Whether youre a student writing a thesis or a university professor completing a book/paper/grant proposal, the writing-up process can be overwhelming. Do you feel like you cant make any more improvements, youre sick of reading and re-reading, and wonder whether it will ever get done? Well, here are three tips to help you get that dreaded manuscript finished once and for all.

1. Set a date

Obviously, the time you take to complete a manuscript depends on your other commitments. For example, if youre working on a part-time doctorate, its going to take longer than someone on a full-time program. If youre a researcher working on one project, youll have more time for publications than a professor with a lot of teaching responsibilities. Be that as it may, there's a point when you simply have to say, "enough is enough," or you could end up working on your manuscript for, literally, years. :-( The bottom line here is that its essential to have a personal deadline if you are serious about completing your manuscript (e.g. I am going to finish the thesis/book/paper/proposal by x date). Moreover, you need to make a timetable to correspond with your deadline.

2. Stop being a perfectionist

Perfectionism in academic writing can be crippling. When I was doing my PhD, I always remember the words of a professor at a research methods workshop: Aim for a pass, thats all you need. At the end of the day, your manuscript is never going to be perfect; there isalwayssomething you can do to improve it. You simply need to get to the point where youre confident that its an acceptable academic publication, comparable to others in your field; thats your key aim.

3. Get others to review it

Another pair of eyes (preferably several) can be invaluable in terms of spotting errors, identifying areas where clarification may be needed, or where there are gaps in pertinent information. Whether its a mentor, a colleague, a fellow student, or an academic editor, this additional feedback can really help in finalizing your document!

Source:http://thescholasticeditor.com/