Writing is not an automatic thing. It is a process. It requires patience, diligence, practice, and creativity. During the process of research, it easy to feel lost. But there are strategies that you can take to help you with note-taking and critical reading. If you are there and you feel stuck, we have some tips here that can help you get unstuck and start pouring words onto the paper.
- Preparation
Before you start writing, take some time, this can be like 20 min and come up with a thesis statement. This thesis statement should have some prewriting strategies. When you take some time to prepare, it gives you direction and focus. Having a blank page does not necessarily mean that you do not have words to write. It mostly means that you do not have a plan of how to write. If you are an academic writer, you should have adequate information from your study when writing your research.
- Find a suitable place
The place where we do our writing is essential. Probably you cannot write from home since there is a lot of comforts. Or your coffee shop where you work is a bit too noisy. You should for a place where you can be able to write appropriately without any disruptions. Your writing habits and needs need to be met. Also, a change of environment gives you a new perspective. Sometimes our writing place is just fine, and we need some modification in scenery once in a while to help you come up with ideas.
- Just start
When it comes to writing, no rule says you have to follow the format required. If you cannot find information to write your information, you can go ahead and start by writing your body for the paper. If starting with the conclusion works for you, then start with that. When you begin writing, it does not mean that it’s the end, and you cannot change what is written. You can always go back and rearrange your work, delete and revise some areas. Keep the process of writing moving, and even it means starting with a few ideas.
- Turn of your internal criticism
As you are writing, you can easily criticize yourself and edit your work as you write. Try to avoid doing this during the process of writing. It is okay if the paper doesn’t make sense and you have some grammatical errors. If you keep editing your work, you might find yourself stuck and not moving on. Try always to keep writing, and the edits can come later while you’re revising your work.
- Have time set aside to write nonstop
Find ourselves a stopwatch and try timing yourself for a minute. Try and type something under that minute. Set for two mins and try the practice again. Keep repeatedly trying as you increase the time between; as you continue to do this, you will see a dramatic change.
- Set achievable goals
The truth of the matter is, sometimes it not all times; blank pages can be very intimidating. When this often happens when you know how many you need to write. Instead of overwhelming yourself to finish the work in only one sitting. You can set some achievable ad realistic goals for yourself. These goals help you work at a pace you are comfortable with. Ensure that you are accountable to yourself in keeping these goals.
- Step away
During the process of writing, always take some time off to freshen and clear your mind. Some ideas do not develop when writing; you need to take a pause and let them grow. It doesn’t mean you can only be productive while sited on a computer.
Conclusion
The tips mentioned above can help you deal with academic writer’s block. You can also read more about this to be assisted with more tips.