I spent a good 40 minutes writing this week’s lead in paragraph. It was slightly witty (or at least I’m telling myself that it was) and related to one of the articles highlighted this week. In the end, it was crap. There was simply no point. I was trying to explain the stress June brings and how it is a struggle to fit everything into my day and how that relates to you, as a writer, with a job and a life trying to squeeze in writing time.
Tip of the Trade: Is it okay to use ‘we’ or ‘I’ when writing for academic audiences?
During the TAA webinar, “Principles of Effective Scientific Writing,” Kristin Sainani, associate professor with health research and policy at Stanford University, said that she often gets asked the question: “Is it okay to use ‘we’ or ‘I’ when I’m writing for academic or scientific audiences?”
The most useful textbook & academic writing posts of the week: May 28, 2015
“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” –Stephen King
I cannot say with certainty that, “the scariest moment is always just before you start.” I have to think that I am not alone in thinking the scariest moment is right before submitting the final draft. As a perfectionist I always strive to get it perfect, yet in writing (and most everything in life), I know that it will always have errors. An extra comma or two are almost always inevitable.
The most useful textbook & academic writing posts of the week: May 21, 2015
Undoubtedly your semester has either ended or is very rapidly coming to an end. Will you take a small break from your writing? Time to unwind and focus on something else like family or vacation? This week I came to a revelation about writing and how much writing is like this favorite quote of mine, “Fitness is a journey, not a destination.” Now replace the word ‘fitness’ with ‘writing’.
Become a more productive writer: 5 Tips from authors
Productivity is key for any writer looking to stay on track and complete their writing project on time. These authors share five tips to help you become a more productive writer:
1. Jump-start the process instead of staring at a blank screen or page.
“Like stretching before exercise, I start my writing day with a heavy edit and rewrite of my previous day’s work. That seamlessly catapults me into today’s writing.” – Jerry Jenkins
How to write clear, concise (and more enjoyable to read) scientific academic articles
Academics are often trained to write in a way that actually runs directly contrary to the principles of effective scientific writing, said Kristin Sainani, an associate professor at Stanford University, who has taught a popular open online course on writing in the sciences.