Hello I have registered to this site to ask for help - something we all might be struggling with: Writer's block.
I am currently in the process of writing my dissertation (a non-native English speaker) at a top-5 university in the U.S. Looking at my published work, it would appear that I am an "okay" or maybe even a good writer. At least I get good feedback when people read it. Some even tell me that my prose is very clear, organized. Others go as far as to say that I write well. What they don't know is how much time it takes, how painfully slow it is and how much I hate the process - and myself when doing it.
I don't hate writing in general - posting on various fora, writing emails, putting down my thoughts without any consequence is actually simple and I can keep doing it without much hesitation. As soon as I start writing something related to my "research" and work as an "academic" though, I get stuck. Writing 250 - 500 words in a day is an accomplishment for me! (after 4-5 hours of writing).It usually entails unending editing of the sentences and words I put on paper. I am not able to write three sentences, let alone three paragraphs in one go.
When writing book reviews or small pieces, this is not a problem. Eventually I get it done and sometimes I am even happy with the result. But now, when writing a dissertation, this pace is unacceptable. I will never finish it if I continue like this.
Now I am not exactly sure where the problem is. I've tried to read a few books about writing, and dissertation writing, but have not yet found answers that I am looking for. I would be grateful for a constructive feedback - recommendation on literature that helped you with a similar problem, or your opinion.