It’s Time to Write, but Where Do I Start?

With writing challenges like AcWriMo (Academic Writing Month) and NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) set to begin on Nov. 1, you may be asking yourself where to begin. If you don’t already have a set task such as completing your dissertation or another work in progress, you may be faced with questions like: What should I write about? What type of publication should I create? And how will I squeeze writing into my already busy schedule?

Feeling stuck in the beginning phases of a project can prevent meaningful progress, so let’s look at some strategies to get you writing.

1. Select a topic to write about. The first thing to decide on is a topic to write about. In a presentation I delivered in 2022, I shared several questions to get attendees thinking about possible subjects along with a list of my own publications and the rationale/inspiration that led to their creation. Many of us in academia, particularly grad students and adjunct faculty, hold more than one role or job, which gives us multiple areas of expertise to tap into.

For example, you may be an instructor, an administrator and a researcher as well as have an industry job outside of teaching. Further, each role may also comprise various responsibilities—as a professor, you may be teaching, mentoring and engaging in committee work, for instance. Any of those areas of experience could serve as the source of your writing project. Begin by listing your roles and associated responsibilities.

Next, looking at those roles and responsibilities, begin generating a list of possible topics. For example, ask yourself if you are frequently asked to share certain information. For me, I found that many students were reaching out to me every year regarding their interest in pursuing a doctoral program and asking similar questions. After countless one-on-one meetings and emails, I decided to share the information publicly. I now send the article to students as a way to answer some of their initial questions before having a meeting.

Similarly, ask yourself if anything about your teaching or other roles have changed or evolved over the years. For example, I reflected on how the pandemic, and resulting student stress, shifted how I viewed the use of class time for student check-ins. Additionally, you could reflect on elements that you enjoy or find meaningful in your professional roles. For example, incorporating mindfulness in class and mindfully setting up my classrooms are important to me and have been the source of both publications and presentations.

After generating your list of roles, responsibilities and potential topics, reflect on the ease and urgency of writing on each topic. For example, if a topic has a time-sensitive component, like preparing for the academic year, should that take priority? Or can you identify topics that will be easier to write about, allowing you to use your time more efficiently? If you’ve found It difficult to write in the past, selecting such “easier” topics may also aid in boosting your confidence in writing and building momentum to take on larger projects.

2. Determine the type of publication. During other times of the year, I want to think about the end product earlier in the topic selection and writing process. For example, I identify if I’m interested in writing an article, chapter, book, blog post, newsletter or something else. Selecting the type of publication can impact what the final product will look like in terms of content and length.

However, like the other obstacles I’ve mentioned, if you don’t already have something in mind, focusing on the end product can be another reason that you don’t even start a project. To address that concern, at least for now, we will push this selection off until you’ve written out what you have to say on the topic. Once you’ve written all you can, it will be easier to identify which type of publication would be the best fit.

3. Prepare to write.  When it comes time to sit and write, you want to be ready. If you are used to splitting your writing time between searching, reading, processing and writing—and finding that to be an inefficient use of your time—you may want to complete some of those steps before the writing challenge begins. Doing so can help you stay on task and work more efficiently during a writing session. So after selecting your topic, identify some prewriting requirements—such as finding resources, creating an outline and identifying main topics—that you can complete before November. Depending on how your writing project unfolds, you may also find it helpful to add a weekly “writing support tasks” appointment to your calendar.

The next obstacle you may be faced with is making time to work on this project. As part of your preparations, it can be important to decide how much time you want to devote to writing. For example, do you want to write an hour every day, a few minutes here and there between meetings, or in a four-hour block once a week? The answer may depend on factors like the time-sensitive nature of the topic or other work and personal responsibilities.

Once you’ve decided, look around at other potential obstacles to carrying out this plan. For example, if you plan to write on your lunch break every day for the month of November, do you already have meetings on the books that you need to move? Do you have lunchtime buddies who need to be informed of this change? Are there any acceptable reasons to skip a writing session? Solidify this writing plan by getting it on your calendar.

After identifying and addressing potential barriers to carrying out your writing plan, think about other resources or choices that can help improve your focus. For example, do you have, or need to create, a quiet environment to write in? Would you benefit from establishing a schedule, such as 25 minutes of writing followed by a five-minute break and then more writing? Do you need to mute notifications on your phone and computer during each writing session?

4. Create a support system. Finally, as you make your preparations, begin speaking with colleagues and cultivating a writing support system. Are those colleagues also preparing for writing challenges? How can you help each other throughout the writing process? Have you considered weekly check-in meetings with your colleagues to report on the writing process? Or can you host or join a writing meeting? Attending a weekly meeting in which other participants work in parallel with you can provide you a time to write with built-in accountability.

In sum, taking the time to prepare for the writing challenge can help you overcome many common writing pitfalls. Happy writing!