Video 3 - The Writing Process

Tips for how to discover your own writing process

  • Underlying assumption: be prepared to write and re-write; “The hard work is in revising.”
  • Get your ideas on paper and then be prepared to revise.
    • Identify an article you find compelling- what did you like about it and how can you use the same techniques in your own article?
  • Find the best time to write:
    • Develop a writing routine (20 minutes per day for 4-5 days per week and then scale up to an hour each day)
    • Writing time can involve any portion of the writing process (researching, reading, summarizing, writing, revising)
  • When to get feedback:
    • Identify a reviewer with expertise in the field you are writing about and someone who will give you honest feedback.
  • How to schedule and be successful at revision:
    • Know the submission date and then use backward planning to schedule in plenty of time for significant revision (1-2 months).
    • Don’t revise everything at once, but re-examine your work.
    • Things to think about as you review each section:
      • How is it organized?
      • Is there flow?
      • How are the transitions? Do the subheadings match the content/paragraphs?
      • Are all of the citations & references included?
      • Is anything redundant or repeated?
    • Other questions to ask yourself for deeper analysis of your manuscript:
      • What might be new here?
      • What is veiled here?
      • What can I expose here?
    • Use different color fonts during the revision process to indicate what is in process and what is finalized.
    • Maintain discipline and accountability

Writing Resources