Every once in a while my knitter friends have a friendly contest for finishing UFOs (UnFinished Objects, a.k.a WIPs or Works in Progress). Sometimes there is a prize for finishing the oldest UFO in one’s possession. Do you have UFOs on your desk or in your files? conference papers you meant to turn into articles […]
Read More »Developing a Practice: Writing
Writing is central to your scholarly work and identity. And yet, you struggle to find time and motivation to do it. Posts in this category focus on the process of writing as a whole. They will help you establish an effective writing practice that enables you to pursue your curiosity, create knowledge, and communicate that knowledge through publications.
You Need a Writing Practice is a good place to start.
Using all 3 types of writing time will help you imagine how you can fit writing in even when you are also juggling teaching, meetings, and so on. It also helps you understand how your writing practice may shift with the seasons of the academic year.
The experiment was successful
Back in August I decided to try an experiment. I would run a virtual writing group. I contacted a couple of people to see what they thought. They were enthusiastic. I figured out a structure, decided on a time, picked a price out of the air, and started promoting it. This experiment was A Meeting […]
Read More »What is writing?
Does “writing every day” incl. grant proposals or mental maps of research trajectories? @tanyagolashboza @professorisin @jovanevery #acwri — Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) October 4, 2012 Have you ever thought this or something like it? Have you sat down to “write” and then get frustrated that you didn’t really spend that time writing? Or look back […]
Read More »You are not a procrastinator: Will you look like a fool?
I’ve had more than one client recently worry about their inability to get down to their writing. This is not a minor problem. It can lead you to question your ability to do the work you are doing and to question your own identity. If you aren’t an academic and a writer, who are you? […]
Read More »You are not a procrastinator: Can you do it?
I’ve had more than one client recently worry about their inability to get down to their writing. This is not a minor problem. It can lead you to question your ability to do the work you are doing and to question your own identity. If you aren’t an academic and a writer, who are you? […]
Read More »You are not a procrastinator: What needs your attention?
I’ve had more than one client recently worry about their inability to get down to their writing. This is not a minor problem. It can lead you to question your ability to do the work you are doing and to question your own identity. If you aren’t an academic and a writer, who are you? […]
Read More »Making Writing Less Scary: links
Here are some other things you might want to read related to this week’s theme
Read More »Making Writing Less Scary: Getting feedback on your writing
You don’t have to write in obscurity waiting to be discovered. Whether you write on a blog or you create multiple documents on your own computer, you can create an audience for your writing. In this post, I offer several options for creating conversation on a blog.
Read More »Making Writing Less Scary: Blogging might help
Developing the habit of writing is probably the best reason for starting a blog. People who blog about their academic work in progress find it very rewarding. You may also discover that there are lots of non-academics who think deeply about similar things. You don’t even have to blog about your research. In this post, I address some of your fears and give you some strategies for keeping the meanies out of the comments.
Read More »Making Writing Less Scary: What to write
Stop worrying about the right way. It is much easier to edit than to write brilliant prose the first time.
This is especially important while you are still developing the habit of writing. But even when that habit is established, writing is a complex activity. The part where you structure your written ideas into an academic article, an academic monograph, a newspaper article, a novel, a report for decision makers, or trade non-fiction book is just that, a part of the process. A lot of writing happens before you get there.
The idea is to get your ideas out of your head and on to paper where you can do things with them. Writing helps you think. In this post, I give you some ideas for how to do that.
Read More »Making writing less scary: Develop a habit
There is no point thinking too much about the publishing part until you have actually written something. Writing is a habit. The more you write the easier it is to write. And the better your writing becomes. Like any habit, you can develop it. In this post, I talk about what developing a writing habit might look like in practical terms.
Read More »Getting comments on your draft
This post inspired by a tweet: Is it cruel for me to ask people to read and comment on a draft article during the summer? — Philippe Lagassé (@pmlagasse) July 25, 2012 My immediate reaction is “Hell No!” but I can see how it might feel cruel. After all summer is the one time of […]
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