How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing

by Paul J. Silvia

Writing is frustrating, complicated, and un-fun.

Writing is a skill, not an innate gift or a special talent. Like any advanced skill, writing must be developed through systematic instruction and practice.

SPECIOUS BARRIER 1

Instead of finding time to write, allot time to write.

The secret is the regularity, not the number of days or the number of hours. It doesn’t matter if you pick 1 day a week or all 5 weekdays—just find a set of regular times, write them in your weekly planner, and write during those times. To begin, allot a mere 4 hours per week. After you see the astronomical increase in your writing output, you can always add more hours.