how to write a lot: a practical guide to productive academic writing research

I would recommend it to anyone involved in academic writing (as no one is really interested in it). It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. It’s that simple” (12). It’s that simple” (12). To sum it up, it is a great book for academicians to read it. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. For myself, I tend to schedule writing time anyway. I felt like the author was a friend giving me brutally honest advice. I knew my writing habits were sub par and that I had a backlog of data from summer research building up which needed to be dealt with, but I just didn't know how to go about starting it. I read this years ago and it helped. It seems like the ‘I can do it and so can you’ attitude prevails to the extent that I almost begin to believe it. Silvia writing and how he puts some quotes of research about writing and psychology related really amaze me. The book itself is 132 pages. Silvia demystifies the craft of writing and reminds us that there is no magic solution: writers simply sit their behinds down (or stand, for the conscientious who prefer standing desks) and puts words to paper—or screen. A good book. The book is divided into chapters that cover the areas you would expect, including knocking down those barriers, including the excuses like ‘I don’t have enough time’ or ‘I need to read more about X before I start writing’ as well as ‘I don’t have any space/working PC etc’. Whether one devotes 4 hours per week or daily blocks of time, it is important to set aside that time which slowly accrues and yields dividends of writing output. Refresh and try again. “Instead of finding time to write, allot time to write,” Silvia says. A short book. The key is regul. Create Story Conflict: How to increase tension in your writing & keep readers turni... Models For Critical Thinking: A Fundamental Guide to Effective Decision Making, Dee... Communication Skills Training: How to Talk to Anyone, Connect Effortlessly, Develop... Are You Actually Going To Be Prolific Or Just Make Excuses? I can’t remember how I came across it, if it was on a reading list or a recommendation (mostly how I decided what books to buy). Includes good advice on scheduling, making big and small goals, prioritizing, starting a writing group, writing journal articles, and writing books. In the end, I found myself quite motivated to sit down and start writing. How to write a lot : a practical guide to productive academic writing. The author has a snarky tone, which I enjoyed thoroughly and it spoke directly to me. Get this from a library! This book should be a mandatory reading in all PhD programs. ( Log Out /  I find myself now with a lot to write, so I bought a new copy and read it over. The author's humor makes the tedious process of writing and publishing look like an exciting adventure, and I now feel oddly compelled to tattoo a writing schedule in my calendar and start a writing group with fellow struggling doctoral students. You don't need to want to write--people rarely feel like doing unpleasant tasks that lack deadlines--so don't wait until you feel like it. There is nothing in here you haven't heard before. Download one of the Free Kindle apps to start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, and computer. I learn a lot just by reading it. I am a PhD student in my second semester and am planning on implementing Silvia's strategies. Writing is hard work and can be difficult to wedge into a frenetic academic schedule. You don't need to want to write--people rarely feel like doing unpleasant tasks that lack deadlines--so don't wait until you feel like it. ( Log Out /  Most importantly, it showed how to begin to write, polish, submit, revise an article/review, response to editors, consult advisors,... and gave ways to deal with situations that might happen in academic environment. It's short (readable within a few sittings/standings) and straightforward. Productive writing comes from harnessing the power of habit, and habits come from repetition p.129” — 8 likes The refresher was worthwhile and has already helped me to get back on track. Basically, these quite useless words add virtually nothing at all ; like weeds, they’ll in fact actually smother your sentences completely. This item: How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing (2018 New Edition) by Paul J. Silvia Paperback $16.26 In Stock. But that doesn't mean it's something we want to hear. He also talks about prioritising projects and how those priorities can differ and that needs to be fluid. To Dr. Paul Silvia, author of How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing, I want to say: Ouch, that was a real slap in the face, but thank you. I liked this book. There is nothing in here you haven't heard before. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. I would recommend this if you come across it, particularly in a library. This is a useful addition to the toolkit for someone who is new to academic writing. Highly recommend it for any type of writing upstart! I wish I had found this earlier in grad school! More importantly, it is a fun book to read. I was committing a lot of the specious errors pointed out in the 2nd chapter, and nothing was getting done. : Practical Strategies For Writing and Publishing Journal Articles, The Professor Is In: The Essential Guide To Turning Your Ph.D. The best writing is accessible and readable. Most importantly, it showed how to begin to write, polish, submit, revise an articl. This includes a good reminder to write for audiences that may not have English as a first language. ... and vacations. Although my field is more in agriculture, I still find that this book is a practical for any academician to motivate themselves to write anything. I wish I'd read this when I was in graduate school. ( Log Out /  Prime members enjoy Free Two-Day Shipping, Free Same-Day or One-Day Delivery to select areas, Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Reading, and more. p61. It's short and to the point. September 25th 2018 That's the author's main point, and it's a good one, but perhaps obvious to some. Though Silva writes for an audience outside of my discipline, I think his advice is much needed if not always easy to hear and put into practice. I have not seen this in a book of academic writing previously but that might say more about my reading than about what is out there but I found this helpful. It is quite pricey though so might be worth tracking down in a library or getting a second hand copy (as I did). Also included are helpful discussions about choosing a time of day to write and choosing what to write from among the numerous half-done, not-yet-started writing projects that most writers drag around with them. We’d love your help. This may be a good discipline in all writing exercises and tasks. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. What a fantastic book. Though the book is more oriented towards journals and books, there is something in it for anyone who is - or attempting to - write academically in any capacity. So I may be a bit unfair. As the name suggests, this book is a guide to “productive academic writing” – more about the quantity of written works including journal articles, theses and non-fiction books. “Prolific writers make a schedule and stick to it. Planning your writing, counts in the writing time and setting achieveable goals is important as well and give yourself deadlines if noone else is going to. To see what your friends thought of this book. There is a chapter specifically about style and the importance of clarity in writing. Ships from and sold by --SuperBookDeals-. I mean anything by articles, journals and thesis papers. This is a really great book for grad students who need to stop procrastinating and write their dang thesis (like me). It is quite helpful for academic writers, especially for grad students. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. How can we write it all while still having a life?In this second edition of his popular guidebook, Paul Silvia offers fresh advice to help you overcome barriers to writing and use your time more productively. No Kindle device required. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Are You Actually Going To Write A Book Or Just Talk About It? I see it as a small jaunt to how to schedule a writing plan, build a stick-to-it attitude, how to overcome the agraphia, which style should be in my writing and so on. The link to buy it is at the top of the page – this is not an affiliate link. “You don't need special traits, special genes, or special motivation to write a lot. Productive writing comes from harnessing the power of habit, and habits come from repetition, “Revising while you generate text is like drinking decaffeinated coffee in the early morning: noble idea, wrong time.”, See 1 question about How to Write a Lot…, Overcoming Resistance: A Practical Guide to Producing Change in the Workplace, Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style, Mariah Carey Is Telling Her Own Story (and Recommending Books). that alone is worth 10 stars to me. The way to cure it is to write. It would be of less use to experienced writers who have their own systems in place. There was nothing new here for me, having hit this sort of block before, but if you want a quick introduction to writing strategies, this is a good entry. Good quick tips that make sense. Concise, motivating read with useful advice. After addressing some common excuses and bad habits, he provides practical strategies to motivate students, professors, researchers, and other academics to become better and more prolific writers. Only then can one become a prolific writer. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages that interest you. It was useful to see a differentiation in the way writing would be approached when considering papers with empirical research and ‘review’ articles, both of which he covers. How can we write it all while still having a life? It probably won’t teach you information you have not come across before regarding how to start writing and get writing but it is concise, clearly written and accessible. ... Subject English language > Rhetoric. “You don't need special traits, special genes, or special motivation to write a lot. This is useful as I prepare for my doctoral exams. Also new to this edition is a chapter on writing grant and fellowship proposals. It calls on authors to make writing a routine and punch in daily or period writing schedules that should not be interrupted no matter what. Welcome back. This is about approaches, attitudes and excuses. Hopefully the motivation carries on. The basic premise behind Paul Silvia’s How to Write a Lot is that the only way to getting writing done is by writing. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published And most importantly, you'll write a lot. Paper Review: Human Rights : Its Meaning and Practice in Social Work Field Settings, Paper Review: Emotional Intelligence, Emotion and Social Work : Context, Characteristics, Complications, and Contribution, ‘How to Write a Lot – A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing by Paul J Silva published by American Psychological Association, Paper Review: Ethical considerations in social work research. Reflection: On Linking Practice, Research and Writing about It. © 2008-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, and over one million other books are available for. Wow, this book was a wake-up call for me. This is an eminently practical book which has immediately led to some changes in behaviours and ways I think about writing. Maybe I'll come back here in a year or so and add something on how much it actually helped. He has taken the approach of writing in a conversational manner and the book is intended to spur writers who may not see themselves as writers to ‘get on with it’. I see the folly of my ways. Two colleagues recommended this book to me. It tells you how to write a lot (i.e., be a productive writer without sacrificing your "free time"), what different writing projects expect from you (journal articles, grants, books, etc. Silva may claim to not always have been a planner but a planner and a scheduler you need to be if you are going to write effectively and productively. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. I have often blamed my lack of finished product on an intense and persistent case of writer's block while failing to schedule writing time. This book is great! Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks, Second Edition: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success, Write It Up! Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Writing is hard work and can be difficult to wedge into a frenetic academic schedule. Also new to this edition is a chapter on writing grant and fellowship proposals. I skipped the chapter on style because that's not what I was looking for. As a doctoral student whose full time job is writing, I loved this book. Silvia keeps it funny and light, but also provides no nonsense tips/strategies for forming writing habits that work. Silvia demystifies the craft of writing and reminds us that there is no magic solution: writers simply sit their behinds down (or stand, for the conscientious who prefer standing desks) and puts words to paper—or screen. I read ‘How to Write a Lot – A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing by Paul J Silva published by American Psychological Association – I have a copy of the 1st edition (2007) which is the one I am reviewing below but I have linked to a more recent 2nd edition (2018).. Introduction . In this practical, lighthearted and encouraging book, Paul J. Silvia explains that writing productively does not require innate skills or specific traits but specific targets and actions. They’ll be all the usual ones you can think of. Fast, FREE delivery, video streaming, music, and much more. [Paul J Silvia] -- "All academics need to write, and many struggle to finish their dissertations, articles, books, or grant proposals. As he goes through the different parts of a paper and how to construct them, he includes a section on the importance of references and what the reference section means. The advice is coherent and clear. This is a well written, funny, and utterly practical hands-on guide on how to not just write more but also write better, more efficiently, and know how to submit and revise articles. I read ‘How to Write a Lot – A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing by Paul J Silva published by American Psychological Association – I have a copy of the 1st edition (2007) which is the one I am reviewing below but I have linked to a more recent 2nd edition (2018). A few days ago, I was gladly notified of the acceptance of my proposal to present at a graduate student research conference this fall. “Instead of finding time to write, allot time to write,” Silvia says. Decent prose, definitely engaging, will definitely recommend. This is a lesson which stuck to my heart as I often write with excess verbosity. Did revisions to that last journal article ruin your vacation? While it isn’t about innovative new methods, the point about writing is you just have to do it and the way to get better at it is doing more of it, so the book serves to grant permission to believe in yourself and your ability to improve by doing. The turn of phrase is evocative and provocative. Into a Job, On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Ninth Edition: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers, Advanced Writing Skills For Students of English. “We should keep our good science words exclude the bad words that emigrate from business, marketing, politics, and warfare: we don’t need verbs like ‘to incentivize’ or ‘to target’, and only window washers need adjectives like ‘transparant’.”… “Delete ‘very’, ‘quite’, ‘basically’, ‘actually’, ‘virtually’, ‘extremely’, ‘remarkably’, ‘completely’…like weeds, they’ll in fact actually smother your sentences completely.” P64-64, Wow, this book was a wake-up call for me. Buy How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing (LifeTools: Books for the General Public) 1 by Paul Silvia (ISBN: 9781591477433) from Amazon's Book Store. Persons who recognize themselves in the foregoing description might profit from reading this short, but entertaining, book. This writing guide speaks of the importance of developing writing as a habit. Two colleagues recommended this book to me. The thing that holds most writers back is that they, for whatever reason, simply don't write or don't write often enough to develop a professional skill level. This is a short and accessible book from the US Psychology Academic. Useful for anyone writing for school, university or work. The tips and strategies in this second edition have been updated to apply to academic writing in most disciplines. It can also serve as a cheerleader in the resources to give more confidence to do what you do regarding writing and to feel better about writing than not-writing. This isn’t a wonderful relevation but it is a message which can keep being knocked on the head to make sure it has a difference. Silva comes back at the reader with responses, some more helpful than others. This book has changed the way I think about the process of scientific writing and encouraged me to get back on the horse and fix my bad habits before graduate school starts. If you haven't heard of record-smashing singer and songwriter Mariah Carey, is there any hope for you? A Must Have for Dissertation/Thesis Writing, Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2019. Even though the author is in a different field (author is a PhD in psychology, my MS is occupational and environmental health) what he says applies to most scientific fields. I write and study at weekends because I work during the week but it has made me consider how much time I may be able to add to weekdays before work and how to quantify the writing I do. I'm guessing something like this was the motivation of NaNoWriMo and writing "camps". Then 450, then 815. not good words, but I am writing. I plan to give copies to my advisees. I knew my writing habits were sub par and that I had a backlog of data from summer research building up which needed to be dealt with, but I just didn't know how to go about starting it. I loved how this book was simply written, yet straight to the point. Writing is writing! Highly recommend. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Ultimately, the reason is often related to time or alternative priorities with work or life, to which the answer is, unsurprisingly, just write and allocate protected time to write. We know what it takes but we often just don't want to do it. Silvia draws from his own experience in psychology to explain how to write, submit, and revise academic work, from journal articles to books, all without sacrificing evenings, weekends, and vacations. It is just ‘not writing’ and by ‘not writing’ you have ‘writer’s block’. This book inspired me to take back control of my dissertation writing. For example, I am now editing this post at 5.45am when I usually get up for work at 6am. Style is essential but practice embeds style. Writing is hard work and can be difficult to wedge into a frenetic academic schedule. I like the simplicity of Silvia's advice, and the practical examples he gives from his own work (e.g. Use jargon when it is necessary but don’t import it in if it does not add to the understanding of the reader. Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2019. I see it as a small jaunt to how to schedule a writing plan, build a stick-to-it attitude, how to overcome the agraphia, which style should be in my writing and so on. To write well, you need to choose good words. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. Dr. Silvia is fun! I agree! My first scheduled session is in 10 minutes. How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing Paperback – Sept. 12 2018 by Paul J. Silvia (Author) 4.7 out of 5 stars 75 ratings As the name suggests, this book is a guide to “productive academic writing” – more about the quantity of written works including journal articles, theses and non-fiction books. Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2018. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Top-notch advice for academic (or even non-academic) writers. Please try again. Of course, it also serves as a means to delay actually starting writing because you are writing it but fortunately, it is a short book which does not need a lot of time to cover. ( Log Out /  —Lisa F. Smith, EdD University of Otago, Otago, New Zealand. “Prolific writers make a schedule and stick to it. It was a great companion to my Academic Writing course. Also, I created my writing blocks in my weekly schedule. If you're able to accomplish these two tasks on your own, then I'd say: (1) you really have no need for self-help books about writing, (2) you're going to be several hundred dollars richer than I am. I especially found the chapters on writing articles and the chapter on writing books to be especially helpful. I appreciate the author's humor--including the New Yorker cartoons--as well as his brevity. He reminds us, as writers to think of the meaning of the words you use, each one having a function to increase clarity. Brutally to the point - most of those individuals who do not schedule their writing do not write efficiently or well. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Caveat: I was pretty grumpy when I read this, and I have had to read more writing self-help books in the last three weeks than I have ever wanted to read. It tells you how to write a lot (i.e., be a productive writer without sacrificing your "free time"), what different writing projects expect from you. How to write a lot : a practical guide to productive academic writing. The best advice I can give with this book is to take it seriously. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. sample spreadsheets for tracking projects). Very motivating. How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. The basic premise behind Paul Silvia’s How to Write a Lot is that the only way to getting writing done is by writing. Delete very, quite, basically, actually, virtually, extremely, remarkably, completely, at all and so forth. Change ). A social worker traversing the divide between practice and research. by American Psychological Association (APA), How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. I already completed a book chapter’s edits. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. I’m also writing a blogpost instead of academic writing though, so swings and roundabouts. Rather than “write today,” set yourself the goal of “write at least 200 words today.” Then reward yourself (e.g., a snack, a coffee, etc.). It's obvious advice, but if you don't do it yet, it's worth reading the author's cheery tone for a motivational kick in the pants to get you started. Unable to add item to Wish List. Then this book might be just the thing you need... tips and tricks hold true for academics in almost any field...Silva backs up all his recommendations with evidence from behavioral studies and personal experience that is often as witty as it is insightful." Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Additionally, be specific with goals for the day. The best advice I can give with this book is to take it seriously. I was committing a lot of the specious errors pointed out in the 2nd chapter, and nothing was getting done. But that doesn't mean it's something we want to hear. We know what it takes but we often just don't want to do it. Nevertheless, this is a helpful little book because it reminded me of the various strategies to get more writing done. It might be that some writing needs more editing than other writing because of the flow that develops but it can be progress and it can be measured all the same. Previous page of related Sponsored Products, American Psychological Assoc (Sept. 12 2018), The Care and Feeding of Writing Schedules, Writing Proposals for Grants and Fellowships. A colleague / friend with whom I've been working the last year recently mentioned this little gem of a book to me as we discussed some rather disappointing peer reviews she'd received. With section headings like "Frequently Grumbled Grumblings About Writing Schedules" and oddly worded statements, like this quote, you know he enjoyed the topic and appreciates struggling writers. Let's put it like this: I read the first chapter and the next day wrote 800 words. All academics need to write, but many struggle to finish their dissertations, articles, books, or grant proposals. I finish reading it only in just one day. It wasn’t an effort to read which some texts can be. These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers. It is quite helpful for academic writers, especially for grad students. It wasn’t difficult to sail through it quickly. I am feeling extremely productive just from reading this over the last few days. This is, though a small book. I don’t think this is a weakness or a gap so much as a ‘thing to be aware of’. For a book that tells you the "secret" to writing a lot in the second chapter, it actually has a lot more to offer. I've even texted a few snapshots of pages to friends who found them useful, too. Who else has sold more than 200 million... All academics need to write, but many struggle to finish their dissertations, articles, books, or grant proposals. ), and a few key pieces of advice on style (keep it short and simple). And right now I'm writing a very short review on a book about writing a lot :) Without further ado, I'm proceeding to actually writing a lot. Woohoo! I loaned it to someone and didn't get it back. Silva makes writing – including articles and books, accessible. The key is regularity, he adds, not the amount of time spent. Start by marking “How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Focuses on non-fiction and academic writing, but I think the advice applies to whatever kind of writing you might need to do. To write well, you need to choose good words. --Edgeforscholars.org, The Culture Question: How to Create a Workplace Where People Like to Work, Workout Journal ( Diary, Notebook, Fitness), Air & Light & Time & Space: How Successful Academics Write. He likes monitoring progress by word counts or meeting specific daily goals which might work if reading is writing. This book has changed the way I think about the process of scientific writing and encouraged me to get back on the horse and fix my bad habits before graduate scho. The tips and strategies in this second edition have been updated to apply to academic writing in most disciplines. I was feeling overwhelmed with the amount of writing projects I am working on, but I now I feel like I have a system for attacking them that will still allow me to enjoy my free time. In order to navigate out of this carousel, please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. Just set a writing schedule and stick to it. I read this book in search for inspiration (read: material for procrastination) as I write my master thesis. Silva writes unapologetically as a psychologist and the book is published by the American Psychological Association (APA) so examples about journals and book are based on psychology. Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2019. In this book, the author does a good job dissecting the leading reasons recalcitrant writers never get around to writing and, after that, proposes a solution: adopt a writing schedule, stick to it, and write during the allotted time.

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