Your Career: How to Conquer the Dreaded Blank Page

A few tricks for getting started at the very beginning of a new writing project. ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. You can now read The Chronicle on [Apple News]( [Flipboard]( and [Google News](. A few tricks for getting started at the very beginning of a new writing project. For a lot of writers, the hardest part of writing is getting something vaguely readable on the page to get you started. Here are a few strategies that can help if you’re struggling in the face of a blank document: - Email yourself a prompt, not unlike one you’d give your students. “Why is this interesting to you?” or something similar. Then set a timer for 10 minutes and respond to your own email message — quickly and without thinking about it too much. Once that second email hits your inbox, paste a copy of your response into a heretofore blank document. Voila, you’re no longer starting, you’re editing. - Take a dictation walk. That is, as you walk, dictate three minutes of random thoughts about your work into your phone. Everyone talks into earbuds all day now, so you won’t look weird. When you get back to your laptop, transcribe your note-to-self, and then copy and paste it into a blank document. Again, you’re on your way. Continue reading: “[Why Do I Set Writing Deadlines That I Can’t Keep?]( by Rebecca Schuman Share your suggestions for the newsletter with Denise Magner, an editor at The Chronicle, at denise.magner@chronicle.com. If you’d like to opt out, you can log in to our website and [manage your newsletter preferences here](. ADVERTISEMENT SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. NEWSLETTER [Sign Up for the Teaching Newsletter]( Find insights to improve teaching and learning across your campus. Delivered on Thursdays. To read this newsletter as soon as it sends, [sign up]( to receive it in your email inbox. LATEST CAREER ADVICE, OPINION, AND NEWS PACKAGE [The Trends Report 2023]( [STORY IMAGE]( For more analyses that will help you anticipate and respond to key developments in higher education, read on. SPONSOR CONTENT | Huron Consulting [Meeting the Talent Demands of an Uncertain Time in Higher Education]( ADVERTISEMENT THE REVIEW | OPINION [It’s Not Just Our Students — ChatGPT Is Coming for Faculty Writing]( By Ben Chrisinger [STORY IMAGE]( And there’s little agreement on the rules that should govern it. TEACHING [When It Comes to Burnout, Saying ‘No’ Matters]( By Beth McMurtrie [STORY IMAGE]( In our latest virtual forum, experts discuss how student-centered teaching doesn’t mean saying “yes” to everything. ADVICE [How to Select the Right Search Firm]( By Judith A. Wilde and James H. Finkelstein [STORY IMAGE]( Nearly every campus looking for a new president first hires an executive-search consultant. Too many make an ill-considered choice. LABOR ORGANIZING [Work Stoppages Increased Last Year. Higher Ed Played a Key Role.]( By Kate Marijolovic [STORY IMAGE]( More than 60 percent of all workers who went on strike in 2022 were part of the educational-services industry. RACE ON CAMPUS [What Does ‘Woke’ Mean Anyway?]( By Fernanda Zamudio-Suarez [STORY IMAGE]( The term is now used as a slam, but can you define it? FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [Solving Higher Ed's Staffing Crisis - The Chronicle Store]( [Solving Higher Ed's Staffing Crisis]( The Covid-19 pandemic upended norms surrounding how academic institutions work, putting the relationship between colleges and their staff members under greater stress. [Order your copy]( to explore how higher education can better manage a crucial part of its work force. What we’re reading. Here’s more on career issues and trends from around the web. See something we should include? [Let me know](mailto:denise.magner@chronicle.com?subject=Your Career feedback). - In Roxanne Gay’s [Work Friend]( column in The New York Times, she offers advice on how to deal with a colleague’s overwhelming perfume. - An [essay]( in the Harvard Business Review makes the case for the “transformative power of sabbaticals.” - A [report]( from the National Academies outlines 12 proposals for “advancing anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion” in the sciences. MORE CAREER RESOURCES [The New Faculty Retirement Landscape]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: March 2, 2023 | 2 p.m. ET. More and more faculty members are pushing retirement plans down the road. Register now to learn about new career trends in higher ed, and how colleges can prepare. With Support From TIAA. [Register here.]( THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE [Free Report: Connecting in the Classroom and Beyond]( By Beckie Supiano and Karin Fischer [STORY IMAGE]( Faculty members are struggling more than ever to reach their students. Emphasizing human connections in the classroom is a key success strategy. DATA [Top Producers of Fulbright U.S. Scholars and Students, 2022-23]( By Julia Piper [STORY IMAGE]( Eighteen institutions were new to the list this year. DATA [A Rocky Stock Market Sent the Value of College Endowments Tumbling Last Year]( By Audrey Williams June [STORY IMAGE]( The average one-year return for endowments in the 2022 fiscal year was -8 percent, down from a 30.6-percent return the year before. JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Dean, School of Business]( La Salle University [Dean, School of Arts and Sciences]( La Salle University [Search other jobs.]( NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2023 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. 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