How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing / Edition 1

by Paul J. Silvia

Overview

All students and professors need to write, and many struggle to finish their stalled dissertations, journal articles, book chapters, or grant proposals. Writing is hard work and can be difficult to wedge into a frenetic academic schedule. In this practical, lighthearted, and encouraging book, Paul J. Silvia explains that writing productively does not require innate skills or special traits but specific tactics and actions. Drawing examples from his own field of psychology, he shows readers how to overcome motivational roadblocks and become prolific without sacrificing evenings, weekends, and vacations. After describing strategies for writing productively, the author gives detailed advice from the trenches on how to write, submit, revise and resubmit articles; how to improve writing quality; and how to write and publish academic work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591477433
Publisher:	American Psychological Association
Publication date:	01/15/2007
Edition description:	Older Edition
Pages:	149
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.35(d)

About the Author

Paul J. Silvia received his PhD in Psychology from the University of Kansas in 2001. He studies the psychology of emotion, particularly what makes things interesting, the role of emotions in the arts, and how emotions intersect with personality. He received the Berlyne Award, an early-career award given by American Psychological Association Division 10, for his research on aesthetic emotions. Dr. Silvia is the author of Exploring the Psychology of Interest (2006) and Self-Awareness and Causal Attribution (with T. S. Duval, 2001). In his free time, he drinks coffee; pets Lia, his Bernese mountain dog; and enjoys not writing.

Table of Contents

Preface     xi
Introduction     3
Specious Barriers to Writing a Lot     11
Motivational Tools     29
Starting Your Own Agraphia Group     49
A Brief Foray Into Style     59
Writing Journal Articles     77
Writing Books     109
"The Good Things Still to Be Written"     127
Good Books About Writing     133
References     137
Index     143
About the Author     149

Editorial Reviews

Perhaps there are graduate students or faculty members who write as much as they think they should but, if so, I haven’t met any of them in nearly 40 years being a professor. But I’ve certainly met many people who manage to write a lot, and all of them employ one or more of the tactics that Silvia describes. Henceforth, no one should be allowed to complain about how little writing they are getting done unless they have read—and applied—the wisdom in this book.

Mark R. Leary

Do you find your grant-writing intruding on time you’d rather spend with your family?  Did revisions to that last journal article ruin your vacation? Then this book might be just the thing you need… tips and tricks hold true for academics in almost any field…Silva backs up all his recommendations with evidence from behavioral studies and personal experience that is often as witty as it is insightful.” —Edgeforscholars.org

“Tips to increase your productivity and a surprisingly good section on grammar.” —Thesiswhisperer.com

“Silvia draws from his own experience in psychology to explain how to write, submit, and revise academic work, from journal articles to books, all without sacrificing evenings, weekends, and vacations. The tips and strategies in this second edition… have been fully updated to apply to academic writing in most disciplines.” —Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher

In this second edition, Silvia helps readers solve the riddle of writing. By using a mixture of science, humor, and compassion, he shows how he has helped thousands of people become productive writers. If you want to stop worrying about writing, this book is required reading.

C. Nathan DeWall

Silvia demystifies the process of writing and deftly debunks common excuses academics make for not getting it done! The message is simple but powerful: When writing becomes a workday habit, you can write a lot and find more time for life outside of work.

Monica Biernat

This is a well written, funny, and utterly practical hands-on guide on how to not just write more but also write better, more efficiently, and know how to submit and revise articles. I can’t imagine a graduate student, young professional, or anyone who struggles with writer’s block not needing this book.

James C. Kaufman

Wherever you are on the continuum from bright-eyed and bushy-tailed newbie to grizzly gray-haired veteran on the academic tour, you need to own this book. And don’t just own it; read it. Often. I recommend at least quarterly. You’ll nod. You’ll smile. You’ll fire your writing fervour if you follow Silvia’s suggestions. And most importantly, you’ll write a lot.

Lisa F. Smith