## 1.6. When you get stuck

Academic writing can be frustrating and tiresome. There will be times when you don’t see a good way forward or when things are just not moving ahead. This is normal. Most of your fellow students have the same experience. Your predecessors have had it. Even your teachers and established professors know what it’s like to get stuck at some point. This means that it is not your fault, and that it is a natural phenomenon.

There are some things though that you can do to get going again. Take a break, get outside. Take a walk and get some fresh air. Most people become less productive after working 15-20 minutes on the same task.

If you have trouble getting your thoughts straight, try to talk to friends about them. You will find yourself using different words, and avoid technical terms. This will force you to keep things simple and get to the core.

Perhaps you will find out that your thoughts are not yet clear. If you can’t explain your thoughts in simple terms you probably have not yet mastered them. When you have to explain your thoughts to others, they will find missing pieces in your arguments. This may work even when there’s no one around. Imagine you are talking to a friend, and explain your thoughts in a voice recording. Write up what you’ve said and revise.

You may also get stuck because you think the quality of your writing is not up to a certain standard. If you have trouble getting the words right, lower your standards for a first draft. You can always improve the writing later – as long as the main thoughts are there, you will have achieved something. The draft is good enough to discuss with your supervisor.

When you continue to have trouble organizing your thoughts, consider working with an outline. Chapter 11 explains how you can do that.