What are good tricks for keeping your writing focused?

[Karen Mallette]

I recently started writing for academics and find that my thinking and my writing are too undisciplined for this arena.

For example, in writing about an academic study I have tried to find examples from my life that relate to the topic, or to apply what I've learned from the study to the writing I do every day. This approach seems undisciplined to my instructor, so I was wondering if anyone here has any thoughts on or experience with this type of issue.

I suppose any writer who must create content in vastly different arenas might have some thoughts... BTW, my day to day writing involves 99% procedural or process description.

PS - Not sure which category to place this question... move if needed.

Thanks for any comments.

[Kelly Keck]

Real-life examples are often useful, but they can be tricky because they can easily turn into long digressions that really aren't relevant to the point you're trying to make.

For academic writing, I use a process that's almost the opposite of what I do for technical writing. I get a draft down first--something, anything. Then, one of the things I look at when I revise is whether I stayed on topic. Sometimes I end up changing my thesis statement when I realize that what I thought I was writing about is not what I actually ended up writing.

In technical writing, I usually start from an outline....determining how the whole document is going to be organized, then filling in the pieces. That seems to keep me on-track, although the outline will change if the content changes.

Something else that might help is to evaluate every sentence and paragraph, asking yourself "What's my point here?" and "How is it related to the overall point of this piece of writing?"

[Karen Mallette]

Hi, Kelly

Thanks for your comments. One of the first things I discovered for the academic writing was that "real-life examples" aren't appreciated, or in some cases, allowed. I thought it kinda weird that my writing/editing instructor is more interested in my regurgitating a paper I'd read, rather than in my describing how the contents would change the way I wrote/edited.

I've been using the questions you've suggested and it is helping. Thanks!

Take care,
Karen

[Kelly Keck]

I'm glad to hear it's helping. Good luck!

[Judith Pratt]

I totally agree with Kelly's post -- in any writing, every paragraph needs to answer the "what's the point" question.

Also, academic writing, unlike interesting writing (!), is usually based on sources outside your own experience. It's also much more formal than writing for a newspaper or writing procedural documents that you hope someone will read. (I've written academic stuff, including a dissertation, and, as you can see, prefer your more "undisciplined style.)

Example:
Academic: "Expressivism emerged primarily from the writings of Murray (e.g. 1980), Britton (1982) and Elbow's (1973) Writing Without Teachers" (40). Hamp-Lyons and Condon believe that portfolio assessment could help expressivists show how their pedagogies move from personal writing to discourses that do in fact engage in public and academic writing activities (41)."
vs
My version of the above: "Among the theories about how to teach writing, the one called "expressivism" makes the most sense for people. You start with writing about how you feel about things, and gradually learn how to focus those materials to speak to a wider audience, and to use a variety of writing styles."

hope this helps,
Judith

[Karen Mallette]

Hi, Judith

You and me both! I'm questioning whether I can write succesfully for academia. My writing skills developed out of journal writing as a kid; the attempts made by high school teachers to give me formal writing training failed miserably. The teachers weren't that great to begin with.

I remain hopeful that I can learn to write in 'academiaese' but it will real challenge.

Take care,
Karen

[Kelly Keck]

Well, you can always write as you normally do for the first draft, then use a thesaurus to help you impose a more formal style on the second draft. :) (Having majored in English and now getting a master's in English/Tech Writing, I'm reasonably fluent in 'academiaese,' but sometimes I still shudder at how complicated academic writing makes simple concepts.)

[Lew Hundley]

Geez, no wonder my eyes glaze over when I am studying for a course. I can't remember ever seeing something like this where academic and 'easy-reading" have been shown side-by-side. This is perhaps a testimonial to comprehension, or lack there-of. Thanks.

[Shauna]

Assuming you write outlines before your content, try identifying key terms, phrases, and ideas of each section. Use them as standards for relating. Sometimes ideas can get so abstract that they miss the point. Using the keys has always brought me back to the main focus.

[Karen Mallette]

Hi, Shauna

Thank you... this is a really practical suggestion. You know, the kind a procedural documentarian understands :-) .

Take care,
Karen

[Prashant]

You are right. Writting for academics is bit different. In general, it has to be more creative and should be simple and clear. If you state something, it should be supported with proper examples.

[Larry]

This may sound silly, but I once put a picture of a typical audience member on my monitor. A more elaborate system would involve creating personas of the major user groups and writing for them.