Author: Sarah Lang
The last post offered some advice on better understanding academic CVs. Now I’d like to highlight one critical mistake I’ve made in the past and recently observed in others: handing someone a reason not to fund you. I will discuss the general conundrum and why it happens more often than…
Back to Applications in Academia 101 [A Survival Guide, Part 5]: How Academic CVs are different
As you may remember, I did a blog post series about applications in academia roughly one and a half years ago. Now, with stipend committee duties back on my plate, I’ve realized there are a few things I forgot to explain last time. Looking back at the series, I still…
Revising your draft into a publishable journal article in 12 weeks [Book Review]
Another very useful book about academic writing that I want to discuss with you is Wendy Laura Belcher’s Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success (Second Edition, University of Chicago Press, 2009/2019). This book is a practical workbook and has gone through many iterations,…
Does writer’s block exist in academic writing?
We have been talking about academic writing quite a bit recently, so I wanted to discuss another obvious question: Does writer’s block exist in academia? Academic writing isn’t like fiction writing (in my opinion) A common misconception, in my opinion, is that people often mix up academic writing and fiction…
Writing advice for PhD students. Part 4
This is the final part of a mini series on writing advice for PhD students. The tips here aren’t all directly related but mostly, they are about timing. In part 1 I shared some random tips and book recommendations. In part 2, I explained the different stages of academic writing…
Writing advice for PhD students. Part 3
In this series of blog posts (part 1 and part 2), I summarize what writing advice I would recommend my younger self. Although I’m not fully sure nobody ever told me this stuff but I just didn’t listen. Anyway, maybe somewhere in this series is some advice that speaks to…
Writing advice for PhD students. Part 3
In this series of blog posts (part 1 and part 2), I summarize what writing advice I would recommend my younger self. Although I’m not fully sure nobody ever told me this stuff but I just didn’t listen. Anyway, maybe somewhere in this series is some advice that speaks to…
How to write a lot [Book Review]
Here’s my review of Paul J. Silvia, How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing (APA LifeTools). I loved it so much that I listened to the audiobook three times in a row. In short: read it, I loved it Overall, I have to say, this…
What reviewing books taught me about how to procrastinate less
Here are the key takeaways from various authors on overcoming procrastination that I talked about in earlier posts or book reviews: From Steven Pressfield (“Turning Pro” & “The War of Art”): Procrastination is a form of stress relief and can be like addiction, characterized by passive, easy, and guilt-inducing behaviors.…
Revolutionary thought for the summer break: You work best when well-rested
Brace yourselves, I have something revolutionary to say. You work the best when well-rested. When you’re well-rested, you’re not constantly running on a low battery and about to crash; you have enough energy to keep going. In that battery-always-almost-empty state, you’re irritable, make bad decisions, procrastinate more, do things that,…
How to stop procrastinating on academic writing (it may be simpler than you think)
I spent the weekend meditating at a silent retreat and had a big insight during a work meditation session (where you attempt to do household chores with awareness) that I wanted to share with you because I think it’s relevant to many of us struggling with procrastination and the fear…
Endings are hard: How to write a strong conclusion [Book Review]
Nobody knows how to write good conclusions. So for the second post in my recap of Joshua Schimmel’s Writing Science (part 1), I will unpack how to write a strong conclusion—according to Schimmel anyway and adding a few experiences of mine. But honestly, trust him, not me. I don’t know…
What I learned about Writing Science [Book Review]
At a recent professional development workshop, I was recommended Writing Science by Joshua Schimmel (Oxford University Press: Oxford 2011). I learned so much! Initially, I didn’t expect much because it’s for scientists and not the Humanities – but it was extremely helpful nonetheless. Thus, I decided to make notes of…
How to energise and condense your writing [Book Review]
In this post, you will learn how to energise and condense your writing according to Joshua Schimmel’s Writing Science. His advice really isn’t secret or particularly mind-blowing but I’m making all those mistakes on a regularl basis. Sometimes it’s good to have the rules spelled out. To energise your writing,…
Why I’m disappointed by Slow Productivity [Book Review]
I was disappointed by Cal Newport’s latest book Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment without Burnout (2024). In this blog post, I will share my takeaways from this book, why I was disappointed and why you may or may not be, too. This book review is quite long and…
[Book Review] A world without email
Today, I want to give a brief reivew of Cal Newport, A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload (Penguin 2021, see also the author’s website). The summary situates the work as follows: Modern knowledge workers communicate constantly. Their days are defined by a relentless barrage…