Coffee always helps me stay awake at work whenever I am feeling overly tired. Try getting up and walking around for a couple of minutes. The adrenaline will help.
The best way to stay awake is to get plenty of rest the night before. You can also eat a apple. A apple has about as much caffeine as a cup of coffee and is healthier for your body.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.