The?author Gene Fowler once said: ¡°Writing is easy: all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.¡±

The concept of writer¡¯s block will likely conjure up images of a tortured novelist, tearing up paper and screaming at a wall. But as John Tregoning, a senior lecturer and medical researcher at Imperial College London, pointed out, in academia ¡°most of the job past postdoc is writing grants or papers¡±. For him, this has certainly meant ¡°a lot of time staring at blank pages¡­I have definitely spent a whole morning writing and ended up with a crumpled sheet of tea-stained paper to show for it.¡±

Perhaps a series of top tips from the academic community can help propel scholarly writers out of a slump.

Take a break

¡°Incubate,¡± advised David Hughes, a psychology lecturer at the University of Manchester. ¡°Walk around, kick a football, do chores with classical music¡­Writer¡¯s block is a case of not having the knowledge needed in easy memory access. Reading solves this.¡±

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In a similar vein, Alastair Sloan, head of Cardiff University¡¯s dental school,?said that?he finds ¡°working from home to focus when writing is very helpful¡±, as it ¡°keeps me in control of interruptions¡±. Making time for family and routine is also important to allow a brain some recovery time, he suggested, adding: ¡°I find I can write clearly in the evening when my brain has left [management] mode [and] we¡¯ve eaten together as a family catching up on the day. My head clears and I can think.¡±

Read outside your subject

¡°With workload and wanting to be up to date with the latest in particular fields, some feel guilty spend[ing] time reading outside their subject,¡± said Hoda Wassif, principal lecturer in medical and dental education at the University of Bedfordshire. But ¡°engagement with humanities, fiction and art increases one¡¯s understanding of empathy and understanding of complex issues, which is needed when it comes to academic writing¡±, she added.

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Kristine Szifris, a sociology researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University, agreed that it helps to ¡°go left-field with one or two papers¡± when reading around a subject. ¡°Sometimes I think writer¡¯s block?[happens]?because I don't fully understand how to shape the paper, so I explore wider concepts.¡±

Find a study buddy

Hannah Perrin, a former PhD student at the University of Kent, took the initiative during her own studies to set up a group called ¡°Shut up and write¡±, where fellow scholars gather to sit in a designated space and write together in silence, away from distractions.

According to Jo Collins, a postgraduate development adviser at Kent who still works with the group, ¡°the subtle peer pressure of everybody silently working is a great incentive to get words on the page¡± ¨C and could easily be adapted across all professional levels.

Get words on a page

Sometimes just writing something ¨C anything ¨C can help to revive muscle memory and unblock ideas,?said Hanna Tervanotko, assistant professor of religious studies?at McMaster University. ¡°When I am stuck with research I focus on writing about the methodology...[and] accept that I may accomplish just one paragraph," she added.

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Anna Bartosik, an English professor at the University of Manitoba, Canada, likes to ¡°add headings into a paper, to populate later¡±. She continued: ¡°I fix references until something prompts me to write. I have an extra page at the bottom for ¡®inspiration¡¯, so as not to forget random thoughts.¡±

Talk to someone ¨C or not

¡°I have a scholar friend with whom I regularly exchange work in progress,¡± Dr Tervanotko told?É«ºÐÖ±²¥, ¡°then we Skype each other and ask each other questions of clarification¡­it¡¯s helped me countless times."

For Jason Warr, a lecturer in criminology and criminal justice at De Montfort University, ¡°recording my thoughts on a dictaphone and then transcribing [means] it becomes an editing issue rather than a creative one and you're not staring at a blank page¡±.

Most recently, Dr Warr?has been stuck trying to do justice to a particularly sensitive piece of research on prison violence for five years. ¡°It¡¯s only recently by recording myself telling the story that I have begun to find a way through that writer¡¯s block, to get the meaning, the nuance, out of my head and onto the page,¡± he said.

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For Dr Tregoning, discussing ideas with a trusted friend or colleague can be ¡°valuable¡­but you need to find the right person¡±.?

He added: ¡°My favourite tip is from Stephen King about writing with the door shut ¨C only showing things to people when the time is ready ¨C if it is too soon then the idea can die.¡±

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All of which supports the best piece of advice: which is to learn what works best for you.

rachael.pells@timeshighereducation.com