(If video isn’t being displayed, please enable cookies.)
This blog post is based on my podcast interview with Dr Erika Roesler, a member of the Researchers’ Writing Academy. To listen or watch the podcast, click play on the YouTube video above or listen to the episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
How Atmospheric Science Researcher Dr Erika Roesler Went From Self-Doubt To a Consistent Writing Routine
Welcome to another episode of the Researchers’ Writing Podcast. I’m here today with Dr Erika Roesler who is a member of the Researchers Writing Academy in her second year. Welcome, Erika. So lovely to have you here today. Do you want to start out by telling us a little bit about your research?
Thank you, Anna. I am an atmospheric science researcher in Albuquerque, NM, and I’ve been doing research on the atmospheric sciences for a couple of decades. I’m not in an academic setting, but I’m in a laboratory setting. So it’s a little bit different — you know, where maybe your other researchers might be struggling with time balancing for classes and office hours, I don’t have that environment. But it’s still a research environment and publications and writing and showing what you did is very important.
That sounds great and it’s a very interesting field. Do you want to talk a bit more about what you’re researching more specifically?
Sure. So I have interest in cloud microphysics — so cloud processes and understanding clouds in many different weather systems. And then I’ve also started pivoting into high altitude ballooning. So it’s a different layer of the atmosphere and totally different than clouds, but it’s very interesting.
How amazing. Very fascinating.
Overcoming Writer’s Block: Erika’s Decision to Join the Researchers’ Writing Academy
So back when you decided to join the Researchers’ Writing Academy, how did you make that decision? What made you decide to join us?
I had been sitting on my hands and not committing to join for quite some time. I’d been receiving your emails as well as following what was displayed on my social media feeds about getting unstuck, writer’s block, and things like that. And I was finding that I was just not getting over the block and finding a good practice and quality of practice for an absurdly long amount of time in my professional career.
And so looking at the price of the Researchers’ Writing Academy, I decided to go for it and pay for it, realising that what I got for a whole year was a really good price point for the support as well as the training. And then once I was in, I began to see what was under the hood beyond the marketing emails and the podcast that you might be hearing now. And really, that advice and what the curriculum has — worksheets that I’ve been able to use and also modify for my own development and different projects — has really helped me get unstuck.
Looking at the price, I decided to go for it and pay for it, realising that what I got for a whole year was a really good price point. The advice and curriculum has really helped me get unstuck.
I’m not perfect yet by any means. I’m still trying to become a better version of myself every day. But the practices and protocols — I feel like Anna helps you understand more about yourself and then work with yourself instead of against yourself in order to accomplish your goals. And for me, that was finding when my power hour is, or when my writing time is. Really identifying that and then protecting it and giving that to myself and owning it for me.
I feel like Anna helps you understand more about yourself and then work with yourself instead of against yourself in order to accomplish your goals.
So for me, I’m a morning person and I’d like to have my writing done in the morning. And I also like to exercise in the morning. So getting both those things off the list early in the morning just sets up for a better day. And in an exercise program, there’s a quote I’d like to share that has really helped me whenever I’m like, oh, I don’t want to do this, or this next step is so hard. It asks metaphorically: when is the best time to eat a frog? And the answer is the morning. So the best time to eat a frog is the morning. Just do it. I can’t believe it’s been so long.
Yeah, I love how you said that — working with yourself and not against yourself. I think it’s the only way we can all reach the highest potential that we have inside us when it comes to academic writing. But also, I honestly believe this is true for everything.
Adapting your Academic Writing to Writing Seasons
You already shared that finding your deep work time for writing helped you get unstuck. Can you give some other specific examples of how the Researchers’ Writing Academy has helped you with your writing?
Yeah, that’s a good question. I got to admit that, as with all seasons of life, throughout the year I can be more involved in the Researchers’ Writing Academy than at other times. And so when I have that time to be involved, the writing is flowing, the boxes are getting checked and I’m able to engage more. And that feels good. Other times, it’s just other things in life — travel, illness, work happen.
I think it’s important to normalise this. Not every month of the year will be writing season for you.
I think that’s my next goal: trying to understand how to do better goal setting in light of those anticipated setbacks. And knowing that, figuring out for myself how much of a routine person I am and how much that helps with output. So I need to give myself space for getting back into the routine and not be punitive when I don’t robotically launch right back into it.
I do want to mention that within the Journal Publication Formula, there are great worksheets that help with pen and paper outlines and key ideas, and ways to get feedback and at what points to interact with co-authors. And that pedagogy has just been really wonderfully structured and very transparent. And that’s also been helpful.
Within the Journal Publication Formula, there are great worksheets that help with pen and paper outlines and key ideas.
And then I think another big thing is the Researchers’ Writing Academy community. The co-writing times that I’m able to join, the sprints, the emails — the community posts of like, what kind of music do you listen to? Or here’s a little 10-minute deep breathing session just to reset before you start writing. Those little things are what I think add up. And I feel it’s a very supportive community — it’s not competitive or punitive, where people are jockeying to be number one after a co-writing session or anything like that. So I really value and enjoy and look forward to participating because I feel it’s safe. So thank you.
Another big thing is the community. It’s a very supportive community — it’s not competitive or punitive. I feel it’s safe.
Oh, I love that you say that, because when I dreamed up this community, when I was thinking about the space I wanted to build, I knew I wanted it to be a safe space that is different to, I think, how many may experience academia and may experience scientific research environments, because they can be harsh and there can be a lot of this competition and that kind of energy. And I wanted to have exactly the opposite, because I think again, back to how do we do our best work — I think it’s when we show up as our whole selves as humans. And I believe that we are kind and good, and that this is how we do our best work — in community with other people, lifting each other up and supporting each other instead of fighting against each other. So yeah, thank you for saying that and I’m glad you experienced it like that.
How Erika Received ‘Well-Written’ Feedback after Being Stuck for Years
You say you’re very much still on the journey, and I think listeners will appreciate hearing from someone who hasn’t figured everything out yet and still in the middle of things.
That’s I think the key reason why I joined again for a second year. You know, there might have been — I did go through the question of like, well, I’ve experienced the Journal Publication Formula. I have the worksheets, I went through the training, I know what I need to do to set up that time, have this safe community space when I need it. If I get derailed again — which I did — I can come back in and participate in co-writing rooms and sprints again.
The Journal Publication Formula has given me insight into how to lay things out for an outline specifically. I used to think in the Introduction you had to say everything. And if there was always a reviewer or two that found that you didn’t cite that one reference or those five references, it was an automatic reject. So to me, it was always terrifying not to show that I knew everything at the get go. And so that would create an unbounded paper and honestly very boring to read — because I wouldn’t even want to read it, I wouldn’t even want to edit it. And then when you come back to it, you have to go add the current knowledge, which is always increasing. So millions of publications a year — it was an impossible mountain that I was building to climb.
And so what helped me was breaking it down into the key story elements. Anna talks about how storytelling is really internal to humans, how we all latch on to stories, and scientific academic papers are a story as well. And if you want your reader to be interested in why they should read this — and honestly, why you as a writer even care too — then it needs to be a story. And so she walks you through like a cinematic story, a Jurassic Park, and says these are the key story elements, and then how to apply that to your writing as well. And then really what it means to go from fiction to nonfiction and make that important for the reader.
And so I applied that formula to one of my mountainous literature review papers, found the key story elements, rewrote the paper and sent it to co-authors — and they said “really well written.” I was mind blown. They had some comments and I need to address them after I come off of being derailed and get back to it. But I was shocked that maybe what I’d written was not boring and potentially enjoyable. These are all new words for me. But this is why I joined for the second year — because I’m still learning. And this was one paper, and I want there to be more.
And I know that every paper is like a new project — you’re going to learn something new about yourself and you’re going to learn something new about how to implement the Journal Publication Formula with each iteration.
And so I applied that formula to one of my mountainous literature review papers, found the key story elements, rewrote the paper and sent it to the co-authors — and they said “really well written.”
You’ll just get better and better and better with each one, I’m sure of it. And I mean, this is fantastic to hear. Getting these comments from co-authors and peer reviewers when someone says “really well written” — Toyosi, a fellow RWA member, shared with us that her co-authors said exactly those words. And that’s possible by having the right structure, just having the right framework.
Anna’s note: If you want to know more about the Journal Publication Formula, the method that helped Erika get praise from her co-authors after struggling for years, I got you. I created a whole training that’ll show you exactly what’s included in our academic writing program and help you decide whether it’s the right choice for you.
Just click the orange button below to watch it now (or save for later)!
Building a Robust Academic Writing Routine Session by Session
I would love to speak more about how writing feels for you now in comparison to how you experienced it before joining the Researchers’ Writing Academy.
Yeah, that’s a great question. I think growing up I liked writing and I always thought of myself as an OK writer. But then when it came to academic writing, I was consistently failing. So I began to second guess myself, began to throw out doubts — was I, do I like this at all? Do I really, am I good at it? What was I thinking before? And how can I overcome these emotional and mental barriers that I’ve put up with writing?
And so I think also in the Researchers’ Writing Academy there’s been the sprint protocols — and also there’s the idea of training. Like with anything, this is a training exercise. I can’t say today that I’m going to go run 100 miles tomorrow without doing significant, maybe year-long training for it. There’s no way. So if you’re not liking writing, then in the Journal Publication Formula, the Researchers’ Writing Academy, you’ll be able to go through and say, where is my endurance for training? What is a small task that I can do and set up an environment that I can do it in for 10 minutes? And then finding that you can build up to 20 minutes and then 30 or 40 or 50 minutes. And it’s exactly like training for a running race or something that has endurance.
Funny enough, in last January’s writing sprint, I think there were three hour blocks of writing with like 10-minute breaks. And by the third block my fingers were hurting, so I definitely was not prepared.
It was even a physical endurance test!
I always thought of myself as an OK writer. But then when it came to academic writing, I was consistently failing.
Yeah, and I was hungry. I did not have enough nutrition to endure this. It was all the things.
Yeah, you gotta prepare. You gotta prepare for a writing sprint, for a writing retreat.
Totally, totally. Yeah. So I think that has shown me that there are little bits of writing that can happen at different times of the day, and you are going to feel different about it every day or every time that you do it. Similar to exercise or anything else that you do for yourself — like sometimes you will joyfully put on the workout gear and hit the gym or go outside or whatever. And other times it’s a slog. So knowing that just through repetition and consistency with yourself, you’re able to have the good days and the bad days, but at the end you made it through. And so there’s really no bad writing session, just like there’s not a bad workout session. You still did it for yourself and you showed up for yourself. So it’s always a good feeling afterwards.
Yeah, that’s such a good parallel to running and how much you actually need to build around your writing routine to make it very practical, very robust and long term. You mentioned that you were failing with your writing before you joined. Can you talk more about that? Like what did that look like?
From 20-page paper mountains to unclogging her whole publishing pipeline
It was really this idea of needing to show the reviewer, whoever they may be, that I knew everything and no stone was left uncovered in the development of the publication. And so it just became an insurmountable task. The publication just grew from 5 to 10 to 20 pages of just nothing. I mean, there’s no substance in there, there’s no story. There’s just an endless almost literature review and discussion. And then it’s hard to edit down stuff like that. And then essentially it just would never get submitted. So that’s really what my writing had become.
I can totally empathise when you have a big document like this, it’s just overwhelming. Writing can become overwhelming so easily because it is complex and there’s a lot of things going on and that go into a paper.
I also want to mention the idea of a writing pipeline. So you have little tabs or little magnets or something on a board where you can show like idea phase, planning phase, writing phase, editing phase, and then submission at the very end. And papers like that big one I was talking about were stuck at a phase in a way that everything else could not go forward until that one was done. So it was a clog in my pipeline — like literally clogging it. So once that was through, it was an amazing feeling to get that moving forward. And I felt like everything, all these little other projects, just shifted around on the pipeline. So it was really cool to see that.
That’s so fun. I’m so happy for you.
How To Get Your Writing Unstuck Today: Join the Researchers’ Writing Academy
Is there anything else that I haven’t asked that you would like to mention before we close out?
Oh boy. I think this is a really wonderful opportunity to share how much the Researchers’ Writing Academy has changed and added benefit and value to my life. And I just want to thank you for creating this space and this community. So thank you. You’ve done a good thing.
Thank you, Erika, I really appreciate that. I’m so glad that it has had the effect on you and that you’ve been enjoying the Academy. And we can’t wait to continue to support you as you grow your writing system, as your writing practice becomes even more resilient and robust. So thank you very much, Erika, for being in the Academy and for being here today. And thanks everyone for reading.
If you’re ready to get papers in your backlog finally published while receiving compliments (!) from your co-authors on your writing, then you should not waste anymore time and join the Researchers’ Writing Academy.
![“I unclogged my publishing pipeline.” — Case study with RWA member Dr Erika Roesler [Blog + Video podcast]](https://annaclemens.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Episode-26.png)
