In this article, Dr. Sunaina Singh (PhD) shares her insights and experiences in academic writing to help readers strengthen their academic writing skills and enhance their chances of publication success.
OCT 08, 2025 | BY SUNAINA SINGH
How do you start your day? Be honest: do you reach for your phone first thing in the morning? Whether it’s news, WhatsApp, emails, or Instagram reels, most of us begin our days scrolling. I’m no different. Despite podcasts urging me to seek natural light instead of blue-light screens, my hand always finds that little black rectangle.
Well, if you are an early-career researcher, your circadian rhythm is already a mess! But here’s the point: my social media feeds, fine-tuned by algorithms, bombard me with writing hacks, AI tools, and “top 10 productivity tricks.” Yet, despite this buffet of advice, I still see young academics struggling with their writing.
Why? Because they’re not writing enough. It’s like watching yoga reels without ever unrolling a mat. Bookmarking writing resources won’t make you a better writer—you actually have to sit down and write. Pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard. The more you do it, the better you get. Simple.
Actually, scratch that. You also need to read. A lot.
I read; therefore I write
If I had to share my breakthrough moment that helped me transform my writing, I am sorry to disappoint you, but I have no single such moment. My writing continues to evolve, and what propels me is my reading habit.
Growing up in a home full of books, I absorbed voices, styles, and rhythms. Every book added something to my toolkit: a phrase, a structure, or a fresh way to enliven dull prose.
My writing evolution from a school student to a PhD student wasn’t linear. As a PhD student, I wrote the way I thought: in spirals, with tangents leading to tangents, burying my main arguments under layers of defensive citations. I believed that complexity equaled sophistication, and that every caveat needed articulation. I see now that clarity is the harder, and more valuable, skill.
The shift began with deliberate reading habits. I started studying not just the content of papers I admired, but their architecture. How did this author transition between ideas? Why did that paragraph feel so satisfying? Soon, I had developed what felt like a sixth sense for structure.
I could sense when a paragraph was trying to do too much work or when an argument needed better scaffolding. This was the accumulated effect of reading thousands of papers with the dual consciousness of reader and writer.
My shift began when I deliberately studied not just what scholars wrote, but how. I analyzed transitions, pacing, and structure. Slowly, I developed a “sixth sense” for good writing, shaped by thousands of papers read with a dual lens: reader and writer.
Learning from the sting of rejection
Several rejections taught me more about academic writing than any workshop ever could. Reviewers seemed to miss my “brilliant” insights entirely. Sometimes it was all about choosing the wrong journal to begin with. Another time, I was called out for self-plagiarizing some text (a phenomenon I was completely unaware of).
Over time, I came to understand how my convoluted writing was marring the flow and actual message of my paper. I also realized the importance of journal selection—spending time to find the perfect fit for my work. And of course, while I always knew plagiarism was a no-no, the editor’s stern letter introduced me to concepts I had never encountered: the expectation that even my own words needed proper attribution when reused. How could using my own words be plagiarism? But as I read extensively about publication ethics, I realized that originality applied only to ideas, not to the specific language used to express them.
The myth of “natural” academic writers
Let me be clear: there are no natural academic writers, only people who have read enough to internalize the patterns of effective scholarly communication. The colleague whose prose seems effortless has likely absorbed thousands of examples of academic argumentation. The professor whose lectures flow like conversations has probably read widely enough to understand how complex ideas can be made accessible without being dumbed down.
When I feel stuck, the solution is not to stare at the blank page longer, but to go read something excellent. And it need not be an academic treatise; it could be a great work of fiction. A palate cleanser, if you will!
The feedback loop between reading and writing is quite interesting. Every book I read changes how I write; every piece I write changes how I read. Engaging with a book or paper, by writing or reading it, provides an opportunity to become a better thinker and communicator. How cool is that?
Common challenges faced when writing (and solutions)
1. Getting started
That all-too-familiar feeling of blank page paralysis and not knowing where to begin hits the best of us. What can you do when you experience it?
• Set a timer for 10 minutes. Write continuously about your topic without editing. It’s OK to be messy!
• Begin with the methodology or results section rather than the introduction.
• Explain your research conversationally to a friend. This will help you organize your thoughts.
• Check out and use journal-specific templates or general academic article structures.
• Set micro-goals. Aim for 200 words rather than “write the abstract.”
• Rituals are everything! Be in the same place, at the same time, with the same beverage (!) to send a signal to your brain that it’s time to write.
2. Structuring an argument
Do you struggle with creating a logical flow and connecting ideas coherently? You are not alone! Here are some ways to deal with this challenge:
• After writing a draft, create an outline to check logical flow.
• Try the “PEEL” method: point, evidence, explanation, and link for each paragraph.
• Use “signposting language,” that is, clear transitions and topic sentences to guide readers.
• Visually map your main claims and supporting evidence.
• As a mock peer review, ask colleagues to identify unclear connections.
• Analyze well-written papers in your field for structural patterns.
3. Writer’s block
You overcame the initial stumbling blocks, but now you’re just feeling stuck and unable to produce any text. This is natural. You could try the following to get the creative juices flowing again!
• Change your environment: Write in a café, library, or different room (I know, this goes against the “ritual” tip I gave a few lines ago. But sometimes we all need a change in scene!)
• Switch writing modes: Try handwriting or voice recording.
• Lower the stakes and don’t be guilty to write really messy first drafts, knowing you will revise extensively later.
• Skip the stuck section and work on something else.
• Focus on time spent writing rather than word count.
• Take time off and read something.
• Sometimes a block points to the need to read more, clarify your argument, or even rethink an experiment!
Academic writing FAQs
I may not have answered all your questions, but here are some academic writing FAQs.
Q: When should I use first person vs. third person in academic writing?
A. While it is perfectly fine to use the first person, it is advisable to check your target journal first. Most journals are OK with using first person (I, we), while others still prefer the traditional “the authors.” Generally, use first person for describing your methodology (“we conducted interviews”) and your interpretations (“we argue that”), but stick to third person for general statements and literature reviews. When in doubt, look at recent papers in your target journal and follow their lead.
Q: How do I balance being comprehensive with staying within word limits?
A. This is where ruthless editing becomes your best friend. Start by cutting unnecessary hedging language (“it could perhaps be argued that maybe...”). Next, identify wordy constructions and phrases and replace them with one-word options (on a daily basis daily). Then, ask yourself: does each paragraph directly serve my main argument? If something does not advance your main message, it can be omitted. Shorter is usually better!
Q: When should I share drafts with supervisors or colleagues?
A. Share when you have something coherent but imperfect, not when it’s either too rough to follow or so polished you can’t handle criticism. Give people specific questions: “Does my argument in section 3 make sense?” works better than “What do you think?”
Q: Should I write multiple papers simultaneously or focus on one?
A. If you’re just starting out, focus on one paper. Once you have developed your writing process and can switch between projects without losing momentum, then consider working on 2–3 simultaneously.
Q: How do I choose the right journal for my work?
A. Start with journals that have published similar work recently. Check their recent issues and read their aims and scope carefully. You can also look at the time taken for peer review and publication at your journals of choice. Use journal selection tools like JANE, and be sure to safeguard yourself from predatory journals.
Q: How do I avoid plagiarism while building on others’ work?
A. When in doubt, cite. Even if you are paraphrasing heavily or building on someone’s framework, acknowledge it. Learn the difference between common knowledge in your field and ideas that need attribution. And yes, even reusing your own words from previous publications needs proper citation.
Q: How do I present contradictory findings in the literature?
A. Present the contradictions honestly: “While Smith et al. found X, Jones and colleagues argue Y, suggesting that...” Then, position your work as either resolving the contradiction, adding nuance, or acknowledging the complexity.
Q: How do I develop my unique academic voice?
A. Your voice develops naturally through reading widely and writing regularly. Focus on clarity and precision in expressing your ideas. Your unique perspective on your research topic is your voice. The more you write about what genuinely interests you, the more your authentic voice emerges. Please resist the urge to sound “more academic” by using unnecessarily complex language!
Useful resources for your academic writing journey
As I mentioned at the start of this post, there are heaps of resources and tools for young academics starting out on their writing journey.
1. Resources to improve your writing
Books:
• The Elements of Style by Strunk & White
• Writing Science in Plain English by Anne Greene
• The Scientist’s Guide to Writing: How to Write More Easily and Effectively Throughout Your Scientific Career by Stephen Heard
• Style guides: Discipline-specific manuals (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)
Online tools:
• Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab), • Academic Phrasebank
Miscellaneous
University writing centers, graduate writing groups, faculty writing retreats, academic writing workshops
2. Resources for journal selection
• JANE (Journal Author/Name Estimator)
• DOAJ (Directory of OA journals)
• Clarivate’s Web of Science
• Journal finders by publishers (e.g., Springer Nature’s Journal Finder, Wiley’s Journal Finder, Taylor & Francis’s Journal Suggester)
• Journal finders of author service companies e.g., CACTUS, Edanz, Enago
3. Reference managers
• Zotero, • Mendeley, • EndNote
About author:
Dr. Sunaina Singh (PhD, Plant Genetic Resources, IARI New Delhi) is a freelance STEM copyeditor and academic trainer who has edited over 1,500+ manuscripts for researchers, PhD students, and author service companies such as CACTUS, and conducts writing workshops to help researchers publish in top journals.
Disclaimer:
SciSoup claims no competing interest.