 Next we're going to talk about writing the manuscript, but one of the first problems you'll probably face is writer's block Suddenly it's time to sit down and make the words and you may have a sudden lack of confidence in yourself You might be saying to yourself. Why am I writing this paper? I'm not the expert on this topic Maybe I shouldn't be the one. I think I'll just quit now So don't let that happen to you You do have something to say you do have the skills to write so keep going Another problem with writer's block is that you'll use every delay technique known to man Perhaps if you're a runner you've decided today you need to go out and run a good five or ten miles before you can possibly write a sentence Some people need to take a long nap Others suddenly clean parts of their house that haven't been cleaned in years So think of what are you're going to be your secret techniques to delay getting started? And you have to make a concerted effort to overcome those blocks It's good next to determine. What's the best time of day for you to write? Are you a morning person or are you a night owl? What I would suggest is you cannot write well During your off time So if you're a morning person like I am I can get up early in the morning at six o'clock and write But by nine o'clock at night. I'm not making very good sentences So find out your best time of day and be sure to only write during those good times You need to find time in your life to write and that's probably the greatest block to all of us If you say to yourself well, I'm going to start writing as soon as I finish my to-do list Guess what that day is never coming. You might have to be reincarnated for that day to come There's never going to be a day when your to-do list is finished Productive experience writers build writing right into their life right into their schedule What I would suggest to you is you take your calendar and you build time into every week for writing Some people can write in short half-hour blocks frequently every day perhaps Others need to set aside maybe one two-hour block a week Whatever is your best strategy What my best advice to you is you must build the time into your calendar And when someone asks to meet with you during that time, don't give it up Say sorry. I can't meet with you. I already have something scheduled You don't need to say it's a meeting with yourself, but don't give up your writing time You also need to find a good place to write For some of you that's not your home because your home is too much going on kids and dogs and in-laws and all kinds of activity where you can't find a quiet place For others, it's not in your office. I must tell you in my entire career. I've never written a sentence in my office It's too chaotic too much going on people popping in the phone ringing meetings are coming up So you have to find a quiet place where you can write Where you can concentrate and where you'll have minimal distraction My next piece of advice is to break the project into small manageable pieces Because there'll be a day you'll say well, I'm not going to start today. It's too huge. It's too big I can't get a lot done. So why bother even starting? Break the process into small very manageable pieces with due dates with each piece and get started Now when you start to write the paper Some authors have a difficult time with the opening with the introduction If you're finding you'd have that problem pick a different spot to start Maybe you want to start with creating a table if you're doing a research paper Maybe you're so excited about your results. You start with the results section So a paper doesn't have to be written in the order that it will finally appear Pick any section and just get started What I like to do at the end of one of my writing sessions is I make notes to myself right on the computer saying I know the paragraph above needs some work and I might may make a note saying what should come next So put a few notes to yourself at the end of your writing so that when you return You really understand where you left off and what your next steps may be Rewards yourself for your writing. It's hard work Now if you reward yourself with food after every paragraph, that may be a problem But give yourself some rewards as you go through the writing process As you're writing you'll need to refine your outline There may be times you have to reorganize the topic or the outline that you've created So don't get so wedded that you're immobilized by your outline If as you're writing you realize you need to change the order, that's okay Remember as you're writing you're working to determine what information will go into tables What figures do you need? What photographs should you add? And you can borrow or adapt tables from other works, but remember you must get permission You can use a table as is from another publication if you get permission Even if you adapt that table and make some changes, it's not your table. You'll still need to obtain permission So think about if you've saw figures in other works that might fit for your article That's perfectly acceptable as long as you obtain permission As you're writing keep to your schedule Don't fall behind keep writing in those small blocks of frequent blocks. Keep to your time Find that hiding place the time of day and keep writing in small parts and eventually begins to come together