Have you ever looked up and realized weeks (or even months) have gone by since you last opened your writing project?

You're not lazy or failing, and you definitely haven't stopped being a scholar just because of an unexpected break.

In this episode of Crayons in My Manuscript, I'm sharing the exact three-step reset I use when life derails my writing.

Whether you've been buried under work, family responsibilities, summer schedules, or just feel stuck, these simple steps can help you rebuild momentum without relying on motivation or marathon writing sessions.

In this episode you'll learn: 💥 Why binge-writing usually backfires ➡️ Why motivation follows action—not the other way around ✍️ A simple three-step reset to get back into your project 🤦‍♀️ How to respond when guilt and shame show up

💬 I'd love to hear from you: What's *one* small thing you're going to do today to restart your writing? Leave a comment below and let's encourage one another.

If this episode helped you, consider subscribing for more encouragement and practical strategies for academics and writers trying to build a sustainable writing life.

If writing a research paper leaves you feeling anxious, overwhelmed, frustrated (or suddenly reorganizing your entire kitchen instead of writing), then you are not alone.

The emotional roller coaster of graduate writing isn't a character flaw, but instead a part of being human.

In this episode of Crayons in My Manuscript, we'll explore the psychology behind why writing feels so emotionally exhausting, why procrastination is often an emotional response rather than a time-management problem, and how understanding your "Window of Tolerance" can help you approach writing with more curiosity and less self-criticism.

We'll cover: • Why academic writing feels so vulnerable • How past academic experiences can shape your writing today • What happens when we ignore difficult emotions • Why procrastination is often your brain trying to protect you • A simple mindset shift that changed the way I approach writing • Practical strategies for recognizing your emotional triggers and returning to a regulated state

If you've ever wondered, "What's wrong with me?" while trying to write, I hope this episode helps you replace that question with a kinder one:

"What might this emotion be trying to tell me?"

📚 Resources mentioned: • Digital Resource: The Daily Wellness, Window of Tolerance Workbook (www.thedailywellness.com). • Stephen Porges, The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation (2011; W.W. Norton). • Daniel Siegel, The Developing Mind (1999; Guilford Press).

✨ I'd love to hear from you in the comments: Which emotion from Inside Out visits you most often when you're writing?

#GraduateSchool #AcademicWriting #ResearchWriting #WritingProcess #GraduateStudent #FirstGenerationStudent #WritingMotivation #Procrastination #AcademicLife

You finally get the house quiet.

Your toddler is down for a nap. The laptop is open. The calendar says you have two uninterrupted hours to write.

So why won't your brain cooperate?

In this episode of "Crayons in My Manuscript," I share the perspective shift that changed how I think about productivity as a parenting scholar. After countless nap struggles, teething meltdowns, and days spent juggling the invisible work of parenting, I realized my biggest writing obstacle wasn't a lack of time, but was a lack of cognitive and emotional capacity.

Enter Spoon Theory. 🥄

We'll explore why traditional productivity advice often falls short for parents, how invisible labor quietly drains our executive function, and why matching your writing tasks to the energy you actually have can make academic writing more sustainable.

In this episode, we'll discuss:

🧠 Why having time isn't the same as having the capacity to write

🎒 The invisible mental load parent scholars carry every day

🥄 What Spoon Theory is, and how it applies to academic writing

🔋 Low-energy writing tasks that still move your research forward

⏱️ How to measure productivity by more than hours alone

If you've ever opened your manuscript only to realize your brain has nothing left to give, I hope this conversation reminds you that you're not failing; you may simply be carrying more than anyone else can see.

💬 I'd love to hear from you:

What gives you spoons these days? What tends to take them away?

Share your thoughts in the comments. One of the most healing things we can do as academics is stop pretending we all begin each day with the same amount of energy.

If this episode encouraged you, subscribe to "Crayons in My Manuscript," where we explore the messy, meaningful intersection of academia, creativity, and parenthood.

For years, I believed my student loans were proof that I had failed, that I'd made the wrong choices or somehow fallen behind everyone else. The deeper I looked, the more I realized my story wasn't unique. In this episode of "Crayons in My Manuscript," I explore the shame that often surrounds student debt, what changed when I stopped carrying it alone, and why the stories we tell ourselves can become heavier than the debt itself, and can impact out writing.

This isn't financial advice. Instead, it's a personal essay about identity, isolation, and discovering that some burdens become lighter when we realize they're shared. If you've ever felt alone because of debt, disappointment, or the sense that everyone else figured life out before you, I hope this conversation reminds you that you're not as alone as you think.

#CrayonsInMyManuscript #StudentLoans #Parenting #PersonalEssay #Storytelling #LifeLessons

If you're a parent, you've probably watched more Bluey than you ever expected. And we all know that it’s full of life lessons. But what surprised me is that some of the most meaningful lessons and advice I've learned about writing, research, rejection, and academic life have come from…a cartoon dog.

In this episode of Crayons in My Manuscript, I share six unexpected lessons from Bluey that have shaped the way I think about scholarship, productivity, and what it means to live well as a writer and researcher.

We'll talk about:

📚 Why your work should never become more important than your life (Rug Island)

🔍 How curiosity is one of the most important research skills we can cultivate (Calypso)

🤝 Why writing and research are team sports (Seesaw)

⏳ The importance of boundaries, rest, and asking for what you need (Sheepdog)

🍃 How to navigate manuscript rejections, failed applications, and academic disappointment (Stickbird)

✨ Why protecting your sense of wonder may be the most important scholarly habit of all (Born Yesterday)

Whether you're a doctoral student, faculty member, researcher, academic parent, or simply someone trying to sustain a writing practice amid the demands of life, I hope these reflections encourage you.

Because sometimes the things we're learning through parenting aren't distractions from scholarship—they're making us better scholars.

🎙️ Crayons in My Manuscript: Writing support for academics with full plates and even fuller hearts.

#AcademicWriting #ResearchLife #PhDLife #AcademicProductivity #Bluey #WritingMotivation #ScholarParent #GradSchool #FacultyLife #AcademicLife #WritingCommunity

What happens when your vocation outlives your job?

In this episode of Crayons in My Manuscript, I share a personal confession: I still live like a scholar, even though I don't currently hold an academic post.

After earning my PhD and turning down two visiting assistant professor positions during a season of major life changes, I've had to wrestle with questions of identity, vocation, scholarship, and belonging. What happens when you still think, research, write, and contribute like a scholar—but no longer have the institutional title, resources, or recognition that often come with it?

In this conversation, we'll talk about:

• The hidden challenges of life outside academia • Why losing institutional support can feel surprisingly personal • The difference between a job and a vocation • Reframing your identity when your career path changes • Continuing meaningful scholarship in the midst of real life

Whether you're between academic positions, pursuing scholarship independently, balancing research with parenting, or navigating a career transition, I hope this conversation reminds you that your calling is bigger than any title.

I'd love to hear from you in the comments: Have you ever carried an identity that the world didn't quite know what to do with?

☕ Support the channel: https://coff.ee/staceygarrepy

📚 Subscribe for more conversations about writing, scholarship, productivity, and building meaningful work within a full and beautiful life.

#Scholarship #Academia #PhDLife #AcademicWriting #LifeAfterAcademia #IndependentScholar #WritingCommunity

Why is it so hard to start writing in summer, even though you finally have the time?

In this Summer Office Hours episode of Crayons in My Manuscript, I'm getting honest about a question that haunts graduate students, faculty, adjuncts, working professionals, and nontraditional scholars alike:

"Why can't I just start?!"

If you've ever stared at a blank document, avoided opening your dissertation chapter, delayed a conference paper, or spent an entire writing day doing everything except writing, this episode is for you.

We'll unpack the hidden reasons behind writing procrastination in summertime, including:

✏️ Changes in caregiving rhythms ✏️ Lack of structured time ✏️ Fears that emerge ✏️ Why struggling to start isn't always a discipline problem, but rather a case of the “should”s.

You'll also hear a personal reflection on my own writing procrastination and a simple reframe that has helped me begin projects when motivation is nowhere to be found.

Because sometimes writing doesn't start with what we think of as “writing.”

Rather, sometimes it starts with opening the document, annotating a source, drafting one terrible sentence, or simply admitting what's making the work feel difficult.

💬 I'd love to hear from you in the comments: What barriers do you face when you start writing?

🎙️ Crayons in My Manuscript is a writing productivity podcast for graduate students, faculty, first-generation scholars, military-connected academics, parents in higher education, and anyone trying to build a sustainable scholarly life.

If you're looking for practical writing advice, academic productivity strategies, dissertation support, and honest conversations about life in academia, subscribe and join us.

#AcademicWriting #WritingProductivity #GraduateSchool #DissertationWriting #AcademicLife #WritingTips #Procrastination #FacultyLife #PhDStudent #ResearchWriting #ScholarlyWriting #AcademicProductivity #HigherEducation #NontraditionalStudent #FirstGenerationScholar #CrayonsInMyManuscript

Episode 11 | Book Review: Procrastination Proof by Jon Acuff

I used to think procrastination was a discipline problem, that if I just had more willpower, I’d get things done.

After reading Jon Acuff’s Procrastination Proof, I came to the realization that I was wrong.

In this episode, I unpack some of my biggest insights from the book, including:

• Why procrastination may have less to do with laziness than we think • The hidden beliefs that keep us stuck • Practical mindset shifts that can help writers, creatives, and professionals move forward • My honest takeaways from reading Procrastination Proof

If you’ve ever struggled to finish what matters (or if you’ve wondered why procrastination feels so hard to overcome) this conversation might help.

📚 Book discussed: Procrastination Proof by Jon Acuff (2026) 🎙️ Welcome to Crayons in My Manuscript, a place for reflections on writing, creativity, books, and the habits that shape our lives.

#bookreview #procrastination #jonacuff #productivity #personaldevelopment