Difficulty writing? Talk to me about it. Like, actually.
Some papers arrive on my desk in a tattered state. Not physically. But in every other possible way.
The authors have managed to create a maze with their writing. And we wander through it without a story, without an engaged literature review, without an argument, without a research question... I could go on, but you get the point.
How they created a maze is not a surprising or unfamiliar story in academia: years of working on their research makes them blind and unable to see the woods for the trees.
So when I am brought onto the project for a developmental edit, the first thing I do after wandering into the maze is to stop and send my clients a Zoom link.
Talking as Reflecting as Learning about what’s inside your own head
When my clients get on the call, I encourage them to talk to me about their research. What is this research about? Why did they choose to pursue this topic?
I need to ask very few questions: my clients usually have a great desire to talk about their own work. Rarely do they get a lay audience who listens attentively and takes notes!
And as they talk, they are teaching me about their study and the stream of research it fits into. And in voicing their ideas, they have, for the first time, had to speak about their work succinctly and simply.
[Spouses have checked out of this conversation by now, and other academic friends may not be in the same field, or interested in your topic].
To gain clarity, talk!!
To hear your ideas is to find the clarity you need to publish successfully…
As they talk, they reflect on their own knowledge. And in reflecting, they are re-arranging disparate pieces of knowledge, showing me how pieces fit together, developing those inchoate sublingual thoughts into full fledged vocalised ideas.
“This was super helpful” is a phrase I hear every single time.
Talking + Writing Frameworks for Success
Talking can be addictive! Our conversations, over weeks and months, give them the clarity to chart a clear path forward and the courage to try new things and write with a bolder voice!
They usually don’t have this kind of access to their co-authors or colleagues, and so they feel even more supported as we work closely in helping them unfold and unpack the thoughts in their head.
Our work may start with talk, but we’re always going back to the manuscript. We work in iterative rounds of edits, revisions, discussions until we are happy with the result. I propose frameworks and writing tools depending on what needs to be achieved in each round of work.
We spar over the choice of words and the construction of paragraphs. Are these vehicles you have constructed truly ideal to convey your ideas? Are you sure you know what your ideas are, even? More discussion, back to the drawing board.
Listening as Support
In our discussions, I create a safe non-judgemental space for them to explore their ideas, away from the hyper critical gaze of peers and colleagues. They don’t have to get it right the first time, or even at all. They’re learning to talk and think and write. They’re learning how to access their own ideas.
This kind of safe creative space, away from the prying hyper-critical laser-sharp eyes of peers and colleagues and even co-authors, makes my clients feel a level of support with their writing and thinking that they have often never experienced. This kind of partnership with author and editor is a rare and precious thing in academia.
We create a close partnership in our mutual devotion to the success of the paper.
By the time we are ready for submission, I usually feel a pang of loss. The project is over, we go our separate ways. But a bond was forged. And it started with talk.
If you are wondering what this is all about, or you have a paper that looks like a maze, or if you want to experience this kind of support and if you want to build a work partnership with me, give me a shout! I’d love to hear from you.