count your life by the phases of the moon

[coyotesuspect]

I really [Poll #1528944]

I keep thinking I have a fic to post, and then I realize I haven't finished editing yet.

Oh. And I'm feeling nostalgic. So, please rec me your favorite Sirius/Remus fics? :D Any era, happy or sad, long or short. Just don't rec the Shoebox Project. Not because it isn't great, but because it's kind of obvious. And I am still slightly bitter that it was never finished. Feel free to rec your own stories as well.

♥

ETA:familiardevil  explained it to me the other day, but I have since forgotten. How do I make my posts appear on a white, plain background as opposed to looking like my lay out? Thanks!

ETA 2: Question answered!

Comments

[cantarina]

Academic Writing/Success/Whatever centres are super handy tools! Their programs are pretty much the reason I made it through my undergrad, though given that I had to relearn how to study almost from scratch (funny how a brain injury changes things!), I may be an extreme case :P Still! It may be of interest to you. Also, if you're uncomfortable going in but are still interesting in the general idea, I have scattered notes on all sorts of topics. (If you were just looking to vent, or for commiseration, please feel free to ignore the above.)

Regarding Ben and Dean, and not that canon will ever address it, but I'd be really happy to go with wherever the show takes it. I'm not especially invested, although I wonder sometimes what Dean thinks. He has to have wondered, sometimes, if she was being honest or just handing him an easy way out or a polite rejection.

[coyotesuspect.livejournal.com]

It's less that I have trouble actually writing the essay, and more that I have trouble sitting down and actually writing it. Days I reserve for essay writing usually end up being days I get a lot of other stuff I've been avoiding done, like my laundry or cleaning my room or stocking up on supplies. x__x

I dunno. Maybe talking to someone about my essays would help me get them done quicker. I'm definitely interested in any notes you might have.

[cantarina]

Just sitting down to write is actually something they can help with too. That's as much a part of the process as anything else! You've probably heard some of this (maybe a lot of this) before, but hopefully there's something new, or at the very least, the repetition will be useful.

There are a bunch of different ways to try and tackle the problem, depending on the root cause. If you work better with structure you may want to try breaking down a task into its tiniest pieces and then set (realistic) timelines for their completion. It is extra work, but knowing step-by-step what's ahead and when you want it done by can help make a project less intimidating. (And as a rule, it's always good to break things down into component parts! Yay for measurable goals! You also get to reward yourself when you finish with each one, even if it's just a walk around the building in the sunshine, making a cup of tea, or a stroll down to your mailbox.)

A quick trick is also to sit down and commit to five, ten, fifteen minutes, grit your teeth, and then do it. Timers can be handy, but are not necessary. It's a short block of time so you don't go too crazy and the worst case scenario is that you've gotten five minutes of work done. In the best case scenario, you get over the initial hump and can keep writing. Sometimes it helps if you start with the bits you're most excited about, or most comfortable with.

More generally, keep a notepad handy just in case you think of something you don't want to forget, but is unrelated to task you're working on.

Obvious, but work in places that you find conducive to it. For example, I cannot, cannot, cannot do any coursework other than the actual writing of essays in my dorm room. It does not fly. Ideally, I 'library hop'. I'll settle at a library I really love (going to my favourite first helps me get out the door!) and when I inevitably get antsy forty-five minutes to an hour later, I pack up and move to a completely different location inside the building or better yet, take a five-minute walk to another nearby library and start again.

I also find that it helps if I can get even a small chunk of work done early in the day, because then I've got that good feeling helping me out, rather than guilt at not having started weighing me down.

Good luck :)