I’d like to give a shout out to international doctoral students preparing applications for post-doc research positions and professorships. My clients inspire me with their dedication and determination, and with the importance of their research. Fully engaged with the revision process, they have helped me fine tune my contribution to this stage of their academic career. It’s a wonderful partnership.
Talking about writing always makes me think of reading. A writing teacher once told me: you should be writing when you’re not reading, and reading when you’re not writing. This pertains to academic as well as creative writing. Reading diverse genres and voices inspires new rhetorical approaches that help my clients express challenging ideas and details.
You never know where new approaches will emerge: Take a few moments and tune into a senate hearing (C-SPAN is on YouTube). Listen to expert witnesses give testimony on specific issues. Take note when a witness has everyone’s attention, that is, when the senators stop interrupting. Write down what the witness says. Study how they shaped their argument, and see if the structure can be adapted for your purposes.
Reading and writing are an integral part of my day. As I’m sitting here on this cold morning, I’m drinking a lovely cup of homemade chai. I found the recipe in this book:
Here are two other new titles I found in the library. No recipes, but additional inspiration for developing those writing chops:
Keep warm!