If rigid routine doesn’t work for you—or is simply impossible because you have kids to take care of, work two jobs, or struggle with chronic illness—then you aren’t failing. It just doesn’t work for you! And that’s okay!

my dogs or going for a run. The ideas cascade so quickly I can hardly collect them all, and I rush to a notebook or my phone to record notes. So, yes, walking my dogs counts as writing.

and remember that life is magic and maybe, without even trying, cracking the structure of your literature review. But, most importantly, performing this act of service to your writing without guilt.

Personally, most of my writing (both academic and literary) happens in my head while I’m walking...

on the page, or it might look like organizing your references. Or reading a book for inspiration. Or compiling a list of target journals or publishers. Talking to a colleague after work. Getting to bed early so you can live to write another day. Going for a walk in the woods to clear your head...

can be relatively rote or mechanical (at least in the first draft). But I’m struck by how much more forgiving the tone is in Dear Writer. Maggie Smith’s advice is to “Commit to doing at least one thing in service of your writing every day.” For academics, this might look like placing words...

prescription to write every day at the same time in the same place, whether you’re inspired or not. Granted, this works for some people. And, indeed, I don’t recommend waiting for inspiration to strike. Inspiration often arrives once you get into the flow, and some aspects of academic writing...