7 - Write Like a Star

Summary

Productive scholars make writing a daily habit. Some aim for five pages a day, others an hour or two or a single paragraph. Psychologically, they know they’re making progress. Productive scholars are chronic organizers, using frameworks to organize their thoughts before writing and helping them spot relationships and patterns as they write. As they write, they suspend judgment about writing form and mechanics and let the words flow. Later they edit and revise to perfection. They rarely start at the beginning, instead beginning with tables and graphics, then methods and results, and finally the introduction and discussion. Scholars inject their personality. That might include an opening metaphor, a rhythmic sentence cadence, flowerful language, or humorous titles. They tell clear, coherent, and memorable stories, easily understood and appreciated by a friend. They use time-honored writing conventions like topic sentences, signals, and transitions to lead the reader comfortably through the story. They don’t confuse readers with jargon and acronyms. Scholars don’t let their writing sit too long and get cold, yet they give it time to set when finished, and then return to it with fresh eyes. They welcome feedback for improvement, which might come from writing group members.