Efficiency with Style
Revising Your Manuscript at the Macro & Micro Levels
Fast-writing and “allowing messy drafts” is often recommended as a productivity strategy for academics. But … how do we most efficiently transform the resulting messes into coherent and powerful prose? In this interactive workshop, participants will take a “messy draft” of their choice and try out 3 macro-level revision strategies to hone overall logic and organization of the manuscript. Next, participants, working at the micro-level, will apply 3 revision tools for coherence and writing style. Participants will leave with both a sequential approach and individual tools for transforming their future drafts with efficiency. For those who don’t bring their own messy drafts, two sample messy drafts will be provided to practice strategies and apply the tools learned.
Moving from Pesky to Productive
Designing a Healthy, Sustainable Writing Habit
Darn — that pesky writing habit!” Wait, when have you heard a writer say that? While faculty are generally wanting good writing habits and research on productive faculty points to adopting such writing habits, these habits can be difficult to achieve. Meanwhile, complicating the situation further, myths about habit formation circulate. In this interactive workshop, mythology is dispelled and findings from recent psychology research are translated specifically to writing habits. Using personal insight, participants first analyze one of their own already strong habits (coffee drinking, toothbrushing, etc.). Then taking such analysis, participants plan for the formation of a new writing habit starting with a trigger, growing from a micro-habit, and being reinforced by rewards, including social reinforcement and tracking. Then to prevent pitfalls, participants discuss and prepare for what may derail their newly designed habits. Participants will leave with self-insight, energy and tools for remaking their writing habits.
Project Management for Writing
Gaining Power in the Process
It’s 3 AM. Are you waking up to worry about a forgotten deadline to one of your grants or writing projects? Or perhaps, you exhibit such chronic optimism about your ability to get writing done, that your calendar has begun to resemble a “wish list” instead of an accurate plan? And then, of course, … managing collaborators … despite seemingly endless meetings, you find yourself chasing them down to get their contributions. If these descriptions sound like your current status quo, consider: Would you prefer to have a planning approach that moves you to a state of better focus, clarity and calmness? If yes, then join for an overview of applying project management principles to one’s academic writing life.
Getting Unstuck – How to Restart When your Writing Stalls
Making your Projects Flow with Kanban Flow
Feedback – Foe or Friend?
Previous Workshop Venues Include...
- University of Alabama
- Texas A&M University
- Texas Women’s University
- Sam Houston State University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Portland State University
- Text Book and Academic Author’s Annual Conference