Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2xdlg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-07T16:24:52.653Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

7 - Write Like a Star

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2024

Kenneth A. Kiewra
Affiliation:
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Get access

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.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

  • Write Like a Star
  • Kenneth A. Kiewra, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • Book: Be a More Productive Scholar
  • Online publication: 28 March 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009342513.008
Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Write Like a Star
  • Kenneth A. Kiewra, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • Book: Be a More Productive Scholar
  • Online publication: 28 March 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009342513.008
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Write Like a Star
  • Kenneth A. Kiewra, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • Book: Be a More Productive Scholar
  • Online publication: 28 March 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009342513.008
Available formats
×