Ever thought about writing a campus novel? I often play with plots but never get around to the writing. And I get stuck on endings, just as I do when I write an academic paper! I recently dipped in…| patter
You know that feeling, right? It’s two days before your big conference presentation and you’re lying in bed at 3am, staring at the ceiling wondering if anyone will turn up. And if they do, whether you will be able to say what you want to say. Your heart’s racing, your brain won’t stop, and you’re […]| patter
I’m often asked about predatory journals. So I recently went on a hunt for something other than lists and found a 2022 report on predatory journals and conferences from the InterAcademy Partnership…| patter
A couple of times a year I write about strategies for getting going with your writing. But I’ve made a big list this time, just for a change. Fifty things to do to help yourself with your writing. Build your writing strategy repertoire! Tackle perfectionism Change your physical environment Use alt approaches Play with structure […]| patter
Most academic writers are regular readers. There is of course a strong connection between reading and writing. Reading and writing feed each other. But I’m not focused on the connection right now. No, I’m thinking about how hard we often find it to prioritise time for reading. And how maybe the reality is that most […]| patter
The most common piece of writing advice given to doctoral researchers is “write every day” or some variation thereof. This advice appears consistently across academic writing …| patter
I don’t write this blog in the same style that I write my academic papers. I guess that’s obvious. Different audiences, different purposes. Sometimes people ask me about the differences betwe…| patter
One of the most common questions I am asked, and that I hear being discussed in doctoral and ECR support groups, is whether to write with supervisors and former supervisors. Or most often, I read o…| patter