10 Tips to Improve Productivity in Writing Papers

We have an urge to start this article with some jibber-jabber about “why writing papers is important for students.” However, we stop ourselves and just directly move forward and show you how you can improve your productivity. Finally, if you have looked for this article online, you already know how important writing is. 

#1. Dial Down On Perfectionism 

Imagine yourself a year from now. How many texts would you have written till that point? Including academic and non-academic, of course. Dozens? Maybe a hundred? And what if we add social media posts and some texting? When you write, even when you write an important paper, try focusing on the process and the deadline. If you get too much stuck thinking about how perfect this exact paper should become (every time!), you won’t be able to proceed. It doesn’t mean you should be careless, but it won’t hurt to relax a bit. Being too much concerned normally forces procrastination. 

#2. Read More, Choose wisely

Do you like to read? No matter the answer, if you want to become a more productive writer, you should read more. We bet you have seen this advice before. It may be a little predictable, as “drink eight glasses of water” advice, but if you actually follow these two, you will see actual improvements. Ok, let’s talk about dehydration later, and for now, just focus on old-fashioned reading. Reading makes you a better writer, not because you make fewer mistakes as your teacher in middle school promised (we have proofreaders for that now). Reading broadens your horizons, and you experience fewer problems with formulating your ideas. That is why it is important to choose books and articles written in different genres on different topics.

#3. Try Morning Pages

Morning pages are often referred to by psychologists and life coaches. Doesn’t make you smirk? We get that. However, in this case, the advice can be truly helpful. First of all, the morning pages should not exactly be written in the morning. You just need to spare 15-20 minutes for this practice of free writing. It helps you to become more relaxed when writing in general and also releases some overall stress, which often is a cause for procrastination. Do you become a better writer just pouring words into your notebook? Hardly. Is it the way to fight procrastination, beat the writer’s block, and become more productive? Definitely. Give it a try.

#4. Start a Blog and Make It Work

First of all, if you have any active account on social media, you already have a blog. It can be a blog with text, or with videos, or just with photos, but if you post frequently, you know how important it is to attract the attention of your followers again and again. To become a more productive writer, we offer you to start a textual themed blog on any platform and make some goals about it. For example, 365 posts without even one day skip. Or three posts a week within particular rubrics. You can even make a bet with your readers. A blog is not the same thing with morning pages — it is themed, and it requires some structure, some research, some proofreading. At the same time, writing a blog is much more relaxed than writing academic papers, as you don’t get grades and don’t risk your education. It is much easier to develop your creativity in a relaxed environment with some self-established boundaries.

#5. Use a Pomodoro Technique

Everything is simple — to be more productive in anything, you have to be better with time management. Pomodoro technique is great for writers as it helps to keep your attention alert and fights procrastination. You write for 25 minutes, rest for 5 or 10, then repeat your 25 minutes Pomodoro. Every 4 Pomodoros, you get to have 20 minutes rest. If you strictly follow this system, you don’t get too tired, your mind stays alert, and you finish your work on time.

#6. Don’t Be Ashamed to Use Online Tools

Sometimes we hear something like, “I never use online proofreaders, they are for kids,” or “citation generators are a fraud.” Really? Well, if you are so old-fashioned, why don’t you write your paper on a wall of a cave? It is absolutely normal to use all the advanced online tools to make your essay writing more productive, more quality and faster. Yes, you will spend some time choosing the best ones, but the ones you choose will come in handy for years to come.

#7. Look for Assistance When Necessary

The ability to delegate is an important skill nowadays. Multitasking is not productive, you need to focus on one task and only later switch to another. You have to prioritize essay assignments. It all sounds very right in theory, but in life, it always happens another way around. You have too many tasks to deal with at once, and you simply cannot focus. That’s why you may need help writing a paper from real experts. As a matter of fact, paying someone to write your paper is a good way to make your schedule a little less tight and do what is more important for now. It can be another paper, some social activity, or just restoring sleep. 

#8. Prioritize Writing

If you want to become really better at something, it is not a bad idea to prioritize it over other activities. We didn’t promise that there won’t be sacrifices, right? You cannot become an efficient, productive, quality writer without much practice. And you cannot gain practice without sacrificing some of your hobbies, leisure time, etc. While we don’t support a theory regarding 10 000 hours of practice, we strongly believe that the result is to where energy flows.

#9. Don’t Compare Yourself with Others

The simplest way to stop doing something or to get disappointed in one of your skills is to compare yourself with others constantly. Focus on your own progress — read essays you wrote a year and a month ago, see the difference. Think about how you want your writing to be in a month or a year.