Don't Stare at Blank Screen/Piles, Stacks, Folders

Another website that all grad students and new faculty should know about is Inside Higher Ed. (http://www.insidehighered.com/) The site is described as “Inside Higher Ed is the online source for news, opinion and jobs for all of higher education. Whether you're an adjunct or a vice president, a grad student or an eminence grise, we've got what you need to thrive in your job or find a better one: breaking news and feature stories, provocative daily commentary, areas for comment on every article, practical career columns, and a powerful suite of tools to help higher education professionals get jobs and colleges identify and hire employees.” There is a nice calender of Calls for Papers and a Twitter Calender of online chats. Plus, there are lots of interesting articles – which leads me to the point of this post – Pre-Writing!

Peg Boyle Single, author of Demystifying Dissertation Writing: A Streamlined Process from Choice of Topic to Final Text and an academic writing coach, posted about learning habits of writing fluency. She provides many tips so you “Don't Stare at a Blank Screen” & “Piles,Stacks, Folders”:

1. Read actively – take notes while reading, interact with the information by writing summary statements. Write notes on your notes – what you are thinking, connecting etc. (Could be called “memoing” ala grounded theory.) Also called, “citable notes.”
2. Write a clear, concise, and convincing focus statement
3. Create a 1 page outline with the basics – including references (don't trust your memory)
4. Insert your citable notes from your reading notes to create a long outline
5. Use your long outline to write your prose

I would strongly encourage you to read all of Boyle Single's postings at Inside Higher Ed. She also talks about perfectionism, procrastination, having too much to say, and getting into the routine of writing regularly.

There is also a ppt of one of Boyle Single's seminars.

Finishing the Dissertation - Advice

There are numerous books about starting and finishing the dissertation/thesis, some better than others. But one of the things I've realized is that the process of writing a dissertation is much more about psychological aspects and facing myself – overcoming procrastination and perfectionism, endurance and perseverance and developing new ways of thinking, writing and viewing the world. Although everyone's experiences will be different, there is some practical advice that everyone can use. The Chronicle of Higher Education has an article “Finishing the Dissertation” by Renata Kobetts Miller that is worth a read. Although the author directs her comments to her dissertation work, it is applicable to most of the work we do in graduate school – including our class work, comprehensive exams, etc.

Here is a quick summery of Kobetts Miller's lessons learned about writing a dissertation:

1. The first chapter was the hardest – learning a new genre is tough, but keep at it.
2. Observe the rhythm of your work – both in time, energy, and where you struggle when writing. Figure out your own cycle of working and realize each phase will end (with perseverance).
3. Avail yourself of writing groups if they're useful, but don't feel guilty about ditching them when they're not – groups can be a great source of support and motivation, but they can also interfere with your own thinking. Be wise!
4. Revision may be easier if you put it off until later – reviewer comments can be demoralizing. With time and perspective, it will make more sense.
5. Be realistic about your timeline – Don't make set deadline that will make you feel overwhelmed. Thinking (and writing) takes time.
6. Identify the people around you who provide useful support - be gracious and grateful for the people who listen, sympathize and cajole you.
7. Relish epiphanies - open yourself to talking with many people and be ready to take advantage of the serendipitous inspiration.
8. Remember that you're doing this for yourself – it is a marathon of one, you are not in competition with others, and the journey is as important as the finish. 
   
   If you are looking for the full article, it can be found here:
   http://chronicle.com/article/Finishing-the-Dissertation/45136/ 

Publishing: Some Advice

In Educational Researcher from 2005, Janette K. Klingner, David Scanlon, and Michael Pressley have a great article “How to Publish in Scholarly Journals.” It is only 8 pages long, and really worth a read, but here's a quick summary.

Planning Before Writing

• Consider Your Reasons for Publishing – yes, academia is “publish or perish” but you have to have something substantial to say.
• Determine the Scope of Your Manuscript – keep the focus narrow and align your data, research question and findings
• Connect Your Research to the Field – know the field, but don't try to summarize the entire field.
• Decide Early on the Target Journal – know the scope and style of the journal, which can vary widely, and read the current call for manuscripts and articles
• Consider Whether to Co-Author Your Manuscript – great for broader perspective and expertise, but be aware of your institution’s view on co-authorship and tenure

Writing the Manuscript

• Tell Them What You Set Out to Do – clearly state the purpose and importance
• Tell Them What You Did – explain your methods in enough detail that your reader can trust that your findings are warranted
• Tell Them What You Found – clear and concise – enough said
• Discuss What You Found – connect your study to broader issues, but don't overreach
• Don’t Forget About Style - know the style of the journal, use transitions to increase flow and clarity, avoid passive terms, don't anthropomorphize, and as William Strunk said, “Omit needless words”
• Get Help – form a writing group, ask colleagues to read, use your writing center

Submitting the Manuscript

• Create a Good First Impression – follow the journal's style guide, check your references
• Send in Your Manuscript - follow submission guidelines,

The Review Process

• Process - each journal is different, but it takes time, read the journal's guidelines
• Decision – pay close attention to editor and reviewer's comments – revisions are almost always required

If you are looking for the full article, here is the citation and a link to the pdf:

Klinger, J., Scanlon, D., & Pressley, M. (2005). How to publish in scholarly journals. Educational Researcher, 34(8), 14-20.

10 Tips on How to Write Less Badly

Michael C. Munger has a wonderful post with 10 Tips on How to Write Less Badly at the Chronicle of Higher Education. He raises the point that few academics receive solid training in writing, yet the foundation of tenure, grant writing etc. is based on being able to clearly and concisely write about research. His tips, in brief, are this:

1. Writing is an exercise. (Practice, a lot.)

2. Set goals based on output, not input. (Time in chair may not get the results need – set specific section, project, word or page number goals.)

3. Find a voice; don't just "get published." (Publishing for publishing sake means bad writing.)

4. Give yourself time. (Good Thinking = Good Writing ∴ Take Time)

5. Everyone's unwritten work is brilliant. (Actually exploring ideas make you realize how much you don't know.)

6. Pick a puzzle. (Conceptualize ideas in different ways.)

7. Write, then squeeze the other things in. (Schedule!)

8. Not all of your thoughts are profound. (You have to go through a lot of crappy writing to get to the good.)

9. Your most profound thoughts are often wrong. (Revision, of ideas, not just words, is necessary.)

10. Edit your work, over and over. (And find writer friends to reciprocate.)

Advice on the Dissertation Defense - Take with a Grain of Salt

I'm at the point that I'm really interested in the process and reality of the dissertation defense.  I realize that every university and every department within each school has different cultures and expectations - many of them unwritten.  Even the choice of committee members has an impact on how the defense will run.  As a graduate student, I have had to glean information about my department's culture and preferences of my committee.   However, I have found some advice, from a variety of sources, about the defense process.  Like any advise, though, take this with a grain of salt and check with your own adviser and committee.

• Don't have anything in the presentation that isn't in the dissertation.
• Remember, it is a defense, not a presentation. Don't focus on coverage!
  • You will be interrupted.
  • The committee will have thoroughly read the dissertation and will come prepared knowing your work and by extension, the work you cite.  Their job is to question you.
• Set up the defense with the problem statement – what is the problem and why should I care.
• Theory (theoretical framework) is often the place that is interrogated strongly by committee members. Be clear, concise and well-grounded in your own framework.
  • There is a possibility that the committee members may argue in front of you about their views of the theories chosen. Don't freak out about this.  Choose wisely if you want to get in the middle of their argument, but answer any questions directed at you.
• Methodology - in a defense, you generally don't need as much support (in your presentation) on methodology as the committee has read it. But, be prepared to talk about it.
• A defense is not the time of “stories”. You may be really excited about the people in your study, but that doesn't mean you should tell them.
• If you don't intend the committee to read the whole slide in ppt, (ie. Showing specific data, transcripts or analysis) don't show it.
• Define your own use of terms and give clear examples. Use the signposts of “By ______ I mean _______________” and here is an example.
• In a defense, be careful about using and presenting graphic models. It invites questions and picking apart of the model. The use of arrows, circles, cycles etc indicate particular interpretations.  When you create a model, be thoughtful about alternative interpretations based on the size, color and positioning of the parts of the model.
• Be powerful in your “Future Research” - it shows that you are ready to go out and work on your research agenda.
• Be ready to answer “What is this about?”- can you give the elevator speech of your dissertation of 2 minutes or less.

Time and the Writer

      One of the major struggles of any writer (and grad student) is "finding" time to write.  However, I hear the same advise from writers across disciplines -  you don't "find" time, you "make" time to write.  If writing is a significant part of being successful in your career, then writing needs to take priority and be consistently scheduled.  This is an excerpt from a wonderful article that details how to make the time needed for writing.

Time and the Writer  by Moira Allen

Are you wondering when you'll find enough time to start writing? If so, I have good news and bad news. The good news is, you'll never have more time than you do right now. The bad news is... well, that is the bad news.

Time is never "found." Time can only be "made." If you decide to wait until your kids are in school, or in college, or you have enough money to quit your day job, or retirement, you could wait forever. The only way to make those writing dreams come true is to start looking at the time you have now, today -- and find ways to make that time work for you instead of against you.

Step One: Treat time as an investment.

Step Two: Examine your "time budget."

Step Three: Examine your priorities.

Step Four: Eliminate time-wasters.

Step Five: Teach others to respect your time.

Read the full article here: 

http://www.writing-world.com/life/time.shtml

Motivation and Prioritizing

Motivation

Based on:

Silva, Paul J. (2007). How to write a lot: A practical guide to productive academic writing. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Monitoring Progress

      Setting a goal is just the beginning of being a successful writer. People who are successful at something monitor their progress – saving money, losing weight, training for a marathon, or selling cookies. “Most people have no idea how much – or how little – they're writing. Because they view themselves in a flattering, self-enhancing light, most people think that they're writing more often and more efficiently than they are. To write a lot, you need to take a cold, accurate look at your writing progress” (pg. 39).

       Besides seeing the reality of your effort, monitoring your progress can also be very motivating. Writing down your progress at each writing session helps keep your focus on the project. Monitoring your own behavior, research had shown, produces the desired behaviors – in other words – the desire to write down progress encourages progress. Financial planners and diet gurus play to this desire. To get control of spending, the spendee has to write down everything they purchase, or the dieter writes down every bite they take. Having to write down the details encourages more thoughtful spending or eating. Writing down your sessions encourages increased time and more productive work.

      Silvia uses a spreadsheet format with columns for date, session goal, word count, and a check for met/unmet goals. However, a notebook or chart on the wall would work just as well. It is the visual cue that is most important. If you like playing with numbers, you can then figure out the average words per day or percentage of session goals met. Then, try to increase that percentage each month.

8 Online Goal Progress Tracking Tools

15 Fantastic Apps to Track & Manage Your Goals

12 Things Successful People Do Differently

Reward Yourself

      B.F. Skinner studied reward behaviors in people. It is clear that self-reinforcement and reward is highly motivating. You might consider setting a reward when you set your large writing goals. For session goals, it may be something smaller – a a 2-minutes mediation, a “Risky Business” like dance and singing, or a cup of Earl Grey tea. By generating a feeling of accomplishment for reaching goals, you're more likely to want to succeed more often. But, do NOT reward yourself with skipping a writing session. That is like rewarding yourself for quitting smoking with having a cigarette!

Writer's Block

      Silvia believes that in academic writing, there is no such thing as writer's block. The narratives academics craft do not (in many cases) resemble the figurative, flowery stuff of fiction and poetry. “Writer's block is nothing more than the behavior of not writing” ( p. 46). Writing on a schedule, with specific goals, should take care of this. However, if you need some suggestions on how to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, read the article linked below (a short summary is provided):

Breaking Writer's Block: Ten Effective Methods for Better Writing by Phil Partington

1. Write about something else
2. Write about a picture
3. Keep a journal
4. Make an outline
5. Read
6. Take a break
7. Establish a writing habit
8. Listen to non-lyrical music
9. Research
10. Ask others for ideas

 Prioritizing 

It is very easy to get distracted by non-important but fun items on your to-do list. Stephen Covey, in Seven Habits of Highly Effective People proposed four quadrants of activity management to help people organize and prioritize the things they need to do. To often, we spend most of our time in the Urgent/Important square because we don't have a clear picture of our overall goals, projects and deadlines. Then, deadlines creep up and it become Urgent/Important and we rush to get it done. Those of us who procrastinate tend to locate ourselves in the Not Urgent/Not Important quadrant – choosing to do things that are immediately pleasurable, but don’t advance our goals or projects. You might consider using this graphic organizer as another way to think about your weekly writing and grad school roles – which will allow you to see both the urgent and the important tasks during the week.

 Instead of reading Stephen Covey's book, I would recommend his son's adaptation of the ideas for teenagers, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey.  It is shorter, illustrated, and less dry than the original.  Or, check out some of the interpretations of Covey's ideas below:

A Beginner’s Guide to Time-Management

Important vs. Urgent: 5 Ways to Focus On What Really Matters

When You're Right to Refuse (an academic's view)

     Another helpful hint that I have heard from #phdchat is to have a list of things that should get done, but don't require intense concentration.   For example, renaming and organizing files, deleting old emails, or skimming articles to see if they would be useful.  These activities can be saved for the times that your energy and concentration is low.  In addition, have a file of work that is always with you for the times that you find you are unexpected waiting (at the doctor's office, for your car etc.).    The most effective and efficient academics plan ahead and use even the smallest chunks of time, like the 15 minutes in-between conference sessions or the time waiting for a late appointment.

Goals for Summer

The Chronicle of Higher Education posted a useful advise column this week about what graduate student should be doing over the summer to get ready for the job market. It is geared more toward the hard sciences, but still has some good advise for social sciences.

How New Graduate Students Should Spend Their Summers by Julie Miller Vick and Jennifer S. Furlong

The short version is this:

• Look for and write grants - even if you have full funding
• Find and study potential journals for your own publications
• Practice talking about your work – start a study group, look for conferences (and apply)
• Prepare for teaching – look for opportunities both in your department and outside (museums, volunteer, internship)
• Reflect and record what you have already accomplished (preparing for your CV)

I have heard over and over from nearly finished doctoral students that they wished they had done these things earlier – especially the publication part. The advice that I keep hearing from new faculty is to craft every major class paper into a publishable article with a targeted journal. Leaving grad school with a track record of publications is a huge benefit.

However, summer is also a time to re-charge, as the school year is often overbooked with TA work, classes, personal research and other jobs. Gradhacker has some advice on how to recharge during the summer.

Setting Goals and Prioritizing

People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine. ~ Brian Tracy

1. Realize that goal setting is a part of the process of writing.
2. List your project goals.
   • Individual projects that need to be written.
   • Include things with definite deadlines.
   • Include things you would like to get done, but don't have a deadline
   • Post this list near your writing area or in your planner
3. Prioritize
   • What has specific deadlines?
   • How long will something take?
   • Set a due date if something doesn't have one
4. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals for the list.
   • Specific
   • Measurable
   • Attainable
   • Realistic
   • Timely
5. Set a concrete goal for each writing session.
   • Look at your SMART goal
   • Break the project into smaller parts
   • Tackle each smaller part separately

The above information is summarized from:

Silvia, P.J. (2007). How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

There is a wonderful blog post about setting a writing schedule by Megan Crowe here:

Six Steps to a Writing Schedule

Here are two great forms for charting how you are using your time:

Time Management Chart - List all your scheduled items in column one of a day, at the end of the day, write what you ACTUALLY did in column two of that day.

Time Log - Developed by Alan Chapman Consultancy to free style track your daily activities.

This entry as a handout.

Create a Writing Project Chart

If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else. ~ Yogi Berra

Many years ago, I asked my high school students to read  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey.  It is much more approachable and entertaining than Steve Covey's business version, but based on the same seven habits.  I have to admit that I learned a lot by reading and discussing the book with my students.  If you don't know what the habits are, I'll list them here:

Habit 1: Be Proactive
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Habit 4: Think Win-Win
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
Habit 6: Synergize
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

Creating and using a yearly writing project chart supports habits 1,2,3 and 7.  As Yogi Berra said, "If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else."  In academia there is a lot of writing that needs to be done on specific deadlines - desirable faculty positions,  prestigious journal publications and oodles of money can be lost because of lack of planning and time management.  As a graduate student, the demands tend to be more immediate - weekly thought papers or reflections, semester final papers, and TA/RA related paperwork.  However, if graduate students don't get in the habit of looking at long range plans and deadlines, they will also miss opportunities.  In addition, to create SMART goals that work, the graduate writer needs to recognize the big picture of their goals and projects and design backwards - especially when writing projects have multiple, dependent steps like writing a proposal, getting IRB, collecting data, analyzing, and finally writing!

Creating a yearly writing goals chart had been the topic of several study groups I've attended at professional conferences.  The purpose of having a yearly writing goal chart is to:
1) Have all major deadlines and projects/ideas in one place (to help coordinate with personal events)
2) Have the calender in a visible place as a reminder for projects
3) Plan backwards for all the steps in each project


What should be on the yearly chart?  I've created one for myself that has a list of deadlines and I use sticky-notes to move each project through the steps of publication - but I adjusted this from the one that another professor showed me.  I include: Ideas; Data Collection/Abstract/Outline; Draft/Analysis; Present/Revise; Submit; Revision 1; Revision 2; and Publish.  You can see my early spring chart in the picture. The pink stickies are for papers and the yellow stickies are for presentations.  This whiteboard is on the wall by the door in my office - I am reminded of my projects every time I leave the room.  Yours doesn't need to look like this  - what is most important is to find a method that works best for you.

 I know that writers of all sorts use multiple ways of planning their projects, like the ones below:

Blogs
Organize Your Blog Posts
How To Set Realistic Writing Goals For 2012
Blogging Tip: Create a Blog Calendar--Literally!
Writing and Running
Don’t Break the Chain - Jerry Seinfeld's Method for Creative Success
Writer's Calendar
Writing Romance: Laying out a Writing Calendar
Keeping a Writing Calendar

Initial Meeting - Purpose and Structure

Agraphia – the pathologic loss of the ability to write

The idea of an Agraphia Support Group is founded on the principles expounded by Dr. Paul Silvia, a psychologist and professor of psychology, in his book How to Write A Lot (2007). He contends that, “Writing productively is a skill, not a genetic gift, so you can learn how to do it. This book [group] will show you how to make writing routine and mundane. It presents strategies for writing during the normal workweek, writing with less stress and guilt, and writing more efficiently.” (pg. xi) Being a psychologist, he believes, “Writing productively is about actions that you aren't doing but could easily do: making a schedule, setting clear goals, keeping track of your work, rewarding yourself, and building good habits. Productive writers don't have special gifts or special traits – they just spend more time writing and use this time more efficiently.” (pg. 3-4)

As graduate students, we all have a lot to write – papers for classes, grants for money, proposals for research and articles for publication. Much of the difficulty is in getting started and staying motivated. This support group will not teach people how to write, nor will the focus be on peer editing (though you may find some good contacts). Instead, the group will support you in your goal setting, motivation, and maintaining good writing habits through positive peer pressure.

Group Components:

1. Set concrete, short-term goals and monitor progress of the group

• Each person will need to state a specific, measurable goal
• It will be recorded on a chart
• Next meeting, we will review goals and state whether met or unmet

2. Stick to writing goals during meetings – not other topics

• Meetings should be brief and to the point
• Avoid complaining about teaching, department etc.
• Focus on writing

3. Celebrate real accomplishments, encourage group members when struggling

• Carrot and stick – social (maybe other?) rewards and punishments
• Expect to be held accountable to schedule and goals

4. Graduate students only

• Professors have different needs in writing, plus may be intimidating to students
  
  
  
  
  Specious Barriers to Writing a Lot
  (and how to hurdle them)
  
  
  Excuses that sound like legitimate reasons for not writing, but don't hold up.
  
  
• I can't find time to write.
  1. Allot time to write – make a schedule – write it in your planner
  2. Regularity is more important than # of days or hours
  3. Don't binge write
  4. Guard your writing time – don't let other commitments creep in
  5. Always write during writing time – but enjoy the freedom of writing at other time (windfall writing). Don't cancel a writing time because of windfall.
• I have to a) analyze more b) read more.
  1. Writing is more than typing words.
  2. Use scheduled writing time to:
     1. Crunch stats
     2. Read article (specifically related to writing goal)
     3. Review journal submission guidelines
     4. Fill in grant application (specifically related to writing goal)
     5. Read books about how to write better
• I need a new . . . computer, chair, desk, place, printer, paper, pen . . .
  1. Equipment will not help you write a lot – only a schedule and sticking to it
     1. “In order to write, all a man needs is paper and pencil.” William Saroyan
  2. Looking for the perfect whatever is an avoidance tactic
  3. Fancy doodads can be a distraction – best self-control is to avoid situations that require self-control
• I write when the mood strikes – I write when I feel inspired.
  1. If you are here, it is clear this strategy isn't working :^)
  2. Research has shown that waiting for inspiration doesn't work
  3. You may never feel inspired to write a required piece of writing (grants?)
  4. There are no Muses for academic writing
  5. “Serious writers write, inspired or not. Over time they discover that routine is a better friend to them than inspiration.” Ralph Keyes (2003)

Bottom line: You need to set a writing schedule and stick to it, even if you don't feel like writing.

Homework:

1. Set a writing schedule that you can stick to. Write it in your planner. Begin following it. Be prepared to share how you managed it.
2. List all the writing projects you need to complete. Bring in the list and be prepared to share next time.
   
   
   This entry as a handout.