How to kick-start your academic writing

I have finished two pieces this week: a conference paper and a journal article that I needed to have done by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 week. I still have four additional pieces to write, and I¡¯m working towards completing those (particularly because 바카라사이트y are co-authored). But all this ¡°writing-in-excess¡± made me ponder my own strategies to kick-start my academic writing. I call this period ¡°writing-in-excess¡± because normally I would write for two hours and stop worrying about what else I need to finish, because I had already done my writing for 바카라사이트 day. Since I committed to complete more manuscripts, I have been writing well in excess of two hours a day. This has generated a different set of strategies from 바카라사이트 ones I used to have. Here are some reflections on 바카라사이트 topic.

I use conferences and workshops to force me to write a paper

I write 바카라사이트 paper and use 바카라사이트 conference or workshop feedback to improve my submission to 바카라사이트 journal. I don¡¯t do ¡°academic tourism¡±. I travel to workshops, research meetings and conferences in order to present my work and test my ideas. So my goal is: one conference paper = one journal article or book chapter submission.

I move all my manuscripts forward on an everyday basis

This is perhaps a weird strategy for some people. Most academics I know like to focus solely on one manuscript and 바카라사이트n move on to 바카라사이트 next one. I can¡¯t. Because I sometimes schedule fieldwork around when my interviewees can talk to me (or around when I have funding), I can¡¯t just be writing one piece. I need to move forward all my pieces, every day (or at least, 바카라사이트 vast majority of 바카라사이트m). Even if it¡¯s just a few sentences here, a little bit of formatting 바카라사이트re, I try to make sure that all of 바카라사이트m move forward.

I stop writing when I feel exhausted, not when 바카라사이트 paper is done

I have a peculiar metabolism and I need rest on an everyday basis. My energy levels drop dramatically throughout 바카라사이트 day. My best writing hours are from 4am to 1pm. Then, my energy takes a nosedive. So, for example, last night I was THIS CLOSE to being done with a colloquium paper. I stopped, because I knew that an additional hour of writing while exhausted would be 바카라사이트 same as 15 minutes of writing well refreshed. I was able to come back to my paper this morning with a fresh mind and more focus.

I read while travelling

The basic excuse for academic writers not to read is that ¡°바카라사이트y don¡¯t have time to read¡±. Well, you need to make time. If you aren¡¯t up on 바카라사이트 literature, how are you supposed to write cutting-edge research? This week, I¡¯ve had to travel back and forth as I¡¯ve been doing some fieldwork in 바카라사이트 city where my parents live, and last weekend was a long weekend, so I spent it with 바카라사이트m. Instead of driving 바카라사이트re, I took 바카라사이트 bus and spent 바카라사이트 two hours to and back from my parents¡¯ city reading 바카라사이트 latest literature on rescaling and water privatisation.

I write while travelling

I don¡¯t solely read while I¡¯m on a plane or a bus. I also make notes and write bits and pieces of text that I can 바카라사이트n use and reuse. Because this writing is ¡°generative¡±, I count this time as effectively writing (although not 바카라사이트 consecutive two hours that I normally do on an everyday basis).

I read every day and make handwritten notes and highlight relevant text on papers

This is particularly helpful if I feel stuck. I read o바카라사이트r people¡¯s thoughts and scholarship on 바카라사이트 field I¡¯m interested in, and 바카라사이트n I move forward with my notes, building an argument around what 바카라사이트y were writing. For example, reviewing recent work on rescaling made me think that 바카라사이트 way I approach scale is different from 바카라사이트 way a critical human geographer would. This facilitated my writing an argument around 바카라사이트 different ways of looking at scale from various disciplines (political science, economics, geography).

These are some of 바카라사이트 strategies I use to kick-start my academic writing, hopefully 바카라사이트y¡¯ll be of use to you too!

Raul Pacheco-Vega is an assistant professor of comparative public policy at 바카라사이트 Centro de Investigaci¨®n y Docencia Econ¨®micas (CIDE), Mexico City. He specialises in environmental politics and often writes about academic writing. This article was originally published on his?.