Hey hey friends! Currently writing my first essay in ages (I used to do loads), but really struggling to find a way to get out of my funk.
Was wondering, does anyone have any good ways of beating writer’s block? Or can someone volunteer to hold me accountable to finishing my gosh darn piece?
Also, is anyone else a writer here? Would love to chat! We should grab an overpriced coffee somewhere and talk influences. 
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For academic essays I usually wait till the last two days of my deadline and write it with copious amounts of tea and internal sobbing. 
I usually get more ideas while writing on my phone or a notebook, which I then transfer to my laptop and gather references.
I used to write drafts of rant-y posts on blogger or Tumblr that I would copy from comments I make on Facebook/ Instagram, but I don’t publish them.
For influences, I really like Narratively and Medium for inspiration on writing your personal voice. I like Slate, AJ+ for news too. It’s often easier to respond to someone’s opinion or a piece of news or something you care about passionately than trying to come up with a totally unique topic or something unrelated to you to write an article about.
I have three academic essays due on the same day next Tuesday and I’m barely halfway in (+nursing a fever and sore throat) so I’m in dire straits at the moment 
My best essays were always done at 2am on the day they were due in 
Mind maps and/or flow charts with quotes or bullet points of things you want to include. I always wrote the sections/paragraphs separately and normally out of order so I could do the bit I liked or had an idea about first. And always did the first draft on paper, found it easier to think and add things that way. Typing it up was when I made it coherent 
I used to be obsessed with Tumblr and Blogger omg those heady emo days.
Oh no get well soon! The heat probably isn’t helping either.
Apparently the druids had a method for calling upon inspiration, known as Awen (also a god) in which you enter a cave or other dark place, lay in your back with a stone on your chest and chant Awen (ah-oo-en) until inspiration came to you.
I could try and find the whole ritual if it helps.
@brenda if you do this ritual I politely request you liveblog/ Tweet/ film the whole process. Boom, next article done.