Are there things you’d really love to be doing but aren’t? It could be anything: spending more time with your kids writing something different from what you’ve been writing using your research to serve the needs of some community … You are probably telling yourself some story about why you can’t do it. That story […]
Read More »Are you taking long weekends?
We all get long weekends sometimes, though for different reasons. It seems that a lot of holidays that used to float are now observed on a Monday in order to make it a long weekend. I know a lot of academics have a hard time regularly taking 2-day weekends. I’m betting long weekends are even […]
Read More »Doing what you want to do
At the beginning of every session of A Meeting With Your Writing I used to ask participants to make a list of all the writing/research projects that they consider active. I then asked them which one of those they most want to work on during the next 90 minutes. It might be the one that would be most […]
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When your work doesn’t look like work
You’re tired of the popular misconception that academics get the whole summer off. Are you letting that public perception affect how you work? Are you working indoors at your desk? Are you working during “normal working hours”? Are you avoiding the hammock? The patio? The dock? Are you saving gardening, long walks in the woods, and […]
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Confidence must come from within
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Confidence must come from within It’s easy to think that external validation will help build your confidence. Getting that paper accepted. Getting that grant. Having someone more established in your field cite your work or compliment you on it. It won’t. Like Groucho Marx, who famously would not want […]
Read More »Summer Writing plans
I was talking to a client about her summer plans. She wants to get a lot of stuff written this summer. She has lots of data. She wants to apply for a grant in about 18 months time. And heck, she finds it hard to write during term time and wants to prioritize that over […]
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When you start to hate what you loved.
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · When you start to hate what you love You started on your academic path because you loved your work. You were excited and interested in a particular area of scholarship. But somewhere along the line you lost that connection, temporarily or permanently. It may have started to feel like […]
Read More »Schedule writing retreats
Here’s an idea for your summer writing: schedule your time as writing retreats. Summer time is different than teaching terms. You have much more freedom about how you schedule your work. No classes. Many fewer meetings (if any). You have the luxury of giving some of your projects intense focus. This is not “binge writing“. Binges […]
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Getting out of Grading Jail*
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Getting out of grading jail *the term “grading jail” is borrowed from a popular Twitter hashtag #gradingjail At this time of year, it is tempting to drop everything else and just grade all the time. After all, you have lots of grading. You might as well get through it […]
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Why questions are useful in feedback
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Why questions are useful in feedback As I was preparing the first iteration of my class on Dealing With Reviewer Comments, I asked some friends and colleagues to recommend resources for dealing with feedback. That’s how I discovered Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process. Lerman developed this process for artists, […]
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Your vision guides the writing and the revision
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Your vision guides the writing and the revision You’ve worked really hard on this article. The subject is important to you. You have something important to say. It feels urgent. This vision you have for the paper is extremely important. You know what you want to say even if you […]
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How can reviewer comments improve your work?
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · How can reviewer comments improve your work? This post is a companion to The Role of Peer Review, and focuses on the editorial function of peer review. You want to do good work. You want your work to be published so that other scholars can read it and engage […]
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