What tricks or strategies do you use to get yourself started and to get the words flowing? For me, on days when I need an extra push of motivation, I retreat to my favorite local coffee shop where there is nothing there to distract me. Words, sentences, and entire pieces are also always sure to form in my head while jogging or biking. When finally I return home the words never quite flow as eloquently onto the page as they did in my mind during that bike ride, but at least I have a starting place and an idea for what I want to write or how I want to write it. In other words, as soon as I un-focus my mind from a writing task and hop on my bike or lace up my running shoes, the words finally come. Does this “trick” work for you? If not, what other tricks and strategies can you share that you use to get you started writing?
The most useful textbook & academic writing posts of the week: July 24, 2015
Wouldn’t it be nice if in fact inspiration would strike at just the very moment we need it? Sometimes I…
The most useful textbook & academic writing posts of the week: June 11, 2015
I think it’s safe to say summer has arrived—hot sunny days filled with the sounds of kids outside playing (or at least that’s what I imagine I would hear if I lived in a neighborhood and not in the middle of nowhere). Summer is by far my favorite time of year. I feel much more motivated to reach all of the goals I’ve set for myself when the sun is shining and the temperature outside is nearer to 80°F than 0°F. How about you? Do you feel you accomplish more in the summer? Do you stay on track with your writing? A few of the posts this week will, I think, help you stay on track with your writing this summer, while still actually enjoying summer. And, as always, happy writing!
The most useful textbook & academic writing posts of the week: June 4, 2015
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.