I am struggling to think of the right words to use and how to structure my sentences so that what I write gets straight to my point. I'm ending up using the same old words and phrases and it looks and sounds dull and unimaginative. My writing is also lacking a creative sort of flow to it. It's annoying because I used to find it quite easy to write (before I took a few years break from academia).
Anyone know of any resources that are good for getting the creative writing juices flowing or any good books that help with this sort of thing?

I guess I would describe it as being a complete mental block on writing - not necessarily on the subject matter though - and the more I write the worse it gets!

Try looking in journals and seeing how they do it. I actually went through several journals and picked out some of the phrases/words.
There are websites (not sure without googling) with lists of phrases for writing. There has been one mentioned on thus forum.
Have you got anyone (supervisor if time?) to read through critically?

Hi cc,
I have looked at tons of journal articles and although I see how they write and the phrases they use I just can't translate it into my own style. I have had my worked looked at critically and mostly those who have read it say it reads fine etc., but I am dissatisfied with the actual process of writing it as it takes me so long when it shouldn't (from experience).

Mokey

What helped me, and long before I was doing the PhD was looking at a book by Bryan Garner on Legal Writing in Plain English. Even if you do not do legal writing of any sort, I still think this is the best book I have ever come across on how to write. He gives excellent ideas on how to edit, but especially on how to write, such as how to keep sentences to about 20 words, how to use as he puts it "parallel phrasing" for similiar ideas, how to end sentences "emphatically", how to make sure there is continuity of ideas from one paragraph to the other, so there is a seamless flow of ideas from the beginning to the end. He gives tips as well on technical and analytical writing, how to use quotes effectively, etc.

From my own experience, this is a good guide for academic writing and not limited to legal writing, because it provides a guide on how to communicate complex ideas in a conscise and readable manner--which is what academic writing is all about. I think you can get this on Amazon, which is showing some used copies for £16 or so. Probably the best use of £16 for a PhD! You can preview some of the book as well on Google Books if you want to see what the actual content is before making a decision on whether to buy.

mokey,
I understand where you are coming from and i've always thought it take me a lot longer to write anything of decent quality than it should.

I think this usually comes down to two problems, you are not sure exactly what to say ( i.e what is revelent ) but also of how to develop your writing to a standard accepable to your audience ( supervisor and examiner )

Reading good journals in your feild is always a good way to develop the right lingo for your writing.

Also consider that there are here some very good guides on writing:

Have you read " The Elements of Style " considered to be the orignal text on good writing.

if you find you are very slow at writing my advice is, write on a regular basis and try get feedback on it.

Is your research in an arts topic or science/engineering based?

Hey I just looked online and Amazon has used copies of this for £4 plus the shipping costs!!!!! At that price, GET IT!!!!

The original version (from 1918) is available free online

thanks guys - I'm going to look into those books you suggested.
rjb203 - I am social science based. You are right in that to some extent I don't know what to say! Maybe this brick wall I seem to face when writing is because of some inner anxieties about the PhD and the lack of direction I feel at the moment. This may get better in time. I just get so annoyed with myself because I know I've done it in the past with no problems, that is the most frustrating thing. I actually used to find this sort of writing very enjoyable!

mokey, i totally understand where you are coming from. i was extremely frustrated about my writing when i moved to the UK and started my PhD. although i considered myself to be a good writer with excellent style, some finesse and subtlety, and always wrote easily, i just couldn't do it anymore - and just because of switching from German to English, both of which i consider to be my mother tongues. people kept telling me that my writing was fine, but i was always dissatisfied.

so what to do?
i, too, can recommend "the elements of style" - that book was given to me by my supervisor on my first day, and i have passed it on to several other students since.
most importantly: write, write, write, and then write again.
for me it helps to have a clear idea in my mind of who i am writing for. a person - sometimes my granny, sometimes a specific friend. sometimes that is more important than knowing what i am writing about!
i have to say i also found the slides from a "how to write essays" course offered to our undergrads, and available online, very helpful; because they helped to think about my writing analytically rather than emotionally (frustration etc.)

Having said it a few times, but will say it once more...the Flowers Paradigm on writing ( and there is more information about this in the Bryan Garner books)--it gives a structure and process for writing. Don't be lead into thinking by the title of the Garner books that there is no application outside the narrow world of ( American) law--they really do promote writing skills and strategies that work across any field, in my opinion. PhD writing is nothing like American legal practice writing, but I find that the skills that Garner promotes are as useful in this setting as a legal practice setting.