“Scripturient.” What a great word that I’ve only now just discovered! According to Merriam-Webster it means, “having a strong urge to write.” Do you ever have a strong urge that you have to sit and write? I get these urges from time to time. It can be a glorious thing (if you don’t get in the way of yourself and your writing). For me, as soon as I start thinking too much or try to form the perfect sentence, the words stop flowing so easily. Embrace those urges to write and just put everything on to the page that you can. Editing is for making sense of it all!

Happy writing!

Perfectionism, Shame, and Writing
This is your must read of the week. It’s so great I’m not even going to give you any hints as to what it is about (other than the title) in hopes that you are now so curious you have to read it. You’re welcome. 😉

How to enjoy writing
Sophie C. Lewis offers some useful, and slightly different from the typical, advice for how to enjoy writing. Her tips are spot on, however, making this piece well worth the read. And if you don’t see yourself ever much enjoying writing, or even if you do, this especially is an important reminder: “If you have a day that requires a lot of writing and you don’t much enjoy it, make sure you schedule yourself something each day you enjoy, such as lunch with colleagues or a walk across campus for a coffee.”

Blogging your way to a PhD?
This is an excellent guest post by Calvin Ho, a PhD student in Sociology, on the value blogging can have on your writing while working towards completing your PhD. I also encourage you to read the comments as they not only offer support to Ho’s argument, but alternative ideas as well.

Publishing without Perishing
I think advice, even though it may be the same only said a little differently, is always valuable. John Turner gives excellent advice and thoughts on “how to minimize publishing stress and how to arrive at the best finished product.”

Article Throwback

Rejection as a Challenge | August 12, 2012
I love the message this post has—to turn rejections into challenges. Coincidentally, I wrote a piece with a similar message not long ago for my personal blog related to fitness and turning excuses into challenges. If you look at rejections as a challenge, rather than a set back, you can prevail and succeed much easier and faster.