Posted on facebook, and worth saving.
Back when I was doing academic writing, the process was more like 1. think stuff 2. make some notes 3. stare at the notes 4. think lots of thoughts for AGES in a half-hearted way 5. begin to panic because the thoughts are not in any way written down 6. put the thoughts in an outline 7. congratulate self 8. stare at outline 9. think lots of thoughts again, then panic 10. drink alcohol until panic recedes 11. drink caffeine until focus sharpens 12. adjust substances as necessary to maintain optimal balance 13. write into the outline 14. hope it's good enough because it's never getting revised dammit 15. panic 16. cry 17. proofread 18. pronounce it done