The Title is the Hardest Part of Writing Anything

I'm an English major but I don't like to write anymore.

For about nine months of the year, my life is measured by essays and due dates. It is controlled by professors who almost seem to meet secretly and schedule all their assignments days apart so they can laugh at their students' struggles. When one assignment is done, another needs to be started. Holiday breaks are listed on the calendar, but everyone knows they're only good for special projects and research papers. No break for you.

The moments where my head isn't in a required novel and my fingers aren't cranking out a response essay, I'm definitely not scribbling down any prose or poetry. After writing several pages literary theory, the last thing I want to do is explore my own imagination. I write what is necessary and nothing more.

So once again, I face another year of long books, late nights and forced academic brilliance. The courses seem enjoyable but I can already feel the writer's block kicking in. Years ago, I used to write stories on the back of handouts and short poems in my notebook margins. How can I get back to doing that?

Nothing kills the creative spirit like higher education.