How to break the little devil called the Writer's block?....some musings.

I (definitely) can’t say for everyone but being hit with writer’s block not only slows your research productivity, it’s also slowly killing your confidence as a fellow researcher (and a person too!). Here are some of the things I am experimenting that seems to be working:

1. Break all rituals

Change the scenery by choosing different locations to write. Move out from the room and get into libraries, kopitiams, mosques etc etc. A change in your surrounding can do wonders to your thinking and writing process.  

If you are used to stuffing foods to keep you going, try fasting for a change. A relaxed stomach can get you focused on the work at hand.

If you are used to all peace and quiet, perhaps a little bit of noise can push your writing a bit (or vice versa).  

2. Be clear…exceptionally clear…about what your article is all about!

Often the case, we are not clear about what we want to write. This is not an exercise of novel writing where you can just write and write (or type and type…); trust me, I know how it feels to write a novel since I am experienced of writing one! Writing a PhD article is extremely technical and this is no exaggeration. Try read the articles from the top ISI journals and you’ll appreciate the technical nature of academic writing better.  The best way to get around this is to start at the “Objective(s)” section of your article. Being clear about the objective in your mental model (aka mind) is perhaps only quarter of the battle. Until you are able to actually write, or type – the exact words that can exactly describe your thinking, you are no close to being clear about your article. A wise teacher once said to me…your intellect is only as good as the words that you know. How true!     

In my case, my writer’s block always seems to hit at the “Introduction” section. There is always that extra pressure to write a great opening punch line. I am realizing now that no matter how hard my “punches” will be, it will be hollow because at the end of the day, it will be irrelevant because as you type further and move from the introduction section to the body of content, a realization will hit you that your ideas are still fuzzy.   

A razor sharp objective will also keep you disciplined. As you type, new inspiration will surely come which can be overwhelming. If the same “new” inspiration keeps coming, perhaps there is some weakness in your “objective” statement (meaning that it is not clear enough!). One way of keeping this in check is to continue writing/typing though in my case, it can still be nuisance to the whole process. What I am finding out right now is that if your objective is clear, you have more confidence in pushing away these new inspirations or that being able to assimilate the ideas better into your writing.

3. Write, not just type

The PC era and the invention of notebooks have made writing a more pleasurable experience. What’s more if you are using one of those new shining, thin Macbook Airs. (Thanks Steve, you have certainly made typing more glamorous and even sexy). But all these hyper tools should not mean that you should put aside your boring, old school note book and definitely not a reason for you to actually stop thinking! So before you start typing, try to thrash out your thinking on some piece of paper. In fact, try to visualize your points, paragraphs and all on that paper before you actually type. In my case, I found writing the whole article on paper before typing as cumbersome and perhaps a bit counter productive. So I only write key sentences and words which I “will and must” use in my typed essay. It does help in giving clarity to my core arguments while speeding up my typing process.

I have a tablet (a Playbook actually). While its good for Angry Birds, it is still not good enough for content creation and this include writing. I am not sure what’s the case with iPad but I would most probably stick with the PC and notebook at the moment and wait until the tablet technology matures further to allow some heavy hitting typing.   

Doa

I am not proud to say that this is the least thing I am doing right now. A respected school senior once said to me many years ago, no matter how hard we study (I meant really, really hard) it accounts to only 1%. The 99% comes from Allah’s will. You can use the best notebook available, stay at the best library around or sit with some of the best minds around – all of these are futile without Allah’s will. We are not just mere social being of body and mind. There is also a spiritual aspect to ourselves that need to be addressed.   

I am deeply humbled by a piece of doa recitation placed at virtually all study  tables in the spanking new IIUM Kuantan library. Nothing beats the Arabic recitation but for the purpose of this blog perhaps a translation would suffice. It says; Dear God, give me Knowledge and instill in me Wisdom. Subhanallah!

In this modern age, secularists would argue that knowledge has become so easily accessible. But wisdom…ahh, you can’t buy that. And the experience is truly humbling – I have scoured the wikipedia, read top journals, business magazines and all but that one breakthrough idea that is to become the core subject in my articles remain elusive. That my dear friend is wisdom! So pray you must for it to come and when it does come, sujud syukur you do to celebrate.   

Honestly, this blog piece stands no more than being a reminder to myself than as an advice to others in breaking the writer’s block. That I need to remain committed to these experimental processes. And still, I am learning and experimenting.