Talk at School of Art, Fashion and Design Writing Retreat.

1. CONTENTS
1. Why do research?
2. Why write?
3. Writing landscape
4. Good academic writing
5. Keep is simple
6. Stylish destinations
7. What gets in the way?
8. Delays
@tansyjtweets
THE BAREFOOT GUIDE to
Writing for Publication

2. Private dimensions
Voyage of discovery
It’s about learning
The challenge
The excitement
The satisfaction
Fame and fortune
Public dimensions
It’s about collaboration
Joining a community
Sharing the learning
Publishing
Contributing to knowledge
Because we ask students to..
Because we have to…
Why do research?

3. Five reasons to get writing:
• It is what we do.
• Thinking happens when we write.
• It vivifies our teaching; it makes it cutting
edge.
• It enables us to share our discoveries.
• ‘Mastery’ comes out of the furnace of writing.
Why write?

4. It’s a journey

5. It’s a discipline

6. Writing is learnt

7. Academic writing can be exhilarating, or quietly
pleasurable, or plain hard work. In common with
our students, it is something we – academics –
must do, usually alone. Sometimes we may feel
ourselves resisting the imperative to write; at
other times we may experience the frustration of
planning to write yet never quite getting there. So
much seems to come between us and our writing.
(Grant 2006, 483)
The writing landscape

8. • What words or phrases spring to mind?
• What is good academic writing?
• How do you know it when you see it?
The views: what good academic writing
looks like

9. Impressing other academics with your erudition
OR
Communicating?
Writing for your mum

10. Communicate Concreteness
Craft Choice
Creative Courage
Stylish Academic Writing: Helen Sword

11. 1. TITLE: Does the book or article have an interesting, concrete title?
2. OPENING: Engaging opening paragraph?
3. STORY: Does the book or article tell a story?
4. JARGON: Is the book or article relatively jargon-free?
5. VOICE: Does the author write with an individualistic voice?
6. INTERDISCIPLINARITY: Evidence of scholarly relationships outside
the author’s own field?
7. EXAMPLES: Concrete examples, illustration, anecdotes,
metaphors?
8. ELEGANCE AND CRAFT: Sentences carefully and elegantly crafted?
9. VERBAL FITNESS: Clear sentences that favour active verbs &
concrete nouns
10. CREATIVITY, ENGAGEMENT, HUMOUR: Conveys creativity,
imagination, originality; passion, commitment, personal
engagement; a sense of humour?
‘Best dressed’ list (Helen Sword)

12. What gets in the way of academic writing?
Overcoming obstacles

13. or
Binge or daily grind…

14. • Carve out time to write small chunks regularly
• Write for 20 minutes before you open your emails
• Spontaneous writing - loosen your muscles
• Have binge days too!
• Suspend perfectionist tendencies
• Good writing is difficult – accept this proposition
• Watch out for writing rituals
• Join a trusty and accountable community
Overcoming delays

15. Becker, H. (2007) Writing for Social Scientists. Chicago. University of Chicago Press.
Boice, R. (1990) Professors as Writers: A self-help guide to productive writing.
Oklahoma. New Forum.
Grant, B. (2006) Writing in the company of other women: exceeding the boundaries,
Studies in Higher Education, 31:4, 483-495.
Jessop and Penny (1999) A story behind a story: Developing strategies for making
sense of teacher narratives. International Journal of Social Research Methodology.
2:3. 213-230.
Richardson, L. (1990) Writing Strategies: reaching diverse audiences. Thousand Oaks.
California. Sage.
Helen Sword (2013) Stylish Academic Writing. Cambridge. MA. Harvard University
Press.
Helen Sword (2013) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQsRvAVSVeM
Sword, H. (2009) Writing higher education differently: a manifesto on style, Studies
in Higher Education, 34:3, 319-336.
References