas in place then you can always go back and look at them again and so can the reader.  They seem quite shocked by this notion because often times they simply summarize essays or information rather than actually analyze something.

I think going back to the issue of experience is something which could probably use some research.  I know as an undergrad when I wrote about King Lear I had a hell of a time trying to write a few lines vs. my later experience as a Shakespeare scholar at UCLA.  Perhaps Rose's experiment is kind of new at the time he didn't really have a chance to see or view that.  Yet at the community colleges and universities age difference has become increasingly noticeable.  Although it's a good thing, I think teachers and tutors should be aware of this difference which should lead us into research dealing with age group.  One example I can think of is our literacy autobiography.  If you asked a 10 year old boy to express something that made him literate vs. a 55 year old student there's going to be a drastic difference in their responses.  So I think that's one link which could be further researched.

And speaking of assignments, I think subject matter is important as well.  Martha and a few other of the "blocking students" are Physical Science majors.  Although Rose doesn't want point any fingers he suggests that part of their writer's block comes from the fact that they become creatures of habit (or as in this case) structure.  I think he makes a valid point although one thing I found missing was what the other students who were the non-blockers if they were humanities students.  One's major or assignment I think has a major impact on a student.  I remember in English 1 (my college composition course) a numerous amounts of research topics.  Most people really felt empowered by the choice of their topic rather than hindered by it.  This I find to be another important factor that was sort of left out by Rose.  What was the topic and their range of interest and/or knowledge in the subject?

Even though Mike Rose has some gaps I think he makes some great points as well.  Most undergrad students are immobilized by the dreaded first paragraph.  I used to be one of those people who didn't start in the middle of an essay, but rigidly tried to make a hook sentence and almost force the situation.  In recent years as a grad student I've found that I'm a little more lax with style.  I still write the first paragraph, but I don't rigidly follow the 5 paragraph essay format anymore.  I found some relief in that.  Rose makes a good point about blockers who become so consumed by rules that they become paralyzed by their standard.  Once again, a level of maturity as a person and as a writer I think could lead away from this issue.

He also makes a good point that most students who have writer's block often turn in assignments late or rush through their writing.  I can't tell you how many students have come to me with a paper "due tomorrow" or "due at 10:00 a.m."  It often results, as Rose notes, from an inability to write the first paragraph.  It's sad in a way because they do have great ideas, but these students are often caught in THE HOOK SENTENCE, THE THESIS so on and so forth.  This can be remedied sometimes by simply asking them questions, which is a solution that Rose adds to the conclusion.  This often helps them to VOCALIZE their thoughts thus getting from them a more honest, real sense of what they want to say.  Rose's remedy has helped me as a tutor because I constantly ask people questions and even though it is a classical ideal I think it still works today.

This essay has its up's and down's though I am not surprised by Rose's findings.  I think what is interesting is how much it opens up for us who wish to research the topic.  He literally encourages people at the beginning of his study to further look into this.  As I've suggested earlier I think age groups in the college and universities can also determine whether or not its a level of cognitive maturity.  Whatever those findings might be I think my solution to writer's block is simply to ask questions and finding out what they know or don't know and explain the value of the rules or the value of sometimes breaking the rules with the hope that students can learn and gain from their writing experience.