FIRST AID FOR WRITER`S BLOCK

Do you know those times when writing gets hard and procrastination takes over? You are not alone – most writers experience such weary phases at some point. Procrastination may occur for many individual reasons and in the long run it is surely worth to take a closer look at those reasons. However, if you are under time pressure and need urgent help you can take three steps as First Aid action:

  1. Talk
  2. Feedback
  3. Set deadlines
  1. Talk

Talk about your writing project to insiders and outsiders of your research field. Explain your topic but also let off steam about what`s frustrating you and preventing you at the moment from sticking to the writing project.

  1. Feedback

Even if you can´t face your writing project at the moment, you can still work on it – just hand out the text (or text parts) to a feedback person. If you feel your text is “not good enough” for feedback, choose a peer or a friend who won`t judge you by the text quality. Even outsiders from your research field with little writing experience can give you valuable feedback about where and why their reading flow was interrupted. Just give it a try.

  1. Set deadlines

Most of us experience that procrastination miraculously fades away when the deadline is getting closer. However, you don´t have to wait for that miracle to set in and at worst panic when the end is near. Instead you can actively use that effect by setting your own deadlines for short term goals throughout the writing process. Most importantly, make your deadlines public and official by announcing them to colleagues or friends. This works best if you combine the announced deadline with a fixed appointment for text feedback.

I am happy to support you in all these steps