Silvia 2007

Silvia, P. J. (2007). How to Write a Lot (1st ed.). Washington DC: APA Life Tools.

CHAPTER 1:  Introduction

Writing productively is a skill, not a genetic gift, so you can learn how to do it.

1. making a schedule
2. setting clear goals
3. keeping track of your work
4. rewarding yourself
5. building good habits

Must be developed through systematic instruction and practice. Learn rules and strategies and practice them.

Writing should be more routine, boring and mundane, a set of concrete behaviors.

CHAPTER 2:  Special Barriers to Writing a Lot

1. I can’t find the time to write: allot the time to write, make a schedule and stick to it!  The secret is the REGULARITY.  Allot 4 hours per week to start.
   1. You must ruthlessly defend your writing time
   2. Say no to well-intended intruders
   3. Always write during your scheduled time, but write other times too.
2. I need to analyze and read more.  Use your writing time!
   1. Are the ideas new?  If you need to cite that person, you can fit it in later.  If you already know the major opinions, don’t read more at this time, WRITE.
   2. Is there someone I could ask instead of read?
   3. Save it for later.  Make a note of what you need to read, and instead WRITE what you can do today.  Then schedule the reading time.
3. To write a lot, I need a new computer (or other stuff)
   1. It does not have to be a perfect setting
4. I’m waiting until I’m inspired.  
   1. A study showed that forcing people to write enhanced their creative ideas
   2. Routine is a better friend than inspiration

CHAPTER 3:  Motivational Tools

1. Setting goals
   1. this is part of the writing process
   2. devote a writing session to writing goals
   3. list your project goals, proudly display them!
   4. Have a concrete daily goal, break project goals in to smaller goals.
2. Set priorities  FACULTY
   1. Checking page proofs and copyedited manuscripts
   2. Finishing projects with deadlines
   3. Revising manuscripts to resubmit to a journal
   4. Reviewing manuscripts and grant proposals
   5. Developing a new manuscript
   6. Doing misc. writing
   7. GRAD STUDENTS
      1. Projects with deadlines
      2. Curricular writing
      3. Professional publications
      4. Other writing
3. Monitoring progress
   1. Keeps your goals salient
   2. write own what you have written, make a spread sheet
   3. reward yourself when you complete a goal
4. What about Writer’s Block?
   1. This is a good example of a dispositional fallacy
   2. you can’t write because you’re not writing

CHAPTER 4:  Starting Your Own Agraphia Group (the loss of the ability to write)

1. Set concrete, short term goals and monitor the group’s progress
2. Stick to writing goals not other professional goals.
3. Big carrots can double as sticks (informal social rewards) confront those who consistently don’t meet their goals.
4. Have different groups for faculty and students
5. Drink coffee (optional)

CHAPTER 5:  A Brief Foray into Style  p. 59

1. 3 reasons for bad writing:
   1. you want to sound smart
   2. you never learned to write well
   3. you don’t spend enough time writing
2. Use short, expressive and familiar words
3. Why use “individual” or “participants”?  use, people or person, call them what they are i.e. children, teachers, parents or older adults, younger adults
4. Abbreviations and acronyms are bad words.  Only use them when they make the writing easier to understand.
5. Delete:  very, quite, basically, actually, virtually,extremely, remarkably, completely, at all
6. 3 types of sentences:  simple, compound and complex.
7. Use semi-colons:  each part must stand alone, and be closely connected.
8. Use dashes – they can enclose parenthetical expressions
   1. en and em dashes see page 68-69
9. Do not use “such that” or “to be” verbs
10. Write in the active voice, not the passive.
11. Use indicate, reflect, support; get rid of the -ive version
12. Avoid phrases like “research shows that….”
13. Move “however” into the first section of the sentence, not the beginning p. 74 (same with for example and for instance)
14. Keep But or Yet at the beginning of sentences
15. Write first, revise later.

CHAPTER 6:  Writing Journal Articles p. 77

1. Publication is the natural endpoint of research
2. People who write a lot, outline a lot
3. Keep articles short, know your audience
4. Write the title and abstract last, use keywords in your abstract
5. Introduction:  2-3 pages,  maybe 10,  large studies 12-20
   1. Overview your article
   2. Body of introduction, use a heading here (theories and findings)
   3. The Present Research  how will your research address the problem? (then follow with “Methods”)
6. Methods:
   1. Participants and Design
   2. Procedure:  the “heart”  what you did and said
7. Results:
   1. Describes your analysis- begin with what informs the integrity of your study.
   2. Describe your analysis in a logical sequence
   3. Use tables and charts
8. Discussion:  summarizes findings, include limitations, can be combined with the Results section if appropriate.
9. General Discussion:  keep it short, could be 2-3 paragraphs
10. References:  Cite yourself
11. Submitting your article:  Make sure it is pristine., write a cover letter to the editor.

CHAPTER 7:  Writing Books