Writing sucks for everyone

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

There are two things that consistently give academics—from undergraduates to professors—the most angst: time management and writing.

I struggle with my own writing. I never excelled in my English classes as a kid; I thought diagramming sentences was boring. When I was a graduate student, my supervisor read one of my manuscript drafts, shook his head as he handed the paper back to me and said, ‘Jen, no one is in your head but you. Help a reader out.’ Translation: my stream of consciousness was completely indecipherable because I wasn’t connecting all of the dots for the reader. Early in my career as a PI, my post-doc and I received this feedback from a reviewer: ‘It appears that English is not the authors’ first language; I would suggest having this manuscript edited by someone who is well-versed in the English language before submitting this work again.’ To this day, I’m not entirely sure where we went wrong with that draft—maybe our arguments weren’t clear or our structure needed improvement—but English is, in fact, the first language for both of us.

Here’s the funny thing. I actually love writing. And I don’t let harsh criticisms deter me. Writing is frustrating, it’s slow, and my first drafts very rarely resemble the final drafts, but I love it.  Bringing scientific findings and ideas to light through words is like seeing the matrix unfold before my eyes. Even better is when I get to do all of this with my trainees and colleagues.

So, how can you get to a place where you love writing too?

Realize that the process is awful for everyone. There’s nothing wrong with you if you find writing to be difficult. You’re not a terrible scientist because your first draft isn’t great. But, this realization comes with a hard, uncomfortable truth: if others struggle with writing at some point in the process, and yet they still succeed, then you have no excuse but to do the hard work. This realization can also be quite freeing: you too can write and have success with it. 

There are ways to make the process less painful. Blocking out protected chunks of time on your calendar each week, regardless of whether it’s 30 minutes or 3 hours, can help you stay consistent in your progress. It will also help you re-engage with your material faster than if you wrote one day, but didn’t return back to your project until, say, 3 weeks later. Creating faster re-engagement with your material can help you find flow faster. At the end of a writing session, I often leave myself a note about the topic or section I want to work on during the next session, so I can easily dive in the next time.

There are some people who can write a paper in order, from beginning to end. I am not one of those people. If you’re not either, let this be your reminder that you can write in whatever order you want. There are no rules. If you find yourself stuck on the introduction, work on the methods. Or maybe outline the points you want to make in the discussion section, which might offer insight into what wasn’t working with the introduction in the first place! Skipping around is a strategic decision, one that can save you time and energy. Also, the act of writing can lead to new thoughts and ideas, and it’s better to catch those ideas when they appear, rather than waiting for them to show up in order. You will forget that quippy closing statement if you wait, believe me.

Find your optimal time of day to write, and remember that it may not be the same as someone else’s. Experiment to see what produces the best results. Also, set up your environment in the way that is most enjoyable for you. For some people, that may mean working in a bustling coffee shop where they can also get their favorite croissant. For others, that may mean writing in their office before most people even arrive at work in order to find some peace and quiet. Or writing may be best done at home, late at night, with their favorite music playing the background. Make writing your experience.

There are going to be times when you get stuck with your writing. That’s ok, some days are like that; work on something else and come back to it another time. But if you stay stuck, ask for help. A paper isn’t going to get any better by just staring at it for days, or hiding it from your supervisor or colleagues. As a supervisor, I can tell you that I would much rather have my students come talk to me so that we can find a way through together than for them to sit in the anxiety and panic about their lack of progress.

Form writing clubs with your peers so you can get regular feedback. Treat the feedback from your peers and even from reviewers as an opportunity and a challenge to hone your craft. As my graduate supervisor once advised me: ‘if a reviewer doesn’t understand what you wrote, it’s not because the reviewer is stupid, it’s because you didn’t do your job well as a writer.’ 

Participating in writing clubs also allows you to practice editing other people’s work. Brush up on your grammar rules (maybe even try diagramming sentences again!). Make use of available online writing resources, like this one from Purdue University.

Read widely to see what kinds of writing styles you like. Understanding what works and what doesn’t work in someone else’s writing will, in turn, teach you lessons on how to make your own writing better and help you develop your voice.

Embrace the fact that the first, or even the second or third, draft is not going to be the best draft. But, every draft—no matter how messy—is a step forward. Continually experimenting with the process, heeding the feedback from your colleagues, and adapting your mindset can result in some truly great writing. No one is born a great writer; but great writers consistently work on improving their craft every day. 

Writing doesn’t have to be a lonely struggle. If this post resonated with you, share it with a colleague who may need the reminder that writing is hard for everyone—but everyone can get better at it. If you make changes to your writing process, let me know what works for you! Or if you need help and support making those changes, reach out!

Next week: Writing is personal