{"id":2017,"date":"2015-06-29T18:25:11","date_gmt":"2015-06-29T18:25:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/?p=2017"},"modified":"2018-05-22T20:20:11","modified_gmt":"2018-05-22T14:50:11","slug":"overcoming-writers-block-tips-and-strategies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/overcoming-writers-block-tips-and-strategies\/","title":{"rendered":"Overcoming Writer&#8217;s Block \u2013 Tips and Strategies"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Writing can be boring, hard, and stressful by itself. This coupled with deadlines, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/publication-support-services\/peer-review-process\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"115\" title=\"Peer Review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">peer review<\/a>, grading, etc., can become a truly daunting process.<\/p>\n<p>Writer\u2019s block is not a state of not knowing <em>what<\/em> to write but the state of conflict or fear over <em>how <\/em>to write it. Often writer\u2019s block is prompted by fear of not being perfect or of being uninteresting. Sometimes it arises from the fear of rejection and sometimes it is the result of feeling overwhelmed by information and having no idea how to put it together.<\/p>\n<p>The most important thing for all writers to remember is that writer\u2019s block is normal and not a sign of inadequacy. There is no writer who hasn\u2019t struggled with his\/her article at some point and there is no reason to panic. Writer\u2019s block, for many, is a normal part of the writing process.<\/p>\n<p>The second key point to note is that there <em>are <\/em>bad strategies for dealing with writer\u2019s block that will only make a situation worse. Waiting until you \u201cfeel\u201d ready or inspired is counterproductive and a waste of time. Equally, doing more and more research if you\u2019re already feeling overwhelmed will not solve the problem.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some effective strategies that will help you overcome your writer\u2019s block and complete that draft!<\/p>\n<h2>Planning for Success<\/h2>\n<p>If you are prone to writer\u2019s block, planning is vital to help you through it, and there are various useful tips for planning that works.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Plan for procrastination:<\/strong> if you know you will procrastinate, build that into your timetabling. Accept your tendencies to a certain degree and prepare for them, so you feel less guilt and still get your work done. Notice your inner demons and plan around them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Give yourself breaks:<\/strong> It is impossible to write at a high level for a long time without wearing yourself out. Give yourself planned rests to think about something else, go for a walk or a run or a coffee, and not worry about your writing task.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Set goals:<\/strong> Setting small goals that are challenging but achievable will allow you to break down writing tasks into small manageable tasks. Writing a whole dissertation at once is impossible, but writing 1,000 or 2000 words each day is manageable.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reward yourself: <\/strong>When you meet your goal, when you are happy with a section you have written, or when you feel you have achieved something good, give yourself a reward.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/pomodorotechnique.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><strong>The Pomodoro Technique<\/strong><\/a>: This is one of the most successful and simplest techniques for time management, goal setting, and rewarding yourself. It breaks your days into 25-minute chunks of distraction-free, goal-focused activity, punctuated by breaks and rewards.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eliminate distractions: <\/strong>If you\u2019re prone to check your emails or your phone a lot when you should be writing, try blocking apps that will prevent you from accessing your most common procrastination sources. <a href=\"https:\/\/chrome.google.com\/webstore\/detail\/stayfocusd\/laankejkbhbdhmipfmgcngdelahlfoji?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">StayFocusd<\/a> (chrome) and <a href=\"http:\/\/selfcontrolapp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">SelfControl<\/a> (mac) are both popular desktop apps that stop you from being distracted or procrastinating, and there are endless web and mobile apps with similar functions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Getting Words Written<\/h2>\n<p>Sometimes a\u00a0blank page is the most terrifying sight of all. The need to fill the page, on a deadline and with perfection is overwhelming. But remember, editing is the process of perfecting a draft, drafting means just getting some words written. Here are some strategies that can help you get started with writing:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Free-writing:<\/strong> Free-writing means simply writing whatever comes strikes you about the topic, with no thought for sense, logic, or structure, for ten minutes. The aim is to let your thoughts flow freely on the page. Online tools like\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/420fables.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">420fables<\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/writeordie.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">Write or Die<\/a> (paid) can provide useful motivation for free-writing.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Note taking: <\/strong>Simply take notes; write down ideas, disconnected thoughts, phrases, or quotes as they occur to you. Then build an outline of your essay or article from these notes. Based on this outline, you can fill in the gaps to prepare a draft.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Write multiple drafts:<\/strong> There\u2019s no rule that says a draft must be written in a particular order or in one document. Write ideas on new pages or in new windows. These multiple drafts can be edited into a final version.<\/li>\n<li><strong>WIRMI<\/strong>: WIRMI stands for \u201cWhat I Really Mean Is.\u201d Writer\u2019s block sometimes means not knowing how to phrase or explain something academically. In these cases, switch to plain, informal writing; say \u201cWIRMI\u2026\u201d Once this is done, you can edit it as per the formal writing style of an academic paper.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Write every day<\/strong>: This is perhaps the most important point. Don\u2019t make writing a special occasion full of stress. Make it part of your daily routine. Even if it is just 100 words with your morning coffee or 2000 words every night. Write every day!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Get Support<\/h2>\n<p>Writing is a solo activity. So often we feel alone and as if we are the only person struggling. Reach out, find other people for inspiration and to share your pain. Support is vital to keep you going and get you through writer\u2019s block. Here are some resources that may help you.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Social media: <\/strong>Twitter has emerged as a fantastic resource for struggling academic writers, with several hashtags that allow writers to find a common topic and talk about their writing. Try <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=%23acwri&amp;src=typd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#acwri<\/a> for academic writing support or <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/amwriting?src=hash\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#amwriting <\/a>for inspiration. Another hashtag, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/suwtues?src=hash\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#suwtuesdays<\/a><u>,<\/u> is a weekly communal writing activity that offers encouragement and inspiration to struggling writers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Writing Groups<\/strong>: The &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/thesiswhisperer.com\/shut-up-and-write\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Shut Up and Write<\/a>&#8221; groups are also a growing phenomena. They involve like-minded academic writers coming together for coffee and sustained writing for a couple of hours. Writing in the presence of others shows that you\u2019re not alone and gives you accountability and makes writing a social, supportive activity. Find out if there\u2019s one in your area, or start one yourself!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Whichever strategy you choose for yourself, the plethora of tools and apps show that writer\u2019s block is a normal part of the writing process and one that can be overcome with a little perseverance. So don\u2019t be afraid. Just write!<\/p>\n<div style=\"display:flex; gap:10px;justify-content:\" class=\"wps-pgfw-pdf-generate-icon__wrapper-frontend\">\n\t\t<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2017?action=genpdf&amp;id=2017\" class=\"pgfw-single-pdf-download-button\" ><img data-src=\"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-content\/plugins\/pdf-generator-for-wp\/admin\/src\/images\/PDF_Tray.svg\" title=\"Generate PDF\" style=\"width:auto; height:45px;\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\"><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Writing can be boring, hard, and stressful by itself. This coupled with deadlines, peer review,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1319,1336],"tags":[1510],"ppma_author":[1895],"class_list":["post-2017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-beyond-publishing","category-phd-cafe","tag-tips-for-phd-students"],"better_featured_image":null,"acf":{"faq_main_heading":"","faq_heading_one":"","faq_heading_two":"","faq_heading_three":"","faq_heading_four":"","faq_heading_five":"","faq_heading_six":"","faq_description_one":"","faq_description_two":"","faq_description_three":"","faq_description_four":"","faq_description_five":"","faq_description_six":""},"views":388,"single_webinar_page_date":null,"single_webinar_page_time":null,"session_agenda":null,"who_should_attend_this_session":null,"about_the_speaker_field":null,"co-webinar-sec":null,"co_webinar_sec_one":null,"speaker-name":null,"webinar-date":null,"webinar-time":null,"webinar-s-image":null,"custum_webinar_category":null,"authors":[{"term_id":1895,"user_id":4,"is_guest":0,"slug":"editor","display_name":"Enago Academy","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2ef4bc47f3ceaa56f5eb3b26f9520fad298ba36ede4f86315997ffb45db37a1f?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","author_category":"","user_url":"","last_name":"Academy","first_name":"Editor","job_title":"","description":"Enago Academy, the knowledge arm of Enago, offers comprehensive and up-to-date resources on academic research and scholarly publishing to all levels of scholarly professionals: students, researchers, editors, publishers, and academic societies. It is also a popular platform for networking, allowing researchers to learn, share, and discuss their experiences within their network and community. The team, which comprises subject matter experts, academicians, trainers, and technical project managers, are passionate about helping researchers at all levels establish a successful career, both within and outside academia."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2017"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2017\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2017"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=2017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}