A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations, 7th edition - Kate L. Turabian 2007

Work through chronic procrastination and writer's block
Drafting your report
Part I. Research and writing: from planning to production

If you can't seem to get started on a first draft or if you struggle to draft more than a few words, you may have writer's block. Some cases arise from serious anxieties about school and its pressures; if that might be you, see a counselor. But most cases have causes you can address:

You may be stuck because you have no goals or goals that are too high. If so, create a routine and set small, achievable goals. Do not be reluctant to use devices to keep yourself moving, such as a progress chart or regular meetings with a writing partner.

You may feel so intimidated by the size of the task that you don't know where to begin. If so, follow our suggestions about dividing the process into small, achievable tasks; then focus on doing one small step at a time. Don't dwell on the whole task until you've completed several small parts.

You may feel that you have to make every sentence or paragraph perfect before you move on to the next one. If so, tell yourself you're not writing a draft but only sketching out some ideas, grit your teeth, then do some quick and dirty writing to get yourself started. You can avoid some of this obsession with perfection if you write along the way, knowing that you aren't writing a first draft. And in any event, we all have to compromise on perfection to get the job done.

If you have problems like these with most of your writing projects, go to the student learning center. There are people there who have worked with every kind of procrastinator and blocked writer and can give you advice tailored to your problem.

On the other hand, some cases of writer's block may really be opportunities to let your ideas simmer in your subconscious while they combine and recombine into something new and surprising. If you're stuck but have time (another reason to start early), do something else for a day or two. Then return to the task to see if you can get back on track.