I have spent the last few weeks working on putting together a research paper to submit for publication. This is the first research paper that I have written and will have (hopefully) published as a professional librarian; as a result, I have been experiencing some writing anxiety that has been preventing me from making as much progress as I could be making.

To that end, I have been looking for some ways to break through these bad feelings in order to complete my paper. Here are the best tips I found:

    1. Get support (The Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill)

This tip comes from the Writing Center at UNC – Chapel Hill, who suggest asking someone you trust to be your “writing buddy”. This person could be a family member, a coworker, a mentor, or a friend. Your writing buddy will  act as a sounding board for your ideas and process, and can provide edits to your work as you progress. They can also hold you accountable to a writing schedule.

  2. Break the paper into segments (University of Richmond Writing Center)

The University of Richmond Writing Center recommends breaking your paper into three segments based on specific areas or arguments and working on them one at a time. By working on your writing in manageable chunks, you feel less overwhelmed and can more easily meet your writing goals.

A research paper is perfect for this method since there are already clearly defined segments (i.e. introduction, literature review, methods, etc.).

3. Don’t be afraid to edit (Columbia University)

Perfectionism is an easy trap to fall into, and can prevent anxious writers from making a start on their work. It is important to remember that your writing does not have to be perfect the first time. As the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Teaching Center says, “You must get material on the paper before you can rework it,”.

4. Set up a writing schedule (Next Scientist)

In the previous tips, I mentioned having a writing schedule and writing goals. Having a clear outline of when you will be writing and when you will complete certain segments of your paper will help you to manage your time and progress. Commit to writing for a certain period of time everyday, whether that’s 45 minutes for 3 hours. And be sure to eliminate distractions like your cell phone and email during that time.

Based on these tips, I have devised a new plan of action:

• My office neighbor and colleague is also writing a research paper and suffering from similar anxieties. We can be each other’s writing buddy and provide support and feedback as we move through the writing process.
• I will create a writing schedule for my paper based on the existing research paper sections, and commit to writing for one distraction-free hour every day.

With these tips in mind, I am optimistic that I will be able to complete my research paper in a timely manner and that I will be able to actually enjoy the process!