The hardest thing about writing is writing.

Writing is harder than researching before you write, and it’s harder than revising after you’ve written. But to use the research, and to have something to revise, you must actually write a draft of your document at some point.

Two techniques can make it easier for you to face the blank page: (1) deciding on some sort of structure before you begin to write, and (2) using “private memos,” which are a way to record your concerns about problems with the draft as you write it. A third thing that can make it easier to face the blank page is facing the fears that often lead to procrastination.