Happy New Year! Who Helps With Your Writing?
One of the most common laments I see on Twitter and hear from clients and others is that writing is a lonely activity and that they struggle to get feedback before they send in a draft. It doesn't have to be that way. Writing help is more widespread than you think. Here are some options:
1. Form a writing group. Put out a call on social media, reach out through a subfield email list/newsletter, email your department (or even all the faculty if you're at a small school). Accountability and companionship can come from any field, not just your own. Depending on the composition of the group, one person can circulate x pages for comment the week before, then spend 15 min on feedback, an hour writing, and 15 min on goals for next time. These groups can be virtual or in person; virtual allows you to expand the pool of invitees.
2. Find a writing buddy. Again, use your networks to find one person to write with, exchange goals with, and exchange drafts with regularly. The key here is regularity. Weekly goals and writing time, and say, monthly feedback, can help you stay on track. For this, disciplinary familiarity is key; depending on the nature of your field, this could be broader or narrower. (Don't have a strong network? I'm doing a workshop in February on that!)
3. Look for help in all the strange places. Partners and spouses can provide feedback on coherence and convincingness from the position of an outside observer. Friends from earlier stages in your life who've ended up in other departments and fields may be interested. Sometimes I write with a former (undergrad!) student who is now an anthropology professor. My spouse reads most of what I write; my former-schoolteacher-mother helps with page proofs (they give me anxiety attacks).
4. Finally, if all your own resources are exhausted, use publicly available tools to commit to writing time. My Book Writer's Workshop (90 min, established writers) and Book Development Workshop (60 min, beginning writers) provide opportunities for support, feedback, goal-setting, and regular (Writer's) or sporadic (Development) writing time. My monthly Writer's Boot Camp sessions are FREE: 6 hrs of dedicated pomodoro time with camaraderie, jokes, and more, all designed to help you make the most of your writing time in a supportive environment. You can sign up for some of these below.
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