There is no such thing as writer's block - what is the real issue?

Erin Bedford, a PhD student in Nanotechnology Engineering, considers the various reasons we don't write when we know we should or need too in her post Why Aren’t We Writing?  

She quotes one of my favorite writing guides, How to Write A Lot by Paul Silvia, to express the point that there is no such thing as writer's block, rather it is many other issues such as a lack of confidence, poor organization, confusion on how to work through data, among other things.  She provides several suggestions of how to work through these stoppages in writing such as:

• Get rid of the blank page
• Schedule time
• Set small goals
• Reward yourself
• Change your location
• Leave enough time for revision
• Use your resources to develop your skills

I would encourage you to read her full posting as it gives a lot more detail, and this is great advice! 

Image (Mary Pickford writing at a desk) is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID ppmsca.18840.

To Get Writing Done - It Must Be a Priority

Joli Jensen at Vitae has a good post about the importance of really making writing a priority.  It is entitled "Face It: Your Decks Will Never Be Cleared." As academics, there will always be more to do -  more grading, more preparing, more meetings, and the list goes on.  To be a productive writer, writing time needs to be scheduled in, just like any other meeting or obligation, otherwise it will slide to the end of the list of To Do. 

Joli Jensen

Joli Jensen

Joli Jensen

Joli Jensen

Joli Jensen

Getting Published - Some Hints from One Who Knows

In academia, a real, though contentious, evaluation of a scholar's worth is the amount and quality of one's publications.  As an early career scholar, I've had the fortune of working with an advisor who is well-published and well-versed in the business of publishing in scholarly journals.  She has shared her own process of rejection or revise and resubmit and helped me develop a stronger skin when reading reviews of my own work.  One disposition that I've developed because of her is gratitude for a rejection letter that also provides feedback.  Although reading critiques of my work is tough, I try to cultivate thankfulness to the person who actually took the time to read my manuscript.

Kirsten Bell, a Research Associate at University of British Columbia, has written some Random Reflections on Getting Published which have been influenced by her work as an editor and author.  She highlights a few things I haven't thought about before and it is well worth a read.  She encourages authors to think about the following things.

1. Timing - don't send manuscripts out when everyone else is rushing to get work out (ie. November).
2. Worry less about the prestige of the journal and more about making sure your article is accessible.  High ranking journals may look better for tenure, but if the article is difficult to access, who will read and cite your work?
3. Think twice before requesting reconsideration of a rejected article. It may come off as egotistical and you'd be better off finding a different outlet for your work.
4. Reciprocate - and review for journals you submit to. It is only polite and professional, plus, and Bell doesn't state this, you get to know the journal better for your own submissions.

This posting by Kirsten Bell is a follow-up to an earlier posting entitled The Really Obvious (but All-Too-Often-Ignored) Guide to Getting Published. Also worth a read!

Useful Links from #ECRChat

Throes of Creation by Leonid Pasternak

How to Write Paragraphs in Research Texts (articles, books and PhDs)
Patrick Dunleavy

Especially in American English, readers are expecting a direct and explicit structure with clear topic sentences and "signpost" transitions to indicate the connections between ideas.  This article provides clear examples of how to construct academic texts and focuses on structuring and supporting an argument.




Research Methods for Applied Language Studies: An Advanced Resource Book for Students - Appendices
By Keith Richards, Steven John Ross, Paul Seedhouse

Although this has a British/Australian perspective on writing a thesis (dissertation), the general structure is still applicable.   The book is published by Routledge, but the PDFs of the appendices are available online.  Two appendices are especially useful:  Appendix B: Guidelines for Organising a Research Dissertation or Thesis and  Appendix C: Guidelines for Writing a Research Proposal

How To Survive the Summer Writing Doldrums
Academic Coaching & Writing

Summer tends to be a time of more unstructured activity and I know many graduate students and academics think they are going to be able to get a lot of writing done.  But, when August rolls in there is a stark realization that the proposal, article or grant never got written.  Academic Coaching & Writing has some good tips on how to jump-start summer writing projects.

A Guide to Writing a Senior Thesis in Sociology
Department of Sociology - Faculty of Arts and Sciences - Harvard University

A Guide to Writing a Senior Thesis in History and  Literature
Committee on Degrees in History and Literature - Faculty of Arts and Sciences - Harvard University

Short, full color guides to writing a thesis.  They include project planning advice, working with an advisor, breaking down the process into manageable steps, and advise on how to be a successful researcher/writer.  Although is has a distinctly Harvard perspective in its requirements, there is a plethora of good advice for any master or doctoral student.

Where do academics learn to write?

I had the great fortune of taking two writing classes as a doctoral student.  Though, neither were labelled writing classes and few people even knew about them as they were filed under Educational Technology.  The one class focused on writing a conceptual article.  We spent the first few weeks analyzing model articles for introductions, transitions, clarity of argument and conclusions.  Then we drafted our own and had lots of peer feedback.  It was an amazing experience to have such a supportive writing group all focused on the same thing.  The other class focused on writing a good proposal.  Again, we practiced our arguments with each other before committing them to writing.  For as much as people have the image of the solitary writer in his/her office, I've learned that writing is a very social process and that the act of orally articulating ideas is an inspiring muse!

Joli Jensen, Hazel Rogers Professor of Communication at The University of Tulsa, has a series of blog posts about "The Secret Shame of the Scholarly Writer".  Definitely worth a read, as she highlights some of the issues of not having solid training in how to write and the constant fear of not producing enough.  But, even better, she provides many tips on how to become a better academic writer and a list a resources!

How does one decide on a publication venue?

How does one decide on a publication venue?  This is a question I am asked frequently.

My basic answer is:
1) Know your field.  What are the top-tier journals?  Mid-level?  Which ones do researchers read?  Which ones do practitioners read?  Decide your audience and aim for the highest level.

2)  Review what journals you most cite. If you are using them in your own research, you are probably interested in and writing for the same audience.  Make a list of journals that seem to fit your ideas, style and intended audience.

3) Know the journal. Read several of the latest issues.  Remember, editors change and then styles might change. Read the directions to authors - aim/scope, style, word count, special sections etc.  Tailor your writing to fit the audience and journal. I usually print a few model articles so I can refer to them as a write for style and format ideas.

4) Revise and Resubmit is NOT a rejection! If the editor took the time to send the article out and compile the reviewers' comments, then the article is a fit for the journal with revisions.  Do not shelve the article.  Use the feedback to revise and resubmit ASAP.  Only shop for a new journal if the revisions significantly change your interpretation of data or wildly misinterpret your argument.  But, be open-minded to the feedback, the reviewers are experts in your field.

This is my basic advise.  However, Nick Hopwood,a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), has a much more detailed blog post, A guide to choosing journals for academic publication, that is worth a read.

One of his first discussions is whether an author should pick the journal and then write, or write and find the appropriate journal.  His answer, "Neither. Both." which is accurate.  The journal influences how you might write it up, but your methodology and topic influences which journal to choose.

He also has a detailed explanation of rankings of journals.  Although he is writing from an Australian perspective, much of his advise is relevant in the US.

The Only Way to Finish Writing is to Start Writing

One of my dearest mentors in graduate school continually reminded us that “The best dissertation is a done dissertation.” He was not being flippant and he pushed us to produce quality work, but he recognized that all of us have many avoidance techniques that delay us starting and finishing the gateway paper to academia. He continued with reminding us that our dissertation is NOT, in fact, our magnum opus but rather just the beginning of our exploration of our professional identity and writing. Very few people are able to immediately publish their dissertations as a book or articles without major revisions. And, these revisions should be targeted to the publisher or journal audience. Therefore, it is counterproductive to attempt to have a “perfect” dissertation before submitting it.

Theresa MacPhail, an Assistant Professor/Faculty Fellow at New York University, had a wonderful blog post that addressed many of these ideas - The No-Fail Secret to Writing a Dissertation. And, although her advise sounds almost as glib as my mentor's, she understands that “there is only one fail-safe method, one secret, one guaranteed trick that you need in order to finish your dissertation: Write.”

As many people before her have mentioned (Howard & Barton, 1986; Zinsser, 1988), writing is thinking – and it takes time – and it requires lots and lots of writing that will never make it to the final piece. Embrace this, rather than fight it, and the act of writing can be more liberating than drudgery.

Howard, V. A., & Barton, J. H. (1986). Thinking on paper. W. Morrow.

Zinsser, W. K. (1988). Writing to learn. New York: Harper & Row.