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7 - Write Like a Star

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2024

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

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • 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
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  • 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
×