5 Comments
User's avatar
Amanda N's avatar

"Starting work and getting into the zone is the hardest part of each day - once I'm in, I'm good. The thing that helps me jump over this hurdle is to know exactly where I'm going to start each day. Sometimes I write down my starting point when I'm finishing work the day before, so I can jump in there. Sometimes I just think about it when I'm coming home from dropping off my daughter at daycare. Whatever it is, knowing exactly where to start (and not flailing, trying to decide) is one of the big differences between a productive session that moves me forward and panicked, anxious floundering."

I agree completely. In fact I just recently wrote about this exact method: I write in the morning, but at night, I review my work with fresh eyes and find a good entry point for the next morning.

Expand full comment
Alia Hanna Habib's avatar

That is a really, really good idea!

Expand full comment
Brooke Newman's avatar

Loved Productive Terror so much: deeply personal, vulnerable, revelatory, and 100% relatable. As an academic, I also get paid to write and teach; but the vast majority of academics I know struggle with perfectionism and meeting deadlines. A deadline is a must for me—as is the prospect of sending drafts off to readers I admire. Writing a nonfiction book based on years of research is a combo of obsession, anxiety, passion, self-doubt, and joy!

Expand full comment
Cher's avatar

So so good. If anyone needs me, they'll find me in a room full of 5x9 notecards.

Expand full comment
Raksha Vasudevan's avatar

So helpful as I grapple with the terror of my own impending deadline! Thank you

Expand full comment