Research and publishing stand as core disciplines in the academic work. Tenure and accolades depend on them. While writing remains central in this task, many academics get carried away in teaching and service-oriented components of a professorial life, and these distract from the solitary pursuit of writing. Outside of one’s institution (and perhaps region), however, reading a scholarly product continues as the main way others interact with research. Even conference presentations rely on good rhetoric to convey meaning. Nonetheless, writing can too easily be neglected on the back burner and continually put off for another day. Joli Jensen says, “No more,” and seeks to return writing to the prime place in an academic’s career.
Much of this book addresses the psychological and life excuses that people offer to avoid writing… Think “writer’s block” only for academics. Her basic advice is simple and contained in this book’s title: Write no matter what. Even if it’s 15 minutes a day. Even if it has to be fit around family duties. Even during breaks. She seeks to build a personal architecture of habits to support that aim.
Honestly, my favorite portion of this book was the afterward, a piece of writing for the public. I work in the sciences, and the social sciences and humanities seem to be the main audience for this book. Scientific communication is a huge part of my work in scientific software, and I frequently address audiences that aren’t literate in the field of computer science. Therefore, I speak more to an audience that resembles the public than collegial experts. This afterward addresses that very situation. Jensen encourages academics not to let journalists misrepresent one’s work by writing about it personally. She coaches readers how to transform their writing, mostly geared to fellow experts in the field via a graduate school education, so that it hits the sweet spot of a lay audience.
For me in the sciences, this book does not address my interests centrally. Were I in a field that studies people, I would probably find her advice more impactful, but my interest lies in scientific communication for a broad audience. Therefore, I’m not sure I can fairly evaluate whether Jensen succeeds at her task. Her writing is engaging and personable. The book is easy to follow and relatively light. As with most of academic work, she concludes that determination, perseverance, and hard work yield the most fruit in the long run.
Write No Matter What: Advice for Academics
By Joli Jenson
Narrated by Pam Ward
Copyright (c) 2019
Tantor Audio
ASIN B07WV58M4T
Length: 6:29
Genre: Writing, Research
www.amazon.com