- ISBN13: 9780913507131
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Product Description
Here is a proven book to help scholars master writing as a productive, enjoyable, and successful experience — Author, Robert Boice, prepared this self-help manual for professors who want to write more productively, painlessly, and successfully. It reflects the author’s two decades of experiences and research with professors as writers — by compressing a lot of experience into a brief, programmatic framework. Like the actual sessions and workshops in which the author works with writers, this book admonishes and reassures. In the innovative book lies the path for sustained, highly productive scholarly writing!
Professors as Writers: A Self-Help Guide to Productive Writing
I fought against Boice’s behavioral structuring but it was pretty funny to read his little dialogues with a similar minded skeptic. I tried the brief, timed daily sessions and found they freed me up rather than made me feel restricted, because over time I saw more pages produced, and had more raw material to work with; didn’t have to wait for the long blocks of time.
Things that most helped me:
* Free writing to start, including not even about the material at first
* Only 15-30 minutes/day b/c so difficult to find the big chunks of time
* Keep a log of time put in and check-in weekly w scheduled call
Having reached the end, I’m for the first time more open to sharing rough drafts of ideas before they’re ready. “Begin before you’re ready” was his point, but I didn’t get that, feeling it was too personal to share something so raw. Now I’m not going to think of it as quite as personal–it’s not me, those words, because they’re not final. Not the only thing I meant to say or have to say. So no criticism of them can really assail me. In fact it’s just a work in progress that gets really helped by the mutual conversations. Over time, I’m struck by how memorable Boice’s points are, like that one about “externality”– –the importance of getting writing outside your mind and into other hands. Despite its writing style, I’d grade it an A- for truly helpful content. It helped me go from writing or revising about 25 pages a year to over 250 a year for the past few years.
Rating: 4 / 5
I am halfway complete with my first textbook project.
I purchased this book and “How to Write a Lot” at the same time. The latter I should have returned, but this one is very good.. Good ideas.. puts writing into perspective. Easy reading. The analysis and suggestions regarding writers block were very helpful.
Rating: 4 / 5
After my third client remarked, “the Boice book is what got me through my dissertation,” I knew I had to read Professors As Writers. As an academic coach, I work with professors by telephone to accelerate their rate of writing and publishing. In this guide, Boise gives detailed suggestions on how to manage the primary challenge faced by my clients – a lack of external structure to support regular writing. He also addresses the crucial (but often overlooked) issue of how to build social support for academic writing and publishing. Academics who have wished their appointments came with a set of clear instructions on how to write easily and productively will appreciate what Boise offers in this book.
Rating: 5 / 5
If you are writing a dissertation, thesis, or engaged in other regular academic (or other writing) writing this book is a must read. Boice’s sage advice is based on years of experience with and (yes, empirical evidence) research on helping academicians produce necessary writing — regularly. He includes self-assessment questionnaire on writer’s block that enables you to target your areas of strength and weakness so you can focus on exactly the areas that hinder your progress. The book is short (180 pp including excellent anotated bibliography). He answers the agonizing questions about why you don’t write when you want to and desperately need to write. He discusses, in clear, concise detail, the phenomenology of writing problems, while providing both short- and long-term strategies for ensuring writing productivity that are actually do-able. His writing style is easy, conversational and reassuring. He takes you through his actual consultation process, session by session (a rare insight and a true bargin). Simply stated, the book is just great.
Rating: 5 / 5
This book is fantastic. Just when I thought I’d read it all, I stumbled across this book while surfing the Internet. It is by far the best book I’ve ever come across to help someone overcome procrastination or any other writing “problem.”
The first chapter is a bit overly academic in tone, but the rest is down-to-earth. He does an exceptional job discussing free-writing and clustering; and then he goes on to give further advice regarding how to manage your social and environmental situation to encourage your productivity. His advice works very well — and it is not just for academic writers.
Rating: 5 / 5
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