Revisiting writing productivity: ten years later with ten additional tips

Shellenbarger, Teresa; Teresa Shellenbarger

doi:10.5281/zenodo.18773461

Revisiting Writing Productivity: Ten Years Later with Ten Additional Tips

Teresa Shellenbarger, PhD, RN, CNE, CNEcl, ANEF, FAAN

Writer’s Camp Counselor

Use these ten tips to promote writing success.

Almost 10 years ago, I wrote an article for Nurse Author & Editor entitled, “Enhancing Writing Productivity: Tactics for Success.”¹ Even though I offered some helpful suggestions to my colleagues to help them with writing productivity, I continue to hear comments such as, “How do you produce this writing so quickly?” “How do you write so much and so well?” or “Where do you come up with ideas to write about?” In that article, I offered suggestions such as tracking writing, scheduling scholarship activities, managing writing time, avoiding distractions, seeking writing support, and setting goals. These original tips are still helpful for addressing common challenges you may face. However, I know that writers are still struggling with scholarly productivity, so the time has come to offer a few updated tips and suggestions. These ideas have worked for me, but everyone is different. You may need to adjust or modify them to meet your unique needs.

Number One: Write What You Know

The first strategy may seem obvious but write about what you know. Build articles on work you are already doing. If you are preparing a presentation, turn the presentation content into a manuscript. The background, literature review, and ideas are already complete. Or, if you are teaching content that lacks current literature, use your classroom preparation as a foundation for a clinically focused article. Think about what you know, what experiences you’ve had, and what you do well, and let that guide your writing. As you complete your everyday job responsibilities, look for the problems that people are experiencing. Have you figured out how to address those concerns? If so, consider the approach or solution that you use to solve that problem. Share your expertise and wisdom from your own experience.

Number Two: Keep an Idea File

Another tip for success is to keep an idea file. My file contains many ideas, and while I may not have time to write about them right away, they are there when I am ready. This list provides topics I can return to when I have the time or energy to devote to a writing project.

You might jot down notes in a notebook, add ideas to a digital document, or even record a quick message on your phone—whatever works best for you. The key is to make sure it is convenient and easy to access so you can capture ideas when inspiration strikes. Any method that allows you to save ideas for later writing is effective. Keeping an idea file ensures that you always have something on your writing “to-do” list and never lose a promising topic.

Number Three: Write a Purpose Sentence or Statement

Some writers struggle to stay focused when writing and tend to dance around the topic without a clear plan for structure. If you encounter that problem, I encourage you to create a topic/thesis sentence or write a purpose statement for the work. Having a clearly written statement helps to keep you focused and provides a clear guide for what you should be writing about. I’ve found it helpful to keep this statement visible while I am writing. Sometimes I write it on a sticky note and place it on my computer monitor as a reminder and refer to it as I type. This approach keeps me from getting off track and writing about information that was not part of my original intent. If you do find yourself going off course with your writing, jot those other ideas down for the future (see idea Number Two). There may be another writing project that emerges from those notes.

Number Four: Get Started…Somehow

Don’t wait for perfectly composed ideas before you begin writing. Getting started is often the most challenging part of the writing process. Strategies such as brain dumps or free writing can help you move forward. Spend time jotting down essential points about your topic. These ideas do not need to be organized—just let them flow without worrying about editing or structure. Once your thoughts begin to take shape, you can start organizing them.

I often create a bullet-point list or outline that serves as a roadmap for my writing. It gives me a starting point, key stops along the way, and a final destination in mind. The structure does not need to be formal; it simply needs to show how your ideas fit together. As your thinking develops, you can revisit the plan and reorganize sections as needed.

Taking this first imperfect step helps transform ideas into a workable writing plan and makes the writing process feel much more manageable.

Number Five: Messy is Okay

Recognize that your early writing is not perfect. Permit yourself to write a messy first draft. Anne Lamott famously reminds writers that first drafts are meant to be chaotic and imperfect.² Embrace the turmoil, disorganization, and roughness of this first work. No one writes perfectly polished prose in an organized document on the first try. Editing is always needed. The key is to get something on paper or on the screen. A first draft is a jumping-off point. Once it is written, you can begin refining it, providing more cohesive organization to your ideas, adding transitions, and doing general editing. Remember, writing is an iterative process, but you have to start with something, and a poorly written first draft is a good place to begin.

Number Six: Break It Down

When tackling a writing project, consider how you can break it down into smaller, more manageable chunks. You may have heard the saying, “The easiest way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.” Breaking your writing into small, manageable bites is invaluable, especially if you are facing a large writing project. For instance, a dissertation may feel overwhelming because of its enormity and thus it causes inertia. Likewise, authoring a book may also feel daunting. Think about how these projects can be chunked into smaller, bite-sized pieces like a chapter or section, or even just the problem statement or purpose (in the case of a dissertation). Writing subsections can make the project feel more manageable and keep you moving.

Number Seven: Read, Read, Read!

My next suggestion isn’t about the mechanics of writing or composition, but it will still help your writing: read, read, and read some more. I believe one key to good writing is to read. I suggest reading widely, not just nursing literature, but also exploring other genres. For instance, reading a novel can teach you about storytelling, a newspaper can help you understand journalistic writing, and other professional documents can provide insights into technical writing. You will see how authors build upon ideas, add details, or tell a story; all of this can help you learn how to write better. Nicoll³has some good hints for how to develop and maintain a reading habit.

Number Eight: Choose Your Writing Partners Carefully

If you are working on writing projects with others, carefully consider who your co-authors will be. Do they have a similar work style and commitment to finishing a project? When writing with others, I find it easier to work with people who have a similar approach. I get frustrated with writing colleagues who promise to write and then miss deadlines, especially if it happens repeatedly. These individuals may have a good reason for why their writing is incomplete, but this can cause frustration and resentment if the writing process slows down. When writing partners repeatedly do not contribute as expected, the enthusiasm for the work fizzles and may never make it to the submission stage. I prefer to work with writing partners who use a similar style to accomplish goals and produce work. We set deadlines and hold each other accountable for completing the work we agreed to by the established timelines. I feel accountable to my writing colleagues and do not want to let them down. Find those people who you can effectively collaborate with for writing success.

Number Nine: Find Your Sherpa

Most writers benefit from an experienced guide or mentor who can help navigate the writing pathway—and it doesn’t have to be a human. Artificial intelligence (AI) can help you begin this writing journey. AI can be used to brainstorm or generate ideas, provide examples, and help with editing your work. Let’s be clear, I am not advocating the use of AI to generate complete documents, but it can be a helpful tool to support and improve your writing.

I have been using grammar checker programs for years and they are a form of AI. I know from my weekly Grammarly reports how productive and accurate I have been that week. Since 2016, this program has analyzed 10,572,967 written words and identified 103,524 errors that I’ve made. That is a lot of writing and a lot of help identifying my writing problem areas. I would have missed some of those dangling modifiers, incorrect verb tenses, or omitted punctuation if it weren’t for this writing coach. My “mentor” helps me to find my writing problems and offers suggestions for corrections. Over time, I have learned to identify some of the common mistakes I make and now correct them automatically. Ultimately, these tools have improved my writing.

If you don’t want to rely on technology, find an editor, writing center, advisor, or a mentor who can assist you. Even asking a trusted friend or family member to read your work, offer insight about the clarity of your writing, and provide critique and suggestions can help you. Having a human or technology-based writing guide can give you the feedback you need.

Number Ten: Set a Deadline

Have a date for when you will have a finished writing project. I put that date on my calendar and my to-do list, so I don’t forget. Consider what is reasonable for your writing projects and set incremental goals. If you are like me, your job may consumer inordinate amounts of your time and writing falls to the wayside. Making dates with yourself for writing—and not cancelling—can help keep these activities on your radar.

Conclusion

Hopefully, these ten strategies will provide you with ideas you can use to enhance your writing. Pick the ones that will work for you or modify them to meet your writing needs. I hope they help, and you won’t need to read another article from me in 10 years with more hints for writing!

References

Shellenbarger T. Enhancing writing productivity: Tactics for success. Nurse Author Ed. 2016;26(3):1-12.
Lamott A. Shitty first drafts. In: Eschholz P, Rosa A, Clark V, eds. Language Awareness: Readings for College Writers. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005:93-96.
Nicoll LH. How to read like a scholar (without drowning). The Writer’s Camp Journal, 2026; 2(1):11. doi:10.5281/zenodo.18483975

Author: Teresa Shellenbarger

Reviewed and Edited by: Leslie H. Nicoll

Citation: Shellenbarger T. Revisiting writing productivity: ten years later with ten additional tips. The Writer’s Camp Journal, 2026; 2(1):16. 10.5281/zenodo.18773461

Disclosure: Grammarly was used to check grammar, improve readability, and refine flow. The author retains sole responsibility for the content and interpretation of this work.