Writing remains one of the cornerstones of academia. Whether it’s a report during your studies, a scientific paper, a conference abstract, a thesis, or a grant proposal during your PhD and beyond – the written word carries our ideas into the world. Yet in my experience, written assignments are among the most challenging tasks for many students and PhD candidates. They struggle with creating coherent structures, using appropriate terminology, and telling stories that are simultaneously interesting, scientific, and accurate. It’s no surprise that many don’t enjoy writing given these challenges.

My relationship with writing has always been different. Even as a teenager, I wrote stories and dreamed of being published in magazines. Writing scientific articles has consistently been one of my favorite aspects of academia. People sometimes ask if I ever experience writer’s block for my C2W columns – actually, this has never happened! Ideas come to me during walks outside, while daydreaming on train journeys, or when reading. I immediately note them down and find that words flow naturally when I open a new document. For me, writing resembles music while maintaining scientific elements: it combines rules, sounds, creativity, and the joy of sharing feelings.

But how can you approach writing assignments when you don’t enjoy writing or don’t know where to begin? Here are my tips:

• Read strategically to improve your writing. Immerse yourself in scientific papers or grant proposals similar to your assignments. Pay attention to how messages are structured and conveyed – analyse the overall organization, paragraph construction, sentence patterns, and vocabulary choices. When I began writing articles as a PhD student, I identified articles I admired and followed similar structures – essentially adopting the writing style while developing my own scientific voice.
• Make writing a regular practice. Commit to writing beyond your academic obligations – journal your thoughts, engage on social media, or craft mini-stories. These practices help reduce self-judgment around writing and make professional writing feel more natural. I’ve made daily journaling and regular social media posting part of my routine, which has significantly improved my writing skills and confidence.
• Visualize before writing. When words feel elusive, try drawing your ideas or creating figures first. This approach stimulates creativity, helps clarify the message you want to convey, and provides structure for your thoughts. When working on manuscripts with my PhD students, we often begin by creating figures that summarize results, then discuss the narrative we want to build around them.
• Write in your native language if needed. Academia primarily operates in English, which isn’t the first language for most researchers. If translating your ideas directly into English is blocking your progress, draft in your mother tongue first. Many excellent free translation tools are available online. Review the English translation carefully to continue developing your language skills.
• Leverage large language models (LLMs). Tools like ChatGPT or Claude can assist with idea generation, improving text structure, providing feedback, suggesting alternative wording, and explaining how to enhance your work. Experiment with prompts to discover what works for you, but always ensure you’re respecting your institution’s guidelines regarding LLM use.
• Take advantage of academic writing courses. Universities offer writing courses for students, PhD candidates, and postdocs. These formal learning opportunities can significantly improve your academic writing capabilities.

Despite the growing importance of non-written science communication (videos, presentations, pitches), academia continues to place high value on writing skills. Even if writing isn’t your natural preference, developing this ability is part of the researcher’s toolkit and will prove valuable throughout your career – even outside academia. There are numerous ways to improve, so embrace the challenge! With practice, you might even start enjoying writing and look forward to your next assignment – just like I do!