11. A Writing Professor’s Tips for the Writing Process

I share my tips and strategies for academics struggling (or annoyed by) the writing process. As a professor with a PhD in rhetoric and writing, one of my specializations is teaching the writing process. In this episode, I talk about drafting, the problem with getting stuck in the minutiae, writer's block, reverse outlining, and other useful topics. If you're looking for a good, short piece of writing about the writing process from one writer to another, I always recommend Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, especially her chapter "Shitty First Drafts." I always assign "Shitty First Drafts" in my classes--from first-year to graduate school--because it helps reframe the one common pitfall of most writers: that the first draft has to be great. Happy listening!