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

by Paul J. Silvia

Writing is hard, which is why so many of us do so little of it.

on. I’ve met people who jogged at the same daily time, regardless of snow or rain, but claimed that they didn’t have the willpower to stick to a daily writing schedule.

As an academic psychologist, you’re a professional writer, just as you’re a professional teacher.

Claim a “recurring intractable obligation” or a “previously encumbered temporal placement.”

Close it, hold it between the thumb and index finger of your nondominant hand, and wave it menacingly in front of your face.

Planning is part of writing, so people who write a lot also plan a lot.

The third step is to set a concrete goal for each day of writing. When you sit down during your writing time to work toward a project goal, you need to break the goal into smaller units.

How do people deal with those tasks? They just show up. Make a writing schedule and show up for it. Want less and do more.