27 June 2016 by Kristen Moore<\/p>\n

A few years back, Meredith Johnson and I started an academic girl gang [AGG]. Our motto was Aut Vince Aut Mori: To conquer or die. The premise was that we would write 15 minutes a day–she reported that she had gotten tenure on 15 minutes of writing a day, and I could too. Since then, I\u2019ve been more or less successful writing nearly everyday. Thanks, Mer. #mentoringmatters <\/span><\/p>\n

Since then, I\u2019ve been teaching a lot of grad classes, wherein–as per usual–we give the advice that we should write every day and write in small increments, but we don\u2019t give strategies. Sarah Tracy\u2019s amazing book <\/span>Qualitative Research Methods <\/span><\/i>[highly recommend, y\u2019all], tells students<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
• Not to buy into writer\u2019s block;<\/span><\/li>\n
• To write in shorter increments;<\/span><\/li>\n
• To not reward windfall or binge writing with days off;<\/span><\/li>\n
• To write nearly every day;<\/span><\/li>\n
• To set goals.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  But even as many of us give and take this advice, we often fail to operationalize it. That is, most of the talk we do about writing is about \u201carticles,\u201d or \u201cproposals\u201d or \u201cpapers,\u201d big genres that don\u2019t actually help students see how we write in short bursts, for 15+ minutes everyday. What can you do in that short period of time? How can you wrangle your writing? How can you discipline yourself to write?<\/span><\/p>\n

  So, let\u2019s be clear: I hate the 15 minute writing segment. I love the 2 hour frenzy; hate the 15-30 minutes. In order to keep myself going, I\u2019ve had to make a list of the <\/span>kinds<\/span><\/i> of writing and work I count as writing. I have given myself particular \u201cSmall Writing Activities\u201d that I can use to fill my slots when I\u2019m underwhelmed, underprepared, unmotivated, and distracted. [Frankly, this is about 50% of the time]. So here\u2019s my list:<\/span><\/p>\n

  \n
  • Read an article and write a summary of what I\u2019ve written or a critical response;<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Choose a quote that seems particularly important: contextualize the quote;<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Come back to a quote that\u2019s been contexualized and respond to it critically or in terms of the article I\u2019m writing: why does it belong in the paper? Where does it fit in the argument?<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Revise or rework just a single paragraph<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Edit 3-4 pages<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Draw a picture of a concept<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Write about a picture of a concept<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Write researcher\u2019s notes and memos [should we talk about this? This is a field work thing.]<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Read several abstracts from a current issue of a journal and summarize the trends that seem to be discussed or the disparities among the topics<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Re-read conclusions from earlier articles, proposals that haven\u2019t been accepted, or articles that still need a home and begin redrafting or drafting a new<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Most of these activities, of course, take more than one 15 minute segment. But not always. Sometimes they\u2019re just one-off activities that keep me writing, thinking, and habitually committed to my research. If you\u2019re not sure about what these look like, let me know. I\u2019m happy to share samples or talk them out. But these small writing activities can be helpful prompts for keeping your writing practice going, even in the face of…life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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