Back in My Chair, Writing

After over a month of travel, nothing feels better than to be back home, back in my favorite chair.  Its an overstuffed, burned orange leather chair that I have moved with me from Nebraska, to Charlotte, and now to our forever home, Tacoma. It is my special place in what I hope is the last home I ever live in. It is more than a piece of furniture; it is symbol and embodiment of so much that I love. My time alone writing, my family close by, a career that I usually love, but am always bewildered by. My dog in my lap, the memories of my dogs no longer with me.

In this chair, I write and laugh, I write and think, I write and cry. 

For ten years in this chair, I have dreamed of possibilities through writing; I have lived a life through writing. I have had success and failures, projects come to fruition, and those that have wilted on the vine. I have had friends die, and have made new friends, and have moved from being a young man to being  a very middle aged man.

And through it all, a constant, this chair, my fingers moving across the keys, the mystery of the word.

Its All About the Story

In the past I have contended that even the most quantitative, traditional scholarly articles are "all about the story." Having been studying creative nonfiction (aka, narrative nonfiction, literary nonfiction, or even call it "Fred" if you wish) intensively during my sabbatical, my belief in the importance of story has been strengthened.

In fact, there is a wonderful video that describes a project that matched scientists and nonfiction writers to help them create more powerful works together.  Watch this inspirational and thought- provoking video by Lee Gutkind, who has been referred to as the "godfather of creative nonfiction. 

Thinking of our work in terms of stories is not, however, only for when we write for lay audiences. Thinking of our work in terms of narratives allows us to consider writing our work in ways that are evocative and moving, or at least does not induce sleep. I will explore this notion more in a subsequent post but for now, watch the video and think of how it may apply to your work. 

Who knows, perhaps you will also think about writing for other discourse communities (fancy professorial talk for "audience") as well. As long as we take care of our "T an P writing needs," writing for the public is some of the best service we can do.

An Old School, but Great Book

Too often, I think some (not all) new scholars discount writing resources that were written BW (Before the Web). It is true, some of the tools that we have available to us make some suggestions passe at best, and obsolete at worst.  For give us-some of us fossils even completed some of our university education on typewriters; can you imagine. Each day, having to ride my pet brontosaurus back to my dorm and write my papers "old school."

Yet, the "bones" of many books on writing written in days of yor' are still excellent. Perhaps none better than "Writing for Social Scientists" by Howard Becker. I really don't want to even dissect many of its great insights, but instead implore you to find a copy and read it.

Of course, you can skim some of the material that seems dated, but even in his discussion of using index cards for research is based on wisdom that I think we all can learn from. Sometimes using old world tools is one of the best ways to solve new world problems (says the guy who still likes to go to libraries and believes in journal books made of, dog (intentional use) forbid, of paper!!).

Challenge:The Policy Implications of_________

Using the prompt, "The Policy Implications of_________", fill in the blank with important aspects of your work. Try to write ten without thinking. Put them aside for a few hours.

When you come back to them, see if any of them resonate with you. Might you be able to write one as an article? Might it be a fun departure from what you have been doing? See if you can find a journal for it. Now, use what you have been learning, and begin!!!

Your Favorite Resource?

As  I recover from my jet lag, I will rely on some of you, my wonderful readers, to chime and and tell us your favorite writing resources. Discuss books, people, websites, or what/whoever? \

Please do post under comments- we need to make this a wee bit more interactive anyhow!

Don't Write!

You heard me. After two years of proselytizing the virtues of daily writing, here is a challenge for you. The next time you have written for a week or two every day (hopefully today qualifies as a potential start date!) I want you to not write for one day. That's right, don't write!

Open your article, or print it out, and just read it. I want you to feel the desire to write, I want you to see a few places, or at least one place, where you could write, where you want to write. Feel that urge. Let the desire to to write wash over you. Feel it in your body; notice your thoughts. Then, don't write. Allow yourself to be bothered throughout the day, think about wanting to work on the your article, wanting to write.

The next day, get back to it.  Write. Again, feel the desire to write, let it pour onto the page.

What happened for you?

Another Piece of Bad Advice

Last week, I explored some advice from a book that caused me great pause. This week, I read another concerning suggestion from another book; given that it is so general I do not need to "out" the author, who suggested that a lack of time is the biggest barrier to writing productivity.

This is untrue for nearly all of us. It is how we use our time that inhibits our productivity. If all you really need is a half an hour a day to be fairly productive (and experience has shown me that many scholars publish a good deal of work in a half an hour a day, writing on most days),  than is a lack of time really the issue?

Text messaging. Surfing the web. Television. Emails.  Is there not a half hour that can be carved out just from these activities?

Also, at times it is not only our use of time, but our privileging certain tasks over others. Emails first? Not wise. Teaching preparations first? Sometimes, but should writing not get equal airtime during your best, most productive times of the day, especially since writing often makes us better teachers?

Believing that time is the biggest problem will stop you from looking at your own processes, your own blocks, and your own current operating procedures. You have developed a set of skills, tools and habits, some of which facilitate productivity, and others that inhibit it. Make time your problem, and you will avoid the real and honest soul searching that is needed to improve your productivity.