Writing Advice for Interesting Times

Launching from the semester’s end into summer is usually celebrated as a special kind of academic freedom, a chance to get lost in projects and flex your intellectual muscles. But what we’re hearing these days from writers across disciplines at a range of institutions is that it’s proving hard to get motivated.

And yet now is when the world needs more thinkers and writers. More expert research shared with more people. More big ideas that change minds.

To help writers stay motivated so that they can deliver on that, we rely on five techniques. These techniques will help you refocus your mind and raise your spirits so you can get your work out into the world and be where you want to be by the start of the next academic year.

Find Your Why

Motivational speaker Simon Sinek is best known for his signature call to audiences to “find your why.” We use Sinek’s idea to help writers focus on what is meaningful about their research and what drives them to return to it every day.

Try asking yourself, “Why am I writing this?” Instead of thinking about external goals, like promotion or a flattering invitation, think about what you want your book, article or talk to do for you and for others. Finding those answers will help you move beyond “getting it done” to reach something a little more personal and valuable. When your motivations come from a deeper place, distractions aren’t so distracting. You can also put aside worries about rejection that can stop you from even getting started. Focus on the intrinsic value, so that the significance of your work for your audience propels you.

Turn Anxiety Into Excitement

Speaking of anxiety, Harvard Business School professor Alison Wood Brooks studies emotional regulation, especially preperformance anxiety.

Her work (which The Atlantic helpfully turned into a short video shot in a karaoke bar) shows that you can overcome anxiety just by saying the phrase “I am excited” when facing a daunting task. This technique is useful in a range of academic scenarios, whether contending with reader reports, drafting a book proposal or preparing a talk and slides.

Anecdotally, we find that it also works well for boredom and fatigue. Wherever you land on the spectrum of negative emotions, get into the habit of thinking about excitement on your way to your computer. While you’re taking a shower, walking the dog or tidying up your workspace, try to say to yourself, “I am excited to …” and then finish the sentence.

It’s even better if you can connect with a writing buddy and text each other in the morning, “What are you excited about today?” While this might have a whiff of the self-help–industrial complex, try to think of this as a cognitive technique—a reframing––that will move you into a headspace that is conducive to writing.

Lead With Identity

In Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones (Avery, 2018), James Clear explains why setting goals isn’t enough. Real change requires a shift from what you want to achieve to whom you want to become. Since we work with writers, we narrow this idea, asking them to complete this sentence: “I am the kind of writer who …” or “I am the kind of academic who …” We often hear a range of answers, from “meets my deadlines” to “changes government policy.” No answer is wrong. It’s about what vision of yourself you find most motivating so that you can move forward with who you genuinely want to be.

Get Inspired

If you aren’t sure what kind of academic you are, you might search for models. Not who has the flashiest job or the top publications, or even the recognition you want, but who is writing the kinds of things you would like to write. Who puts research, writing and teaching (and maybe activism or advocacy) together in the way you want to? Who approaches the field the same way you aspire to? Who treats students and colleagues as you would? Know those names and study how they do it. Take a close look at how they build community, mentor, innovate research and pedagogical practices, and contribute to the field. Then consciously think about what you want to emulate as you lead with your identity.

You can also find inspiration in the kinds of books and articles you want to write. We’re talking style over substance here, so not the books that are about the things you want to write, but those that are structured in the way you would like to structure your book—or those that use a voice like the one you hope to, or argue in a rhetorical style you find compelling. Who has mastered a crisp clarity we all dream of, and who uses an engaging balance of research and personal experience that you would like to try out? Keep two or three titles that fit the bill at the ready and remind yourself that’s what you’re aiming for.

Connecting with the people you want to be and the publications you want to create will move you away from the scroll and into more worthwhile work.

Celebrate Your Achievements

When you’ve tried these habits, chances are high that you’ll achieve what you want to achieve. When that happens, no matter how big or small, make sure to at least clink teacups with another human who will share your excitement about what you’ve done. Celebrating offers so many benefits, like activating the reward center in your brain with a dopamine hit as well as inspiring others (perhaps you’ll be someone else’s model). When you do this, remember to celebrate your work rather than someone else’s response to it. That means celebrating the submission just as much as the acceptance.

One final note: In The Writing Life, Annie Dillard reminds us, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” Spend yours as you have planned to––as a thinker, an expert, a deep diver, a creator (rather than a consumer of news) and someone who connects more people with ideas that matter.