Writing an Honors Thesis Project

By Lindy Sipes

My best advice is this: find an advisor who is as passionate about your project as you are and who will help you get organized and make a plan from the very beginning. My advisor, Dr. Trini Stickle, helped me make an outline for the two semesters we spent working on my project and helped me set deadlines for drafts so I would stay on track. We made a plan to divide the paper into manageable chunks and drafted each chunk several times before piecing them together into a 75-page final version (don’t worry, most of it was archival material!). She spent hours helping me edit and assemble my work and scanning in notecards from the archives. She also lent me numerous books from her own library and connected me with prominent linguists to conduct interviews to round out the research. Without Dr. Stickle’s help and guidance, I would not have had a successful defense day.

1. The Outline

I chose to work on my CE/T project over a period of two semesters. Dr. Stickle and I made a rough outline of what those two semesters would look like.  

Timeline:

Fall 2021:

• August-Thanksgiving: Reading, archiving, meeting with Dr. Stickle regularly
• September: set outline for paper: about 60 pages

Spring 2022:

• January-March: writing time
• April 1: Final work finished, send to readers
• April: Final formatting (goes to readers 2 weeks before defense)
• May 1st: Estimated defense date

This timeline made the project very manageable. At the beginning, I was thinking, “Holy cow, I have to write 60 pages by May!” The timeline helped me take it a few months at a time and see the bigger picture, and it let me know that I had plenty of time to get the project together. Need some additional help with the jumping-off point? Check out this short blog post on how to begin tackling a lengthy writing assignment. 

2. The “Chunks”

My paper was divided into several chunks: the abstract, an introduction, critical reviews of the subject’s writings, a background with a brief history of the topic, a section for the interviews, a discussion portion, and appendices for the archival materials (notecards with neologisms). It made the most sense to write the sections in an order that was conducive to my research process, even though this was not the order they would appear in within the paper. For example, I began writing the critical reviews while I was reading and researching; the appendices were composed after meeting with Dr. Stickle to make scans of the notecards; I wrote the introduction last.

3. Drafting First and Editing Later

As soon as I finished a “chunk,” I would send it to Dr. Stickle and get her feedback. She emphasized that the important part was getting words on the page, even if I did not like the way it “sounded.” Then, we were free to edit it, and edit again, and edit again. No matter how terrible the first draft is, you can always keep editing. If your desire to write the perfect draft the first time keeps you from writing very much, you won’t have anything to work with. 

4. Due Dates and Feedback

While the overall outline was vague, once we were in January-March (the “writing time”), I was meeting with Dr. Stickle every other week. We would talk about a section, and I would plan to get her a draft by the next meeting. Then we could talk it over, make edits at the meeting, make a deadline for the next draft, or begin planning the next section. This plan allowed some flexibility if I needed more time to work on a section, but still ensured that I was writing, because I knew I would have to show up to the next meeting with something to talk about. (If this “writing time” tends to take the wind out of your sails, take a look at this list of tips to keep your project on track and on time.)

No matter what topic you choose for your thesis project, it is inevitable that you will get burnt out and frustrated. Being organized, having a schedule, and meeting with your advisor regularly will keep you on track. 

We Don’t Bite! How to Feel Confident Going Into Your Writing Center Appointment

By Elizabeth Roth

Oftentimes as I’m working at reception, or even as I’m idly doing homework waiting for an appointment to begin, I have a front-row seat to students as they walk into the Writing Center (often for the first time). Sheer panic in their eyes. Reaching out to the sign-up sheet and back again. They stutter over their request for an appointment. They avoid eye contact. They shuffle. Why does this happen? How can you be confident and friendly when you’re ready for your appointment? Is there some hidden power that the tutors have to wield against you should you make a mistake?

We’re students like you!

All of the tutors in the Writing Center are Undergraduate students and Graduate students. We are likely taking the same classes you are, and we have the same problems as you do. We have spliced our sentences, cited sources wrong, and simply put a placeholder for evidence we don’t quite want to add yet. Any mistake you have made, we have made, too! That’s part of the reason we can provide you with helpful advice. We can relate to frustrating prompts and overwhelming class schedules, and we will not judge you, I promise. Now that you know we’re not going to bite your head off when you walk in, what should you bring with you to feel most prepared?

Preparedness comes in stages

I have seen all levels of preparedness when it comes to drafts. Some people just bring in the prompt to brainstorm outline ideas, and some bring in full drafts with works cited, i’s dotted, and t’s crossed. What do I recommend you bring to feel the most prepared and confident? Your prompt for the paper and a rough first draft (maybe a pen too). Bringing in the prompt for the paper lets your tutor know what to look out for and what your goals are. Knowing the specific requirements that your professor has laid out for the assignment helps us give the most accurate advice to help you achieve what they are looking for. Otherwise, we’re taking a shot in the dark and can only truly help you with grammar and structure. A rough first draft makes sure you’ve thought about the paper before bringing it in and lets us have a framework to base our feedback on. We can only help you as much as you let us, and when you bring in your prompt and a draft it helps all of us feel more confident going into the session! But what if you have no idea where to start?

We all have to start somewhere.

Past tutors have covered how to start up the writing process, but some good general advice is to read over the prompt and make an outline. Outlines can be as sparse as: 

Intro

Body 1

Body 2

Body 3

Conclusion

Of course, I recommend that an outline be slightly more fleshed out than that. What do you want to say with this paper? That is your thesis statement, which will go in your introduction in addition to introductory information on your topic. How will you prove your thesis statement is correct? Use evidence from the text in your body paragraphs. Remember that everything should tie back to your thesis statement. How do you wrap up the paper? Summarize your strongest arguments in the conclusion. No new evidence, just making sure the reader knows you proved your point in the paper. It practically writes itself. If you want more comprehensive steps on how to develop your outline, check out these blog posts by Abby Ponder and Sarah Stevens. Our job is to help you figure out what comes after you have a basic idea of what you want to do with your paper. So, how can you help us help you?

Be prepared and engaged

Once you have your draft and prompt, come in and be prepared to take notes! Your time will be much better spent if you can remember the feedback we give you. If you’d rather have more direct advice from your tutor, ask them to leave comments on your paper. These comments can be on either a hardcopy or a virtual copy—it’s just important to remember what you’ve talked about. You’ll have a much better time in your session if you can engage with your tutor! Like anyone, a little small talk gets those gears turning, and a little goes a long way to helping a good session turn into a great one. Part of preparedness is coming with your draft and prompt in hand, but another important aspect is time management! If you come rushing into the Writing Center the day the paper is due, half an hour before class, there’s not much your tutor can do for you. Especially if you’re worried about structural or organizational changes you have to make, coming in the day that the paper is due is going to make things difficult for you. Your tutors have been taught how to prioritize, but prioritizing is not the vote of confidence you want to have when you’re submitting your paper! Even a day in between your appointment and the deadline can help your session to be more productive, and it can make you feel less rushed going into the editing process.

Editing process? Really?

Yes! Editing process. It’s not as scary or as time-consuming as it sounds. Emily Diehl wrote about the ins and outs of the editing process in her blog post. First drafts are a great place to get your ideas down. Second drafts are the best place to polish. You’ll feel much more comfortable going into the Writing Center knowing that your tutor can help point you in the right direction for edits. Even if you come in with a bare-bones concept, we are ready and willing to talk that through with you. Talking your paper through with another person can be especially helpful to the writing process. Not only can you catch some grammar mistakes, but you can also make sure you know enough about the direction of your paper to explain it to someone else. Of course, some of the comments the tutors make can be taken as suggestions, but often we just want to help you make the best of your paper. Your tutor will likely not make a suggestion unless it’s something that you can use to help improve your paper. We will be happy to help with whatever you want to work on, but either way, it’s always helpful to have an idea in mind of what you want to work on before you get to the Writing Center. This gives your appointment some direction and makes sure you and your tutor aren’t left with too much to tackle.

You’re done!

Appointment times go very fast when you are really into the editing process. Forty minutes pass in the blink of an eye, and your time is suddenly up. You’re encouraged to write down some final thoughts about what you and your tutor talked about, since it’ll be helpful for remembering later. Sometimes there’s candy floating around the office, so you could grab some on your way out. You have made it through the harrowing process of discussing your paper with another student—so how do you feel? Hopefully less overwhelmed, if you followed this list.

Additional resources to help you feel prepared

You can find FAQs about going into your appointment here.

Pre-Writing: Why I Never Skip Those Pesky First Steps

By Sarah Stevens

As we near the end of the semester, we also draw closer to the ever-approaching shadow of finals week: the final, exhausting burst of effort to conclude an entire semester’s worth of writing. At this point, you’re probably itching to cut a few corners, maybe by skipping that final once-over or the single peer review that you couldn’t get to on time. As a harried English major, I totally get it—but no matter how slammed I am for time, there’s one stage of my writing process that I never skip, and that’s pre-writing.

I divide my pre-writing stage into four simple steps: finding resources, making annotations, outlining my major points, and drafting a thesis statement. After a lot of trial and error, I have come to realize that following this process not only makes me feel better about my productivity, but that it also cuts down on the effort and stress that I experience towards the end of a project. Here’s how it works:

1. Finding Resources

Before I come up with any kind of argument or thesis statement, my first step is to pick a general topic and read up on what other scholars have to say about it. Want to write about gender dynamics in Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, for example? Pop over to the WKU Libraries website to find a few articles that strike a chord.  Not sure what you want to write about at all? There are several paths you can take to finding that jumping off point—you can drop by your professor’s office hours to ask for help generating ideas, or you can even pop some keywords from your writing prompt into Google to see what people think outside of academia. If you’re still having trouble, check out our Brainstorming category on the Writing Center Blog—we have more posts about beginning research, finding a topic, and getting started on papers. 

Why it Helps: There’s nothing worse than getting halfway through a draft and then realizing that you can’t find enough resources to support your argument. Doing preliminary research keeps you from going all the way back to the drawing board. 

2. Making Annotations

Now that you have your resources, your next step is to turn all of that new information into usable materials for your essay. You can do this quickly and easily by making annotations—a fancy way of saying that you write all over those resources that you just found. Even if the word “annotations” sounds intimidating, the actual process is easy: take a highlighter, pen, or pencil and underline the passages that stand out to you. Were they interesting? Do you disagree with them? Do they remind you of something that you talked about in class? Do they sound like they could be used to support your argument? If you answer yes to any of these questions, mark those places on your resources (or on the original text that you’re analyzing, if applicable). As you go, make some additional notes in the margins of the text that tell Future You why that part is important. If you don’t want to use words, you can come up with a system of symbols — stars can be supporting evidence and exclamation points can be statements you disagree with, for example.

An example of my annotations from my copy of Dante’s Inferno.

Why it Helps: All of these marks on your papers serve a dual purpose: first, they make it easier to find passages later, and second, they make up the very beginnings of your argument. Once you start drafting your paper, it’s easy to glance back at your annotations and know exactly what evidence to use and what you want to say about it. Also, no more frantically flipping pages trying to find that one specific quote you need! 

3. Outlining Major Points

After I have a general idea of the resources that I’ll use and the point that I want to make, my next step is fitting my argument into a logical pattern that I can follow when drafting my essay. Depending on the project, I do this either on paper or in a separate digital document that I keep close by for easy reference. Give yourself permission to be messy here—in an outline, grammar isn’t important, and neither is essay formatting. My personal preference is to have a stacked, bulleted list of main points in the order that I want to talk about them, like so: 

An example of one of my digital outlines for a research paper.

In my example, each major topic has a short list of supporting evidence beneath it, with every point representing a paragraph or two that I wanted to write in my essay. No matter how you format your outline, the point of this step is that you begin to form an argument that flows and progresses logically from introduction to conclusion. 

Why it Helps: When writing an essay, your outline is like a lighthouse: it keeps your argument from drowning in details or veering off course. Also, it helps you meet the intimidating word or page count that your professor slipped into the guidelines. If you already have a list of things to talk about, you’re much less likely to peter out in the middle of the project. 

4. Drafting a Thesis Statement

The last stage of my pre-writing process is drafting a working thesis statement to add to the top of my outline. After doing preliminary research and creating an outline for your argument, most of the work for this part is already done. The goal here is to condense what you’re trying to say into a sentence or two, hitting a couple of main points and making a definite statement about your beliefs on your topic. It’s important to note that while the thesis does function as a guiding statement for your essay, it doesn’t have to be concrete: if your writing takes a different direction than you were expecting in the beginning, it’s okay to go back and modify your thesis to match your new conclusions. 

Why it Helps: Even though your thesis statement doesn’t need to be set in stone, it serves as a convenient summary of your outline for you to keep in mind while you write. Most writing projects require some kind of thesis statement anyway, and it could save you some summary work later; you won’t have to retrace your logic in order to distil it. 

Of course, even though these steps work for me, everyone’s writing process will be different. I encourage altering or reordering these steps to fit your preference — and of course, we in the Writing Center can help you brainstorm your essays or your process along the way. 

Listen to Your Writing

Author: Fallon Russell

Editor: DJ Cox

When it comes to proofreading my own work, I struggle. As I look over my writing, my brain often skips over typos, weird phrasing, grammatical errors, and confusing sentences because I’m so familiar with my own work. Inside my head, all of my thoughts make sense. When I read my writing silently, my brain automatically makes sense of mistakes that may be obvious to someone else.

If this struggle seems familiar to you, try reading your writing out loud and listening to how your writing sounds. Since I began implementing this strategy in my own work, proofreading has been a much smoother and more effective process. It was odd reading my own writing to only myself. Typically, if I read anything out loud, I’m reading to someone else, but reading out loud alone forced me to slow down and notice the details in my writing.

It may be uncomfortable at first, but when you hear the words you write out loud instead of in your head, it’s easier to notice an unclear sentence, a poorly chosen word, or a repetitive paragraph. It’s also easier to identify typos, missing words, or extra words. Often, these mistakes are easier heard than seen. If you encounter an error when reading out loud, it’s noticeable. A typo or grammatical mistake might make you stop and think, ‘What was this supposed to say?’ Once a mistake is recognized, it can then be corrected.

Sometimes what we want to say seems fine in our heads, but when we say it out loud, it just doesn’t come out right. Reading aloud forces us to engage with our writing and pay closer attention to detail than reading silently. When we listen to our writing and hear our mistakes, we have a better understanding of how to revise our work. If you find that you’re repeating yourself a lot, try varying your sentence structure and word choice. If you notice your rhythm is choppy, try combining short sentences to create a better flow.

Another option is to have someone else read your paper out loud to you. Ask a roommate or friend to read your work to you so that you can hear it in someone else’s voice. Also, it’s never a bad idea to have another pair of eyes look over your work. And don’t forget, you can always set up an appointment at The Writing Center; we’re happy to help!

As college students, it’s important that we learn strategies to help ourselves improve our own work. Not only will this help us succeed in college, but it will also make us valuable employees in the future. If you’re in need of other tips, check out Abby Ponder’s blog post for more advice about writing and editing your own drafts. Remember, next time you complete a writing assignment, try giving it a listen. Happy writing!

Losing Steam: How to Keep Your Writing on Track

Author: Hazel Rather

Editor: DJ Cox

Writing, as many of us know, can be an incredibly difficult task, regardless of whether it’s for a class assignment or for personal enjoyment. The process of actually writing out a lengthy piece can easily sap a lot of energy from you, leaving you feeling mentally exhausted. If you’re anything like me, you can probably pump out a few pages or so of writing in one sitting before you feel like your brain is dribbling out of your ears, but don’t give up so soon! There are methods to reinvigorate and recharge that energy and keep you writing through that difficult period of brain burn-out.

The following are some tips that I personally find helpful to keep me on track whenever I feel like I’m struggling to push through the burn-out.

Pace Yourself

If you’ve got a substantial paper or writing project assigned in one of your classes it can be easy to succumb to the temptations of procrastination, but that leaves you at risk of burning out when you’re suddenly feeling the pressure to write an entire assignment in just a few hours or so.

Instead, make sure to give yourself plenty of time in advance to work through the writing one piece at a time. This is especially important if you often feel like you write best in short bursts of time as opposed to completing a whole paper in one sitting. Personally, I typically gauge the required length of my papers against the amount of time it would take for me to complete them; for example, if I need to write a ten-page paper, I know that I need to give myself plenty of buffer time to get it done. Therefore, I would schedule myself to write a few pages per day in order to allow myself time to recharge as well as to get the assignment finished on time.

This tip requires you to know in advance how much you can comfortably write in one session, that way you can plan the right writing schedule that works best for you. Fighting off the urge to procrastinate can be tough but using this method will ensure that you keep a comfortable pace and that you produce the best work you can.

Get in the Zone with Tunes

Whenever I’m having trouble writing, I typically find that the right musical accompaniment can help me block out everything distracting around me and even quiet some of the mental noise that seems to pop up at the most inopportune times, such as random wandering thoughts about what you’ll have for dinner or when you’ll next do your laundry.

In order to help myself focus on the writing task at hand, I’ll often put on some relaxing music. For me, it’s best if the music I choose is instrumental only instead of vocal, so therefore it’s typically either soundtrack music from film, television, or video games, or, more commonly, songs with ambient or trance-like vibes. Vocals in a song can almost guarantee that I’ll pay more attention to the words in the song than to my writing, but smooth ambience, droning synths, and distant, ethereal melodies set the perfect mood to get my mind focused and my writing flowing.

If this kind of music sounds like it would be effective for your writing as well, here are some of my go-to album recommendations for focusing:

• Birth of a New Day by 2 8 1 4
  • This ambient album evokes the feeling of a romantic, rainy night in a glowing neon metropolis; the city bustles around us, but our journey through the streets and subways is quiet and introspective.
    
• Building a Better World by Telepath & Cat System Co.
  • Vast, airy synths and warm melodies place us at a futuristic, otherworldly construction site where a pair of lovers, having escaped the corruption and decay on earth, are crafting a shining new utopia for the future of humanity.
    
• Stranger Things soundtrack by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
  • Many of you are likely familiar with this one, but honestly some of the more chilled-out and relaxing tracks from the show that I’ve linked here evoke that classic 80’s synthwave feel, perfect for blocking out the world and focusing.
    
• Skyrim soundtrack by Jeremy Soule
  • A bit different from the other recommendations in that it’s entirely orchestral as opposed to electronic, but the subdued horns, flowing strings, and ambient nature sounds make this fantasy soundtrack feel like home, embracing the expansive Nordic landscape of the game from which it hails.

Reward Yourself

            Self-care is obviously an important part of being a student. You can’t simply run yourself ragged forcing yourself to work; the quality of your work will suffer because of it and it will certainly show. In order to make sure you keep the pace you’ve scheduled, plan ahead and set goals with clear rewards at the end. By promising small rewards for little victories, you’re more likely to go through with your plans.

            One reward system I typically like to keep involves promising that, if I keep on track and finish a few pages of work, I’ll allow my brain to rest by taking a break to watch an episode of my favorite TV show. Similarly, you could do this with many other kinds of rewards. Finish a set amount of work in a day and you’re allowed to buy an extra treat to go with dinner for the night, for example. By taking something you like and enjoy and incorporating it into your work schedule, you can ensure that procrastination doesn’t take hold and that you’re able to keep on top of your work plans.

            Hopefully, you have found these tips useful as we continue to make our way through this time of social distancing. I know that staying motivated can be difficult with so much going on, but it is important to stay positive and to keep moving forward. We will get through this together. Stay safe and wash your hands!

I’m Not Lazy, I Just Have Depression: Being a Writer with an Abnormal Mindset

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Author: Danny Taylor

Editor: DJ Cox

Being a writer is not easy. Ask any number of writers, regardless if they write for fun or only if they have to, and much of the time the answer is the same: Writing is challenging. Getting ideas from words to paper sometimes seems like an Olympic feat, but when one’s mind is often stuck in an atypical state, it’s ten times harder. Having depression is difficult as a young adult, and being a college student with the constant pressure of deadlines and tests can make an already depressed student want to run and hide under a blanket for the next four years; and having to write paper after paper can sometimes exacerbate the issue.

Motivating oneself to sit down and write a paper often feels like a form of self-punishment. This feels doubly true if you are a student who hardly had to try to get by in high school and have suddenly hit a brick wall in college, you might feel like high school did not truly prepare you for what laid ahead, and having that constant storm cloud over one’s head can give students the dreaded writer’s block, diminishing creativity and motivation.  

Depression for college students can often seem like you’re rolling a boulder up a steep hill, but there is hope. There are plenty of resources on college campuses that can help with anxiety, ADHD, and even depression. Most college campuses will have some kind of mental health facility with trained therapists, whose job is to listen and guide students to better mental health.  No one should feel ashamed for using those resources; even students who don’t have the aforementioned issues go in, usually during finals week or if they are just having a particularly hard week and need someone to help them cope. Even if some campuses do not have mental health facilities, students can always go off-campus to find help. Other times, help is a phone call or a Google search away. There are friends or family one could call, support groups on campus or off where students can talk to like-minded individuals, and there are support lines specialized to help with certain problems.

Sometimes, all it takes is writing just a little bit a day. Setting goals for oneself and sticking to them can make an incredible difference; a few sentences on Monday, a paragraph on Tuesday, three sentences on Wednesday, all add up until you are finished by the deadline. Working little by little on essays or other assignments leading up to the due date can lessen the pressure that comes with waiting until the night before a writing assignment is due.

On the other side, once you have finished an assignment, proofread it and then have someone else look at it to find things you may not have thought to look for. A second pair of eyes can help alleviate the stress of paper writing. Once you are done putting the finishing touches on it, turn it in and try not to worry yourself. It will only make you constantly second guess your work.

It also good to remember there is no shame in having depression as a student; there are always resources and ways to cope out there.  One thing to always remember, you are never the only one. Talking to a friend, family member, a roommate, a counselor, any of them can make a huge difference in a time of need. Depression does not go away overnight, but there are ways to make it easier.

Meet the Tutors: Adrianna Waters

Author: DJ Cox

Hello fellow writers! We here at the WKU Writing Center wanted to take a moment to introduce you to one of our excellent tutors, Adrianna Waters.

Adrianna has presented her work at the 2018 and 2019 WKU English Department’s Undergraduate Conference on Literature, Language, and Culture. She has also had her writing published by the Ashen Egg and was a finalist in the 2019 Mary Ellen and Jim Wayne Miller Celebration of Writing Fiction Contest.  If you need help getting your writing or presentation ready to share with the world, Adrianna is the perfect tutor for the job!

Adrianna has taken the time to answer a few questions about her relationship with the English major.

What genre do you enjoy working with?

“I enjoy reading, writing, and tutoring most creative writing, but my favorite genre is fiction. I grew up devouring novels or short stories, and fiction has remained an important part of my identity. I also enjoy writing and reading plays or literary analysis papers.”

Why do you enjoy studying English?

“English is central to the art of storytelling. No matter what concentration you are studying—creative writing, literature, professional writing, or English for Secondary Education—some facet of your studies or future career will revolve around stories. In my classes, I have the opportunity to analyze stories and create my own, whether those be fictional stories, accounts of my life, or narratives of other people.”

What advice do you have for students regarding their own writing?

“My main piece of advice is to start writing and stop procrastinating. It seems obvious, but so many students and writers wait until the last minute to begin a project because of one writing myth or the other: writing in chunks is ineffective, writing must be done in one sitting, good writing is only accomplished under pressure, etc. It’s true that everyone has a different writing system, but developing a healthy writing process that does not rely on doing everything (researching, drafting, editing, revising) until the last minute will do wonders for your writing.”

If you are interested in setting up an appointment with Adrianna or another of our fantastic tutors, please visit the Writing Center today! You can drop by in person or set up an appointment online. We’re open from 9 AM to 4 PM in 123 Cherry Hall and 5 PM to 9 PM in the Academic Commons in Cravens, Sunday through Thursday.

Set Yourself Up for Great Writing: The Tried-and-True Tricks

Author: Mo Stevens

Editor: DJ Cox

So you’ve got a plan—finish a novel by the end of the year, write that big paper for class, or craft a poem for a contest—and for this, you’re to be commended. Many would-be writers never buck up the courage to let themselves aim this high. It takes guts to let yourself dream big. 

If you want these dreams to come true, however, good intentions won’t be enough. You need discipline to see the deal through. Habits. While such practices can be a difficult to actualize, I’ll personally testify to their necessity. After almost a decade of writing fiction, I’ve (reluctantly) ingrained a few basic practices that help me make every second count in my writing sessions. Check them out!

Habit #1: Meet Your Needs

Some years ago, a writing mentor once shared an essential secret with me: you can’t write if you’re dead, Mo. Perhaps this comes off a bit abrupt, but the first time I heard it was an important moment in my journey as a writer. I thought of all the times before where I’d charged into a writing session with noble intentions, but very little sleep under my belt, and nothing but some coffee and a skimpy granola bar for breakfast.

Point blank, this lack of preparation was ludicrous. I rarely got any work done on mornings like this, at least compared to times where my body’s physical needs came first. I went from struggling to get something on the page, to where I’m now able to consistently pack on the words in each writing session, all by simply focusing on my physical needs first.  

For starters, you need sleep. Follows the doc’s orders and get a full eight hours if you can, though six-to-seven will work in a pinch. Past this, you’ve got to eat well and stay hydrated. A cheap takeout pizza and crisp soda might be easy on the taste buds and the wallet, but do yourself a favor and stick to what your body really needs: carbohydrates, protein, and of course fruits and veggies. As for drinks, well, there’s a reason our bodies are seventy percent H₂O: keep yourself in steady supply of it!

Habit #2: Cut Out Distractions

This habit is one that more readily comes to mind when we think of writing, but in practice it might be the hardest to implement. We live in a world that desperately wants our attention: phones. Ads. Music. Friends. I am a firm believer that [UNPOPULAR OPINION INCOMING] multi-tasking is a lie. While human beings can do several things at once, this gift quickly becomes a curse in most situations. The more you try to balance at once, the more each endeavor becomes capped in its potential payoff.

The same logic applies to writing; therefore, I advise finding a physically enclosed space where you can “shut the door”, as renowned fiction writer Stephen King would say, and block out distractions. A library study cubicle will work fine, or even your own bedroom. You want a spot where people can’t freely come and go, but if all you have are open areas like study lounges or living rooms, noise cancelling headphones or music might be your best line of defense.

Of course, we also have to consider technology. In my early writing days, checking my phone nonstop was undeniably my biggest roadblock. Admittedly, we all have to stay somewhat in tune with the digital world out of necessity these days—but ladies. Gentlemen. Unplugging for a few hours will not kill you. If that sounds like too much of a sacrifice, I’ve got bad news for you: writing may not be the profession for you. It takes serious focus get serious writing done! With that in mind, here’s a tip for your next session: silence that phone, and toss it across the room. Congratulations—you’re already miles ahead of countless other writers who are struggling to give their writing the attention it deserves! 

Habit #3: Cultivate Inspiration

I won’t spend long detailing this habit, but it can be incredibly helpful to add on once you’ve got the hang of habits one and two. If writer’s block is getting you down, here are my suggestions:

• Read about things that interest or inspire you – Poems, essays, magazines, or novels will work—whatever is relevant for your writing. You’ll catch inspiration quick, or at the very least, see things you might feel like trying in your own work.

• Listen to instrumental music – Film scores can be great here, but either way, find something that’s charged with the feelings you want to evoke in your writing, and listen to it as you go!

• Look up art, photographs, or film clips that are relevant to your work – Getting a visual of what you want to encapsulate with words can be refreshing, and tons of fun. WARNING: don’t get so caught up in your searching that you forget to do the whole “writing” part!    

Habit #4: Write, Write, Write!

Start writing, and don’t look back. You’ve got your basic needs met, distractions cleared, and creative furnace going, so nothing should stop you from getting down to business. I could spend more time divulging my hard-earned secrets, but this is an excellent stopping point. Develop these practices my fellow writer, and watch your word counts begin to increase!