Trying to write a paper... but freezing up with anxiety

[ravenia]

I've just finished my second Masters dissertation, and my supervisor is pushing for a paper highlighting one aspect of my findings. The problem is, I'm so anxious (in general, massive impostor syndrome going on here) that I can't do it, much as I want to. To make matters worse, I would really like this same supervisor to supervise my Ph.D. (starting work on proposal once this paper is out of the way), so it really needs to be good.

Any advice for a newbie please? How can I not make it seem like such a massive deal?

I'm not an academic but have always struggled with an empty page. If you've got a chunk of your thesis that is relevant, dump it in the document. Add any old stream of consciousness nonsense vaguely related to the subject.

Leave it alone for a bit, edit it as though it is someone else's work. Improve it, structure it, work out what else you need to do to make it work. Once I've dealt with the blank page it is so much easier to write something well. Chances are no more than a couple of sentences will survive from my initial word draft, but it has broken through the block.

It's also easier to write something you know is just a draft for you - because you know no one will see this stage!

You can do it!