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The most useful textbook & academic writing posts of the week: November 14, 2014

Do you ever lack motivation or find yourself Margaret Atwood quote: If I waited for perfection I would never write a word.procrastinating by doing something on your to do list that isn’t quite as crucial or time sensitive as others? I do. I had one of those not-so-motivated-even-doing-laundry-sounds-better kind of day this week. Maybe you’ve experienced something similar when you sit down to write. What do you do to overcome the urge to do anything (even laundry) other than sitting down to write? Hopefully a few of the following posts will help you answer that. Happy writing!

The Top 27 Ways to Boost Your Writing Willpower
Is your willpower the cause for you not being a successful or motivated writer? That’s what John Soares explores in this piece. Luckily there is good news (you’ll have to read the article for what that is exactly), and for those of you struggling with your willpower to read this entire list, I had you in mind when listing this article first.

The Basics of Branding in the Digital World
For a basic, practical look at online branding, read this piece by Michael Boezi. Boezi uses a direct approach for offering strategies and tips to help you build your online presence. I also love the three points he makes regarding social media.

This Simple Writing Trick Will Help You Overcome the Inertia of Perfectionism
If you’ve ever had a “block” or have heard the term “free write” but you are not really sure what or how to free write, this is a good piece for you to learn the basics. Although this piece is aimed at bloggers, the information on free writing is worth the read. I also like the concept of “trying easy” and you may even find takeaways from the five tips at the end of the post.

research project blogging – the successful and the not so
Do I sound like a broken record always referencing why academics should blog? Maybe I am, but I do think it is important (obviously or I wouldn’t be a broken record!). Pat Thomson not only gives examples of research project blogs that have been successful but also ones that haven’t been. This post will help you with what to do, what not to do, and hopefully help you generate ideas for your own blog.

Did you find these articles helpful? Let me know in the comments below! 🙂