Remember when writing was fun? What ever happened to those creative writing assignments, to writing stories and poems on construction paper with crayons? There was no “wrong” way to invent a character or silly scenario—back then, writing was pure joy!

So when did the whole writing-for-school thing become such a drag?

For me, it happened in late middle school, when assignments turned from creative to critical. Writing began to feel more like a test of my intelligence than a joy-filled exercise in creativity—and, as a result, I worried more about passing or failing than I did about learning.

But somewhere along my journey through graduate school, I (re)learned that writing can be fun—yes, even academic writing. I have found that the same things that brought me joy as a child writer can still apply to my writing as an adult.

Here are some strategies I’ve used to bring joy back into my writing process; maybe they’ll help you, too:

Embrace Discovery

Part of what makes childhood writing so much fun is the process of discovery. As a child, I never “planned” what I was going to write; rather, I sat down and just let each sentence lead to the next, and I was naturally delighted when my stories took a funny turn, or when my main character did something unexpected.

I’ve learned to pursue the same kind of joyful discovery in my academic writing, too. I used to feel like I needed to begin my writing process with a great topic idea or thesis statement. But I realized I have much more fun when I instead start with an interesting question.

Like, maybe I’m supposed to write about themes in Homer’s Iliad, for example, and I am struck by how the text portrays women versus men. Instead of trying to come up with a thesis statement right off the bat, I’ll just ask a question: “How does Homer portray women in the Iliad, and what might this say about the theme of fate versus free will?”

Once I have a question that I’m genuinely curious about, I can enjoy the process of finding answers: I’ll search the text itself, look for library books and articles, ask classmates or my professor about their thoughts. I’ll write my discoveries in a notebook or Word document.

When I start with a question, I don’t have to worry about making a polished essay right away— I just revel in the process of finding answers to a question that sparks my curiosity. I often find that my question changes as I learn more—that’s okay because it’s part of the fun! Eventually, all these notes and ideas become the building blocks of an essay that I’m actually excited to write.

Get Creative with the Process

When you were a kid, do you remember drawing pictures to go along with your words? Do you remember those creative poster projects and dioramas—the kinds of assignments that allowed you to access the most creative parts of your brain?

As an adult, I have found that playing with visuals while I write helps me access that same creative space. I like to make charts, lists, and/or diagrams about my paper topics. Sometimes, I even draw little pictures and doodles in the margins of my research.

I know other writers who play with creative brainstorming exercises in the early stages of writing. What might a poem about friendship or war from Helen of Troy look like? Or a page from her diary? These creative exercises don’t have to be any good—the point is that they’re fun and can release fresh ideas for a paper-in-progress.

It can also be fun to talk with classmates about a paper topic, call up a parent or friend from home, or make an appointment to talk with someone at the Writing Studio. I find that talking about my research question or topic aloud with others is energizing and gets me excited to write out our thoughts and ideas.

Change the Medium

Back-to-school shopping: the smell of fresh notebook paper, the feel of new, colored pens gliding across the page—remember that?

When I struggled with writer’s block in graduate school, I took a break from my computer and wrote out my first drafts long hand in a notebook. I was amazed at how much changing the writing medium helped release mental blockages, and how much more enjoyable the process of writing those first drafts became. When I write long hand, I am less likely to self-edit or have doubts about my words and ideas. I can just let each sentence lead to the next without worrying too much about sounding “smart.” Then, when I go to type the paper up on my laptop, I can do so much more quickly, and I can polish/tighten things up as I transcribe.

If you typically write first drafts on a computer, you might try writing long hand, too, or even speaking your ideas into a voice recorder. If you typically write first drafts long hand, try writing them on a computer. Or, try using a different kind of paper or different colored pens. Sometimes just changing up the medium makes all the difference in the world!

Use Your Voice

Another fun aspect of childhood writing is the freedom we’re given to use our own voices. What I mean by that is we were often permitted, and even encouraged, to let our personalities come through our writing. At some point in our schooling, though, we were urged to adopt a more “scholarly” or “formal” voice in our writing. By attempting to make our writing sound “smart,” we may have conditioned ourselves to stifle any sort of personal voice or personality in our writing.

However, as I made my way through a graduate degree in literature, I discovered that the best scholarly writing in most academic fields (especially within the humanities) are written with strong personal voices. The overall tone of these scholarly pieces is formal, of course, but the writers’ personalities and unique writing style still come through.

Especially in the early drafting stages, I like to let my voice come out in my writing. I often write like I’m explaining something to a friend: I use language that comes naturally to me, make jokes and asides here and there, etc. Then, as I revise my early drafts into more polished drafts, I play with my sentences to formalize the tone a bit without losing my personal voice.

I also like to run my final drafts by a classmate, professor, or Writing Studio consultant to help me find places in the paper that come across as “too informal” and offer additional suggestions for revision. By prioritizing my thoughts and voice above formality in those early stages of writing, though, I have much more fun in the writing process, and my final drafts are ultimately stronger and much more interesting, too!

What are some of your writing memories? Which kinds of writing projects brought you joy, and which brought about anxiety, frustration, or confusion? If writing has long felt like a slog for you, take a moment to examine your past writing experiences. Acknowledge where those negative feelings may have come from and consider some ways you might (re)capture a sense of joy in your own writing practice.

Happy writing!

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Jo Saleska Lange graduated from Concordia University Irvine in 2012 and went on to earn an MA in literature from the University of Missouri-Columbia and an MFA in fiction from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where she won the Mary Troy Prize for fiction. For several years, she worked as the Assistant Director of Concordia University Irvine's Writing Studio, a role which involved teaching writing courses across academic disciplines, developing writing skills workshops, and curating writing resources for students and faculty. Now, she is a stay-at-home mom, freelance editor, and fiction writer. As a mother of two tiny humans, she doesn’t have a lot of spare time (IYKYK), but, when she does, she enjoys hiking and sipping cold drinks out on restaurant patios. You can find her at josaleska.com.