In an early post from 2015, I wrote about why scholars should never write alone. I updated this post in October 2020 to reflect the realities of academic writing during a pandemic. Now almost a year later, I am more convinced than ever of the importance of scholars finding some kind of writing community.
Frankly, it’s hard to prioritize academic writing during a so-called normal semester. But carving out that time in the midst of today’s high-pressure academic environment–in addition to familial and community obligations–can feel pretty insurmountable. The solution for many scholars is to develop a system of accountability for their writing, whether it’s to themselves, an accountability partner, a group, or an academic writing consultant. Simply put: accountability works!
Hence my inspiration to establish an online academic writing boot camp as a new service for MargaretEdits. Every Friday for the month of October, we will come together virtually for up to 90 minutes. This group is aimed at scholars who have completed their PhD. The goal is to make demonstrable progress on a specific writing project (e.g., conference paper, book chapter, journal article, book proposal, etc.) and to help establish good writing habits.
Sample weekly schedule
30 minutes: review progress on last week’s goals; identify goals for the day’s writing session; discussion facilitated by Margaret
45 minutes: communal writing session including any task related to your project
15 minutes: review progress from the day’s writing session; identify goals for the coming week
Each session will cost $40, and participants are required to commit to the entire month. If you are currently a client of MargaretEdits or had a project that was completed as recently as January 2021, you are eligible for a discounted rate of $30/session. I have one or two slots remaining for October. If you’re interested, contact me at margaret@margaretedits.com. You can also reach out if you would be interested in a potential boot camp in December 2021.
If you’ve participated in a writing accountability group in the past, what aspects were most beneficial? I’d love to hear about your experiences.