"Why Can’t My Student Just Start Writing?" A Conversation on Procrastination with Writing Expert Victoria Payne
As an Executive Functioning Coach, one of the most common struggles I see in students is procrastination—especially when it comes to writing assignments. Whether it’s an essay due tomorrow or a college application essay due next month, getting started can feel like an impossible task for many students.
To dive deeper into this challenge, I sat down with Victoria Payne, a former English professor at the University of Portland and the author of Write Big: From College Application Essay to Storytelling Standout. Victoria now runs a boutique coaching business where she helps students—often those with learning differences or writing anxiety—craft compelling college essays.
In our conversation, Victoria offered a compassionate, practical, and expert take on why students procrastinate—and what parents can do to support them.
Q: Victoria, so many students say they “hate writing” or that they’re “just bad at it.” How do you start to unpack that?
Victoria Payne: I always try to understand their relationship to writing. Sometimes they’ll say something really concrete like, “I have to use a keyboard because handwriting is hard for me,” or “I struggle with fine motor skills.” But more often, I hear things like, “I’m just not good at writing,” or “It’s too hard.”
That’s when I dig deeper. I’ll ask what kinds of grades they get in English. Sometimes a parent will chime in and say, “They failed English last year because they didn’t turn anything in,” or “They get Cs and Bs, but the teacher says their ideas are good—they just struggle to focus them.”
I don’t believe that spelling, punctuation, or handwriting determine whether someone can become a good writer. We start by separating the student’s self-belief from the actual writing task. Often it’s the belief—"I’m bad at this"—that’s holding them back.
Q: What’s one of the first strategies you use to help students get unstuck?
Victoria: One of the most effective ways is to have students talk out their ideas and record them. When you remove the pressure of typing or writing, and just let them speak, it frees up their thinking. I might say, “Just talk to me about what you’re thinking—even if it’s messy or uncertain.”
Then I’ll reflect their ideas back to them. For example, if they read The Great Gatsby and need to write about social justice, I’ll listen and say, “Okay, you’re noticing differences in social class—that’s a strong observation. Let’s build on that.”
If you’re a parent trying to help at home, you can simply ask your student to talk out loud about the topic and record it. Tools like Zoom or Otter.ai can help transcribe their thoughts, which they can then turn into written ideas later.
Q: What about students who are really deep in procrastination—like the paper’s due tomorrow and they haven’t started?
Victoria: Yes, those are what I call “acute procrastination” situations. In those cases, I don’t aim for a perfect essay—I aim for a completed essay.
Here’s what I do:
I have the student write in short bursts—maybe 5 to 10 minutes at a time.
I tell them to write as fast as possible. Don’t worry about spelling or structure. Just dump out the ideas.
I affirm their thinking—if they say something insightful, I stop them and say, “Write that down right now. Five minutes. Go.”
This helps break through the inertia and perfectionism. The goal isn’t an A+ paper—it’s to avoid a zero. A turned-in C paper is still better than a 0.
Q: That “just start” strategy sounds simple, but powerful. How do you support students in that early brainstorming phase—especially if they’re still frozen?
Victoria: I’m a big believer in exploratory writing. When a student gets a new assignment, I’ll say, “We’re not writing the paper. We’re just writing to figure out what you think.”
Here’s how it works:
Highlight the prompt—What is the assignment actually asking? Circle or underline keywords.
Fast-write or voice-record—For 5–10 minutes, talk or write about what you think. It doesn’t have to be organized.
Pull out themes—Afterward, we look at what they said. What parts relate to the assignment? What’s their main idea?
Create a rough outline—Not a Roman numeral outline! Just a list: “Here’s my big idea. Here are three smaller points. Now I have a plan.” That outline becomes their roadmap.
Q: Many parents feel lost when trying to help with writing. What’s one thing they can do to support their child without overstepping?
Victoria: The best thing a parent can do is shift the focus away from the final product and onto the thinking process. Ask open-ended questions like:
“What do you think your teacher wants you to explore here?”
“What stands out to you about the book or topic?”
“What’s your take on this?”
You don’t need to edit their grammar or suggest better vocabulary on their first draft. Just help them articulate their thinking, and the writing will follow. Peers, teachers, and specialists can provide feedback on things like spelling, grammar, and punctuation. If you want to preserve your relationship with your student let the professionals do the heavy lifting.
Q: Any final thoughts for parents of students who are “writing avoidant”?
Victoria: First, know that your student isn’t lazy. Writing is incredibly vulnerable. It takes courage, especially for students with ADHD, dyslexia, or previous academic struggles.
Second, help them learn that writing is a process. It doesn’t start with an outline or thesis statement. It starts with thoughts, with conversation, with messy first drafts.
And finally, help them see that progress beats perfection. A completed paper—flawed and all—is better than a blank page. Over time, with practice, their confidence will grow.
About Victoria Payne
Victoria Payne is a former English professor at the University of Portland and the author of Write Big: From College Application Essay to Storytelling Standout. She runs a boutique coaching practice helping students—particularly those with learning differences or writing anxiety—craft powerful, authentic college application essays. She also helps people of all ages write about their life through her guided autobiography workshops. You can learn more about her work here and check out her book here.
Hi!, I’m Karen Rodriguez
I help people learn how their brain works so they can get their work done. Trained in the Sklar Method, I use executive functioning tools to help high school and college students and professionals stay on track and succeed at their own goals. Do you or your student need help? Schedule a consultation to learn more.