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Part of building writing habits involves finding time to stop and reflect on where we are in our writing and where we want to be.

One way to reflect is to find your writing base. Take a few minutes this week to complete the activity below. Once you find your writing base, reflect on where you want to be and how you can get there. Many of the Weekly Bits of Wonderful Writing Wisdom strategies can help you get to where you want to be as a writer. If you need more or something specific, let me know.

Bit #24: Finding Your Writing Base

The amazing Helen Sword created an activity to “Ramp up your productivity, strut your style, expand your social networks, and develop new pleasure in writing” called The Writing Base (click on the book photo to learn more). “The Writing BASE provides diagnostic advice for writers who want to broaden and deepen the behavioral, artisanal, social, and emotional dimensions of their writing practice.” This activity is explained further in Sword’s book and on her Writing Base website.

So, get out a piece of paper and get ready to reveal Your Writing Base.

1. Draw an x and y-axis on a piece of paper.

2. Label your axis with the words behavioral, artisanal, social, and emotional. These four areas constitute a strong writing habit, so we should always be working to enhance these areas.

3. Choose one current writing project.
4. Put a dot on each axis of how you currently feel based on the current writing project (see below).  
   1. Behavioral – How would you rate your writing behaviors on your current project (e.g., writing productivity)? Strong (close to arrow)? Need refining (close to midpoint)?
   2. Artisanal – How would you rate your artistry/confidence as a writer on your chosen project? Strong (close to the arrow)? Not as strong as you would like (relative to the midpoint)?
   3. Social – How social is your current writing practice? Pretty isolated (close to midpoint)? Are you involved in writing groups/have an accountability partner (toward the arrow)?
   4. Emotional – What are the primary emotions you associate with academic writing? Positive (toward the arrow)? Negative (toward the midpoint)?

5. Connect the dots.

6. Your result will probably not be as symmetrical as this example, but it does not have to be.  
7. Looking at your result, determine one area (artisanal, social, emotional, or behavioral) you would like to enhance.
8. Visit Helen Sword’s website to enter your results and determine what your “shape” means and ways to enhance your writing based on your results.
   1. https://writersdiet.com/base/base/
   2. Adopt strategies into your daily writing habits to enhance the area you chose. Be careful not to allow one area to suffer while you are working to enhance a different area (i.e., add to/modify your current base, do not take anything away that is working).

I hope you find this exercise helpful and one that will guide you as you continue to build your writing habits.

Bit #40 – Editing Tips

This week, we will once again take advice from Dr. Pat Goodson (click book picture below for more information).

  

1. Word Placement

“When words aren’t near the words they go with, they go with the words they’re near” (Cook, 1985, p. 18). 

The way we position words in a sentence impacts their relationship and meaning. Confusion and ambiguity often result when words are poorly placed (Strunk & White, 2008). So, how do we make sure we place our words where they belong? Try this technique.

• Set your timer for 10 minutes (repeat as many times as needed).
• Highlight all of the nouns in your text (sentence by sentence).
• Examine the words that are close to each noun. Are the modifiers near the noun or in a completely different part of the sentence? (A modifier is a word, especially an adjective, that restricts or adds to the sense of a head noun (e.g., good and family in a good family house)).
• Move words around to fix your word placement problem as needed (i.e., put the modifiers by the nouns they modify).
• Repeat this activity for verbs and adverbs.

2. Read Aloud

While reading what we write aloud is often uncomfortable, it is worth it. Reading your work out loud can be hugely eye-opening. This process helps you find errors in your own writing (e.g., long-winded, repetition, interruptions, deletions, etc.) and helps you notice how comfortable your language is as writing becomes clearer and more inviting when the language is comfortable to speak aloud (Elbow, 2010).

• Set your timer for 10-15 minutes.
• Print a copy of your text (printing is necessary because it changes the look of your text, so you are more likely to recognize errors).
• Read your text aloud, s-l-o-w-l-y, as if you are reading it for the first time, and make changes as you notice them (either stop at the moment and fix each error or make a mark/comment so you can go back and fix them all later).
• Then, have someone else complete the exercise with you (see #5 and #6).
• If you have a writing partner, do this activity with them and have your partner read your work to you. They will always catch more errors than you will.
• If you do not have a writing partner (you should get one), have your computer read your text to you. All computers can be configured to read aloud. Look in the set-up menu for the features to assist users with visual disabilities (or Google how to do it). The computer will not be as effective as it does not read with intonation or inflection, but you will still note areas that need work.
• Repeat as needed

Have fun editing! 🙂

Bit #23 – Editing #3

Today’s editing strategies come from Dr. Pat Goodson. Her book “Becoming an Academic Writer” is a game-changer (click on the book to learn more). 🙂 

Below are three more editing strategies to try. Each of these strategies can be done in whatever time you have available. Only have 10 minutes? Set your timer for 10 minutes and try one of these exercises.

1. Create tight paragraphs

A paragraph completes three functions in this order; 1. Transition, 2. One Key Idea, 3. Development of that idea. This tested-and-tried formula will simplify your work and increase clarity and conciseness in your writing. Pick a paragraph, highlight the transition, underline the key idea (your transition may include your main idea), and italicize the remaining sentences. Ask yourself:

1. Do I have a transition?
2. Does my transition connect this paragraph’s key idea to the above paragraph?
3. Do I have more than one key idea in my paragraph?
   1. If so, make a new paragraph for each key idea.
4. Do the remainder of my sentences support my key idea?
   1. If not, move those sentences to where they belong.

2. Use a reverse dictionary

A reverse dictionary allows you to search for a phrase or meaning and find the perfect word. An excellent reverse dictionary to try is Onelook (https://www.onelook.com/reverse-dictionary.shtml).

3. Cut in half

We sometimes find ourselves producing too much text and needing to cut down or faced with cluttered text. To cut down or declutter your text, follow the steps below.

1. Round 1 – Go over your text and delete one word from every sentence.
2. Round 2 – Review your text and delete one sentence from every paragraph.
3. Round 3 – Review your text and delete one paragraph from every section.
4. Round 4 – Go over your text and delete one section from the entire piece (if you can).

You can repeat these rounds as often as necessary to achieve your desired word count or declutter your writing.

Try some of these techniques, and let me know what you think. You will be amazed at how your writing will transform.

Continuing in our editing theme…

Bit #22 – Editing Continued

Here are some additional editing tips to try.

1. Put your almost final draft through rounds of editing.

Editing is most difficult when we do not know what we are looking for when editing our work.  A great place to start is by conducting editing rounds to look at specific words and phrases that can be changed or omitted to strengthen our writing. 

You can edit at the sentence and paragraph level. 

For a checklist of editing rounds and step-by-step instructions for editing, see this PowerPoint: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1mrLxBx60hSKWYdBU5hwcTk-dbF6YBg_zxrE5BSqXSUI/edit?usp=sharing

2. Search and destroy filler words.

Filler words are often overused and add more confusion and noise than clarity to our writing.  Search for the filler words and phrases below and try to remove as many as possible.

Filler Words:

among, amongst, it, that, this, throughout, whether or not, which, within, of

Filler Phrases:

of the, to the, on the, in the, at the, there is, there are, there were,  a brief discussion, at this point in time, end result, final conclusions, final outcome, first and foremost, for the purpose of

Be Verbs:

am, is, are, was, were, be, been, will be

Try these two editing tips and let me know how your writing is transformed transforms. 🙂

Bit #21 – Editing

We have discussed the importance of separating your generating from your editing.  Trying to do both tasks at the same time is not successful.

We often do not know what to do when we edit, so we default to trying to write a perfect sentence before moving on to the next.  Do not fall into this trap.  Get your words down on paper (generate), and then worry about making your words pretty (editing).  You will write more, and your writing will flow better because you are not stopping your thought process to edit.

Once you get your words down, here are some editing strategies to try.

1. Start sentences with the subject 

The subject of your sentence is what is most important.  If your audience does not understand your subject, they will not understand your message.  Start your sentences with your subject to increase clarity and show us what we need to know from the start.  Compare the following sentences:

As I have previously argued, it was not until after the last batch of votes was counted that the Senator was able to declare victory.

vs.

The Senator declared victory after the last batch of votes was counted.

The first sentence does not tell us what is important until the end.  We have to wade through the information to figure out what the author is trying to say to us.  The second sentence is clear and to the point.

2. Go on an adjective hunt

Go through a section of your writing and search for every time you have used an adjective to describe data.  Usually, these adjectives will include words like many, diverse, and extensive.  Try to replace each adjective by:

• a number
• date
• name
• approximation

These replacements will help clarify your points for your reader.

Happy Editing!

Bit #20 – Renovate Your Most Difficult Writing Space, Your Mind

When was the last time you renovated your writing space?  I am not talking about where you physically write, but the writing space inside your head.

When you think of yourself as a writer, what thoughts come to mind?  Are they positive?  Negative?  Indifferent?

When you sit down to write, what emotions do you bring with you?  Are there any distractions that interfere with your writing?

If you do not already, it is time to start thinking of yourself as a writer.  Writing is THE most important tool for success in academia.  Academics write you for a living.  YOU write for a living!  YOU are a professional writer!  Be proud of that!  Shout it out.  

Remember that writing is a skill, not a talent, and even the best writers are constantly working to improve their craft.  Find ways to enhance your craft today.  Reading this email is one step.

Another step is to make sure the writing space in your mind is flourishing. A healthy writing space follows the five aspects below.  Find time to engage in writing professional development in one of these five areas.  Pick an area today and start to enhance the thoughts you have about yourself as a writer.

1. Socially balanced – Writing is both an isolated and social endeavor.  Are you balanced right now?  Do you engage with people while you write (e.g., writing groups, accountability partners, etc.) and give yourself time to write independently?
2. Physically engaging – Are both your body and mind engaged while you write?
3. Aesthetically nourishing – What can you add to your writing habits that infuse color, beauty, and style?
4. Creatively challenging – Writing is challenging, but do you feel challenged in a healthy way?  Not anxious or frustrated…
5. Emotionally fulfilling – Do you find joy in your writing?  Do you celebrate your writing success (both large and small)?

If you need ideas for strengthening any of these areas, let me know.

Bit #19 – Writing a Good Abstract

What characteristics of scholarly work make you enjoy reading them?  Do you like an article because it is engaging, clearly articulated, concise, supportive?  We often think about what makes an article well written, but how often do we reflect on the value of an abstract?

If you are like me, you might often put writing the abstract off until the very end (or rush through it when submitting one for a conference), paying little attention to how engaging, clear, concise, or just good the abstract is.  Paul Silvia (writing extraordinaire) says, “Most people who come across your article will see only the title and abstract, so make them good” (2007, p. 81).  

So, how do you write a good abstract?

In her book Stylish Academic Writing, Helen Sword (my writing hero/academic crush) says, The purpose of a scholarly abstract is not merely to summarize an article’s content but to persuade one’s discipline-based peers that the research is important, and the article is, therefore, worth reading.”

To write a good abstract, I recommend the following strategies:

1. Reverse Outlining (the Top-Down Approach)
2. The 5 Rhetorical Moves
3. The 6 Question Approach 

See the attached PowerPoint (with collaborative advice from myself and Dr. Erin McTique, the Positive Academic) to learn about each approach.  

Next time you need to write an abstract, give one of these strategies a try and let me know how it goes. 🙂

Bit #18 – Finding the Right Journal

After you get the words on paper and make them look good, you now must figure out where to send your work.  There is also value in finding a journal before you begin writing so that you can tailor your article to a specific journal from the start (e.g., length, citation format, etc.).

Finding the right journal to publish your amazing articles is not always easy.  Luckily, there are resources to help. 

Play with the resources below and see what you think. 🙂

https://jane.biosemantics.org/

www.scimagojr.com/journalrank.php 

Bit #17 – Work in Progress

If you search “getting through” in Google, you will find multiple inspirational quotes linked to perseverance.  I love these quotes and could include numerous in this post because they apply to navigating life and to writing specifically.

As you take inventory of your productivity today, remember that valuable work is work in progress.  No matter where you are, ask yourself, “What can I do where I am?”

Specifically, note the loaded potency behind each word in that question.

What can I do where I am?

What can I do where I am?

What can I do where I am?

What can I do where I am?

What can I do where I am?

As you think about where you are and where you want to be this week, start small.  What can you do where you are?

Bit #16 – Manchester Academic Phrasebank (https://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/)

You are not alone if you have ever struggled to find the right words while writing. Academic writing follows a consistent structure of sorts, but the wording can sometimes be unnecessarily complicated.  

To combat this struggle, Dr. John Morley from The University of Manchester created a bank of “some of the phraseological ‘nuts and bolts’ of writing organised according to main sections of a research paper or dissertation.” This resource gives you wording for introducing work, referring to sources, describing methods, reporting results, discussing findings, and writing conclusions. As well as some general language functions (e.g., being cautious, being critical, defining terms, explaining causality, etc.).  

Example:

Spend some time perusing this resource and see how your writing transforms.