What are the guidelines, and the that are overwhelming to beginners, so what solutions can you offer?

Answer 1

If the question above is referring to an assignment or project, versus an independent writing project of your own, you are in luck!—your teacher or professor has probably given you guidelines of what is expected and some details about what should be included in your assignment. 

There are probably guidelines for content and length. Believe it or not, this will happen naturally, when writing begins. Whether there is freedom on approaching a given book or topic, or specifics to include when writing, thoughts will flow. 

If your assignment came with an outline, or if you have the name of an author or topic, the brainstorming can begin. Does the essay or project involve pure research? Are you being asked what your opinion about a topic is? Structure and polish can come later.

Brainstorming and Rough Notes Are Yours--The “What Do I Know”, “What Do I Want To Know”, “What Did I Learn”, “What Is My Opinion About The Topic”, etc. Stuck on a beginning? Start in the middle with an idea. If you know how you want your conclusion, or your favorite part of your topic would be, then begin there, or come back to it. Take micro-breaks. Get a snack.

Structure and polish are next. Some may feel confident to do this, in the process of writing—great. If not, keep writing or typing. Make side notes or start a reference page rough, if necessary. When possible, ask for instructor feedback. Create a fresh draft or drafts.

Depending on whether the project is hand-written, or likely drafted on your computer, do spelling and grammar checks. You will be relieved and /or amazed how much you have accomplished.

SB

Answer 2

A common complaint from English students is what do I do about a constipated brain? First, do not throw away wads of paper. Keep on writing, and don't worry about getting the perfect sentences. The act of writing stimulates the brain like a herbal tea because the act of moving a pen or a paper makes ideas come into being, which is called invention, discovery, or brainstorming. Next is called freewriting or non-stop writing for twenty minutes without editing or correcting or revising or erasing or throwing away any part. Circle any repeated phrase or ideas and write for another twenty minutes, and repeat three or for times. Next, the student writes a 1st draft and corects it. After corecting the first draft, he or she writes a second, third draft, and types up the drat for peer editing and the other student make comment about sequence, order, coherence, or development and unity. Does the sence structure have ordere, coherence, or sufficent detal to prove a point? Is the essay flawed in logic, or is the paragraph lacing in arument, have enough details or do the main prong of the thesis have validity? The teacher revies the peer-edited paper and the student must rewrite the drats. After the third drat, students have another published paper, and revises the essay. You are done.