How to get started in scholarly writing, stay motivated and move toward a finished product (opinion)
Writing a Journal Article in 12 Weeks), few texts offer a play-by-play of what professors actually do when they sit down to write for publication. Instead, most advice focuses on getting the academic writer to sit down in the first place -- to schedule time to write, find a space, make a list of tasks to do when there and so forth. The underlying assumption is that writing will start flowing once you sit down. We’ve all heard variations of this advice: “Just start writing.” “Get your butt in the chair and you’ll write.” “Just write one sentence/750 words/freewrite.” But such p...