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Accelerating impact by decelerating output
In academia’s ‘publish or perish’ culture, quality often suffers for quantity. This post advocates for slow scholarship, emphasising how prioritising quality over quantity in academic publishing can lead to more impactful research and greater personal satisfaction. Learn practical strategies to integrate this approach into your daily academic practice for meaningful contributions to your field.
Classic style: A cure for stale academic writing
Good writing prioritises clear presentation of ideas with a focus on structure, logic, and function, akin to architecture rather than decoration. Classic style, which advocates simplicity, truth, and conversation-like diction, is recommended for its clarity and authority. Overly complex academic writing should be avoided in favor of minimalism and functionality to effectively convey research and…
Email-free mornings: The simplest productivity tip you’ll ever see
Stop letting your inbox dictate the outcomes of your day by aiming for at least 2 hours of email-free mornings.
Writing to understand
Writing is the process by which you realize that you do not understand what you are talking about. Importantly, writing is also the process by which you figure it out. Farnam Street. Why Write?
Generative AI and writing first drafts
Generative AI can can help get you started on your first drafts in a few seconds by putting words around your ideas.
Increase your writing output with distraction free text editors
Regular short bursts of writing with distraction free text editors will add up over time more than more sporadic long sessions.
Giving early drafts substance with plain text
The early drafts of any piece of writing aren’t meant to ‘be good’. They’re about giving early drafts substance.
Using Obsidian for academic writing
In this video I explain how I use Obsidian to support and enhance my process of academic writing and creative idea generation.
Writing regularly changes what you pay attention to
I often find my attention being hijacked by whatever happens to show up in my feed. And in the moment, that content may very well be interesting. The problem is that so much information can be interesting while still having relatively little value. When I’ve set aside 1-2 hours of writing time every day, my attention…
Write so that you can’t be misunderstood
If you’re like me, you probably spend a lot of your writing time trying to persuade; trying to convince the reader of some point or another. You’re intent on making sure the reader understands you. And this is fine. However, when you’re done writing to be understood, you could try editing your work with the…
You must read a lot, and write a lot
Read extensively and write regularly to become a better academic writer. Consuming diverse content builds skills, while consistent practice makes the writing process more intuitive. Developing these habits can help you produce high-quality work more efficiently and with less stress.