by Shannon Lausch

Created on: July 13, 2009

You sit down in front of your computer screen, determined that this time you won't procrastinate on your research paper. As the blank screen stares you down, you realize you don't know where to even begin. So you stall. You once again procrastinate, hoping the muse Calliope will take pity on you. But by your tenth game of Solitaire, you still haven't written a word.

While it's tough to induce moments of inspiration, you can fight procrastination. Just having some words on the screen or an idea of where to start can help you become a more productive writer. Here are seven tips that will help you overcome your procrastination.

Stop Procrastination Tip 1: Make a rough outline

Create a preliminary outline. The outline can be formal or messy. Be sure to at least list all the main points you want to make in this research paper. See if any point grabs your attention and inspires you to want to write more and fill it out. You can always do major revisions later to make sure everything flows together.

Stop Procrastination Tip 2: Think of writing a paper as plugging in parts of a formula

Writing can be daunting because there's not necessarily a set formula for what makes a good paper. For each main point in the body of your paper, try to envision what you're going to write for the following components:

a. Reason 1

b. Subreason 1

c. Evidence 1

d. Subreason 2

e. Evidence 2...

f. ...Sentence summary of Reason 1

a. Transition/Reason 2...

And so on. This organization is inspired by Booth, Colomb, and William's The Craft of Research.

Stop Procrastination Tip 3: Get away from your computer

If you're IMing your friends or browsing your favorite website every other minute, then procrastination becomes far too easy. Sometimes keeping away from your computer is the best procrastination cure. Take a notebook and pen and write some of your research paper by hand. Sometimes all you need to do is write a few distraction-free paragraphs before you feel inspired enough to be able to return to your computer and focus on your paper.

Stop Procrastination Tip 4: Set small goals

Staring at a blank screen knowing that you have your entire 3-,5-, or 10-page research paper ahead of you can be discouraging. Set small goals, so you don't feel as much anxiety. If you have a 10-page paper due in a week, tell yourself you'll do two pages today, two pages the next, a page the day after that, etc. If it's a 10-page paper due tomorrow (good luck!), then split your page goals into hours.

Stop Procrastination Tip 5: Find quotes or passages you want to use

Maybe no matter what, you're simply not in a writing mood. To make some progress, look at the books and articles you have for your support. Copy or paraphrase the quotes that you know you want to use. But, clearly mark and cite these quotes or paraphrases to avoid any inadvertent plagiarism.

Stop Procrastination Tip 6: Write your bibliography first

If you're still stuck, write out your bibliography. It requires no creativity and must be done for your paper anyway. Maybe you'll have a sudden brainwave while you're writing it.

Stop Procrastination Tip 7: Find your best environment

Look for patterns when you're writing at your best or worst. Everyone is different. Do you write better in the morning or at night? Does music help or hinder your progress? Do you crave a noiseless environment? Or does silence drive you crazy? Finding when you work your best will help put an end to your procrastination.

Source:

Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. The Craft of Research, 3rd Edition. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 2008.

Learn more about this author, Shannon Lausch.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.