Ana Andronic, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi, Romania
Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a good writer? The answer is most definitely yes, as so many others have, but before becoming good at it, one must initially start the task. Writing can be hard and often quite formulaic, therefore our group wants to share helpful information that we gathered during a workshop about the writing process.
Common reasons for (not) writing
Creating excuses and postponing your writing is very common, and each of us might have our reasons and explanations for the delays.
Postponing our writing might come from a lack of time, or a lack of clear understanding on what needs to be done first. Others think that reading more empirical literature, taking notes, finding appropriate references are vital tasks that need to be completed before starting to write. Efficiency can be achieved in a state of profound concentration, of inspiration, also known as flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990), but most of us cannot wait for that moment to come when we have tight deadlines or if we are under pressure to submit our thesis.
How to start writing
We have all been to a place of uncertainty, and depending on what we need to write (be it a journal article, our PhD thesis, a book review, a grant proposal, etc.), the task can seem quite daunting. Writing is a skill that needs to be learnt (Silvia, 2019, p. 6), as well as a system of actions that we need to develop through practice, especially if we are in the IMRAD field (Introduction, Method, Results and Discussion). We want our writing to be as good as we can possibly make it, but what do we do when we start to procrastinate?
Paul J. Silvia, the author of ‘How to Write a Lot’ (2019), focused on three simple steps that each of us can follow:
· Schedule a time to write and stick to it
· Find a good/suitable quiet space where you can write
· Start writing (‘writing breeds more good ideas for writing’- Silvia, 2019, p. 24)
The first point refers to selecting a set time in your calendar to focus on writing. If you are a morning person, then a few hours in the morning are ideal, but if you prefer a different time of day, when you are more productive, then set it and try to stick to it.
Productive writing can be achieved by setting goals and tracking your outputs (Silvia, 2019). Goals should be specific, clear, and easy to check and evaluate (such as word counts per day), as self-monitoring can help us update our tasks, improve our goal-setting for the future and track our writing. Remember to hold yourself accountable by setting your deadlines, in order to maintain a high level of motivation and productivity!
What do you do when you’ve hit ‘a brick wall’?
Remember that you are not alone, and we have all been here.
It can be helpful to start with a structure for your article, thesis or other writing. You can create an outline for your writing based on either current literature you have previously read, or based on the research questions or ideas you have. Try using keywords, or your notes that are based on articles or books you have read. One suggestion is to write as much as you can and try not to amend it initially, as there is time at a later stage to make changes.
If you do not wish to follow a set structure in the beginning, try to follow your intuition and inspiration and make notes as you see fit. Write your own ideas before you start reading literature on the topic, and then fill in the gaps after you read - this will help you to both avoid procrastination and not contaminate your ideas with those of others.
A top tip is to keep writing. Consistency is key! Even writing a little every day will prove helpful and much more efficient long-term that having gaps in your writing schedule.
How to improve your writing style
Some of us who are not native English speakers and have to write in a second or a foreign language, will find it more difficult sometimes to express or write down our ideas. Some strategies may vary, especially if we have never been taught how to write an academic text on a bespoke course at university. Most will either teach themselves how to write by following other authors’ publication styles or will keep practising until they reach an acceptable level.
Douglas, in her book titled ‘The Reader’s Brain - How Neuroscience Can Make You a Better Writer’, suggests five key elements writers should focus on, called the five Cs: clarity, continuity, coherence, concision and cadence (2019).
The author relies on data from neuroscience to explain that writers should make a distinction between good and bad word choices, that sentences should be written in a clear and concise style, with ideas which easily flow and connect between each other, and create paragraphs that fit well together (2019, p. 9). Other useful suggestions include avoiding negatives as they are difficult to process by our brains, such as ‘not necessary’ instead of unnecessary, ‘not the same’ (different), ‘did not accept’ (rejected), etc. (Douglas, 2019, p. 133).
Dealing with feedback
Have you ever found yourself in front of a long email from the journal you have submitted your article to, and you read a page-long list of feedback notes from the editors? They ask you to implement changes to your article, but even then, there is no guarantee that your article will be accepted for publication following peer-review. If, in the end, you receive an email of rejection for that article, know that it is more common that you would expect. Wiley Online Library notes on their website that around ‘21% of papers are rejected without a review, and approximately 40% of papers are rejected after peer-review’.
Most supervisors, editors and reviewers have the best intentions and try to give useful and concise feedback on a student’s writing, but they have their own writing to do, so they might be too direct sometimes. Do not despair, as negative feedback is not personal but it is meant to help and correct potential errors. Your writing is just an output, not your entire identity, and it is important to remind yourself of that.
We understand that some of us can get distracted by feedback, as it shifts our focus from what we have set out to do, especially if it’s contradictory. Make sure that you always agree with the new ideas you implement, that they are in line with your vision about your research or writing. Taking control of feedback is very rewarding and will enable you to become more analytical and view your writing from multiple perspectives.
References
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper Collins, New York.
Douglas, Y. (2019). The Reader's Brain: How Neuroscience Can Make You a Better Writer. Cambridge University Press, 5th edition.
Silvia, P. J. (2019). How to write a lot: A practical guide to productive academic writing. American Psychological Association, 2nd edition.
Wiley Author Services. Peer review. Accessed on the 1st April 2023. https://authorservices.wiley.com/author-resources/Journal-Authors/submission-peer-review/peer-review.html
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