I can write, but I can't do it regularly
Make writing a steady, protected part of your week instead of something that happens in bursts.
In short
Start here, today. Open your calendar and book three writing sessions for next week, each 45 to 90 minutes, at times when your mind is usually clearest. Title each one with what you'll work on, for example “Ch 3: draft section 3.2”. This takes about 15 minutes.
After that, work through these steps. Choose one to jump to it.
Step by step
Tick each step as you finish it. Open a step for the how.
0 of 6 steps done
Pick a rhythm that survives a bad week
Choose a frequency you could keep even in a heavy teaching week or when a child is off sick. Thirty minutes four mornings a week beats a full writing day you keep cancelling. Add more when things are calm. The aim is never to go more than two or three days without touching the draft.
Book it like a meeting
Put each session in your calendar as an appointment, with the chapter in the title. If someone asks for that slot, say you're already committed, because you are. Move a session if you have to, but don't just delete it.
Keep email out of the session
Close email and chat and silence your phone before you start, and open only the files you need. If you need a reference or a number, type [REF] or [CHECK] and keep going. Checking email “just quickly” before you start is one of the most common ways a writing session disappears.
Leave yourself a way back in
Before you stop, fill in “Next time, start by” in Writing Sessions with something exact: the paragraph, the point you were about to make, the source you need open. Some writers stop mid-sentence on purpose. Next time you'll be writing within a few minutes instead of rereading for forty.
Write with other people
Join or start a writing group. A Shut Up & Write session is simple: people say what they're working on, write in silence for a set time, then check in. Your writing centre, library or graduate student association may already run something similar, and being expected somewhere makes it much easier to turn up.
Count everything that moves the draft
Log outlining, revising, cutting, making figures and reverse outlining as sessions. At the end of the month, look back through the log. Seeing a dozen real sessions in a month you thought was empty changes how you see yourself as a writer.
Words you can use
Is this you? Signs to look for
- You write in bursts before deadlines, then not at all for weeks.
- Each session starts with an hour of rereading just to remember where you were.
- Writing is always the thing you'll do once your inbox is clear.
- You only count a day as a writing day if you produced new words.
Why this happens
Writing that waits for a free day rarely happens, because a PhD doesn't have many free days. There's always teaching, data, admin or someone else's deadline. Bursts also cost more than they appear to: after two weeks away from a draft, the first hour or two goes on getting back into it.
Short, regular sessions keep the draft warm. You remember the argument, restarting takes minutes, and your thinking keeps developing between sessions, often while you're doing something else entirely.
Consistency also depends on what you count. If only polished new paragraphs count, most days look like failure and you stop trying. Outlining, restructuring, cutting 500 words, building a table and fixing a broken argument are all writing.
Worth a look (5)
- Shut Up & WriteCommunity writing sessions, online and in person, in many cities.
- How to Write a Lot, by Paul SilviaA short, blunt book about scheduling writing instead of waiting to feel ready.
- Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)Free guides on every part of academic writing, from structuring a paragraph to citing sources. A good first stop when you're unsure how something should look.
- Writing Center Tips & ToolsShort, friendly handouts answer almost any writing question, from literature reviews and abstracts to passive voice and conclusions. Reach for them when one particular thing is tripping you up.
- Writing AdviceShort, practical pages walk you through planning, drafting and revising, with advice on literature reviews, lab reports and using sources. They're easy to dip into when you have one question.
When to bring someone in
Ask your writing centre and graduate student association what already exists: writing groups, retreats and dissertation boot camps are common. If the obstacle is time rather than habit, such as a heavy teaching load, a job or caring responsibilities, talk to your supervisor about what pace is realistic and plan around that, instead of trying to write like someone with an empty week.
Find the right person, or talk to Ify