I am currently working on three book projects with three different teams, and that has led me to think carefully … More
Tag: academic writing
A thesis has shape as a tree has shape: Imperial Gardens, legitimacy and editing
This is a reflection on the form of a writing genre and what that means. I started thinking about it … More
An early draft is a fragile flower
By the time your academic writing is ready to be published, it’s a tough nut, a rose hip, a thick-skinned … More
Who is this article for? Finding your audience.
For every article (or book chapter), you need to understand who you are writing for to write a strong abstract, … More
How many drafts should you write?
There are no right answers here, but the true answer to the question ‘how many drafts should I expect to … More
Writing a PhD in your second language: 7 reasons you’re doing great and 5 ways to do even better
Students who don’t speak English as their first language are often very worried about writing an 80-100,000 word thesis. And … More
Moving beyond ‘binge’ vs ‘snack’ writing
‘Binge writing’ is a common term, which I see used globally by people talking about why it’s better to write a small amount every day. But we need a more inclusive way to talk about intense and fulfilling writing time.
Escape from the Perfect Sentence Vortex of Doom: Second Edition
In 2013, I wrote one of my most significant early posts on this blog, The Perfect Sentence Vortex and How … More
Generative Writing and #shutupandwrite: Second Edition
Of all the posts I wrote for this blog in the early days, ‘Generative Writing and #shutupandwrite‘ has dated the … More
How to position your argument using a fish skeleton!
I’ve addressed some of these questions before, particularly in Building your thesis on the corpses of your enemies and in my … More
