Writing During the Coronavirus

[risenanew]

Anybody else finding themselves having far more time -- and paradoxically far less motivation -- for writing those important journal articles that'll eventually get them and job and/or tenure/promotion?

I'm sitting around at home, keenly aware that I (a childless thirty-something on my second year of the tenure-track) really should be pumping out as many publications as I can now that I don't have to go to work 4x a week. (I even have the advantage of having taught online before, so I'm relatively well set-up for taking my in-person classes online). And I have *so* many half-written or rejected manuscripts I need to revise and send out already -- just in case I end up getting excised from my current job and need to find a new one in another year.

(Granted, that's kind of a worst-case scenario for my public community college -- but we've had enrollment issues for several years running and who knows what our budget will look like in future semesters. They may very well decide to trim the fat by cutting out the adjuncts and non-tenured folk in our faculty!)

Instead, all I'm doing is stressing at home under lock-down, reading the news every 10 minutes and scrolling my Facebook feed endlessly -- when I'm not answering frantic student emails and avoiding recording video lectures.

Is anyone else in my same dilemma? Or with any wise words of wisdom to share?

[hungry_ghost]

Instead, all I'm doing is stressing at home under lock-down, reading the news every 10 minutes and scrolling my Facebook feed endlessly -- when I'm not answering frantic student emails and avoiding recording video lectures.

Is anyone else in my same dilemma? Or with any wise words of wisdom to share?

Yes, you just described me. This is paralyzing. I have no wisdom to share. I am, in fact, here because I am not writing!

[Puget]

I think the same things help now as help overcome writing avoidance behavior in general--
1. Make medium-term plan (what do you want to get done in the next few months?)
2. Translate that into weekly goals
3. Break those down into specific tasks
4. Schedule those tasks on specific days

I'd recommend these two book:
How to Write a Lot by Paul Silva
The Writing Workshop: Write More, Write Better, Be Happier in Academia by Barbara Sarnecka

[hungry_ghost]

I think the same things help now as help overcome writing avoidance behavior in general--
1. Make medium-term plan (what do you want to get done in the next few months?)
2. Translate that into weekly goals
3. Break those down into specific tasks
4. Schedule those tasks on specific days

I'd recommend these two book:
How to Write a Lot by Paul Silva
The Writing Workshop: Write More, Write Better, Be Happier in Academia by Barbara Sarnecka

Yeah, I usually do all that.
In fact, I'm usually the person people turn to for "how to write a lot" advice.
This is different. Part of the problem may be the loss of my summer research trip (incentive to get some of these goals accomplished in a specific time frame) but there is more going on. It's overwhelming. Maybe it will be better once this evil extended "break" is over.
The break is breaking me...

[Puget]

I think the same things help now as help overcome writing avoidance behavior in general--
1. Make medium-term plan (what do you want to get done in the next few months?)
2. Translate that into weekly goals
3. Break those down into specific tasks
4. Schedule those tasks on specific days

I'd recommend these two book:
How to Write a Lot by Paul Silva
The Writing Workshop: Write More, Write Better, Be Happier in Academia by Barbara Sarnecka

Yeah, I usually do all that.
In fact, I'm usually the person people turn to for "how to write a lot" advice.
This is different. Part of the problem may be the loss of my summer research trip (incentive to get some of these goals accomplished in a specific time frame) but there is more going on. It's overwhelming. Maybe it will be better once this evil extended "break" is over.
The break is breaking me...

Anxiety, uncertainly and lack of structure certainly make it harder, but at least for me having a daily to do list and making progress on work makes me feel better (certainly, over-consuming news makes me feel worse).

Maybe we could start a 30-day writing challenge thread here for April? The Center for Faculty Development and Diversity does those, but not everyone has access to that, so we could do it here for free since it's basically just an accountability check in anyway-- write* for at least 30 min. every work day, post your writing goals at the beginning of the day, check in at the end of the day.
* This includes anything that leads directly to writing

[mamselle]

We also have two threads:

1. An ongoing thread:

   "Paralysis Analysis Renewed"
at:
   http://thefora.org/index.php?topic=134.0

and     

2. The thread Bioteacher started for shorter-term projects:

   "Work-sprint for dreaded tasks and to-do list wrangling thread"
at:
   http://thefora.org/index.php?topic=183.0


to help with that!

M.

[polly_mer]

Writing feels different than PA or work-sprint.

I'm with hungry_ghost that I used to be good with following LarryC's advice to "put butt in chair and write" for a scheduled writing time, but that's not working out for me in the past two weeks.

I agree with risenanew that I can make a list of all the possibilities, block out the time on the calendar, give myself the most motivating reasons for finally knocking out whatever writing is up next, and somehow still find myself at the end of a day with other things done, but not the writing.

[risenanew]

I think the same things help now as help overcome writing avoidance behavior in general--
1. Make medium-term plan (what do you want to get done in the next few months?)
2. Translate that into weekly goals
3. Break those down into specific tasks
4. Schedule those tasks on specific days

I'd recommend these two book:
How to Write a Lot by Paul Silva
The Writing Workshop: Write More, Write Better, Be Happier in Academia by Barbara Sarnecka

Thank you -- those are very helpful ideas!

I actually had a whole year-long plan for the looong list of publications I was going to work on throughout this entire year, based on data I've already collected and manuscripts that need to be revised-and-resubmitted to various places. Sounds like it would be a good idea for me to go back to those goals and revisit them, while giving myself some time to work through this trauma.

I love Silva's books but haven't picked up the second one you recommend. I'll do so ASAP!

Maybe we could start a 30-day writing challenge thread here for April? The Center for Faculty Development and Diversity does those, but not everyone has access to that, so we could do it here for free since it's basically just an accountability check in anyway-- write* for at least 30 min. every work day, post your writing goals at the beginning of the day, check in at the end of the day.
* This includes anything that leads directly to writing

I'd really like a post-pandemic writing challenge thread for us. Knowing that we're in it together as a group makes me feel better about being so damn non-productive as of late... especially when I have so many things I want to work on but find myself too... anxious, I guess, to focus on.

I agree with risenanew that I can make a list of all the possibilities, block out the time on the calendar, give myself the most motivating reasons for finally knocking out whatever writing is up next, and somehow still find myself at the end of a day with other things done, but not the writing.

Yep. Describes me exactly. Somehow, I know writing is important but I just feel like throwing my hands up and saying -- how can I possibly write at a time like this?!

[Hegemony]

I think maybe we should all just give ourselves a pass.  Sure, we could be using this extra time to sit down and concentrate and really make use of this period! But, c'mon, the world is in flames, the government is running around in circles accomplishing almost nothing, except for ways of making things worse, people we know are at risk, and the future is uncertain. And we're feeling as if we should really be writing journal articles?  I think a certain period of lower-stress living is in order. Maybe have one writing day a week. On the others, reach out to people, keep a journal, make tea, go for a socially distance walk, take good care of yourself.  This is not a time when we should be putting the onus of maximum productivity on ourselves.  Would we ask that of our students?  Then we shouldn't ask it of ourselves.

[zyzzx]

Instead, all I'm doing is stressing at home under lock-down, reading the news every 10 minutes and scrolling my Facebook feed endlessly -- when I'm not answering frantic student emails and avoiding recording video lectures.

Is anyone else in my same dilemma? Or with any wise words of wisdom to share?

Yes, you just described me. This is paralyzing. I have no wisdom to share. I am, in fact, here because I am not writing!

Yes, this is me as well. And I have even less excuse because I don't teach. I have zero responsibilities right now, and literally nothing else to do (work-wise) but sit in front of the computer and work on papers and proposals. I should be super productive, right? Instead my attention span is about 30 seconds long. I open a manuscript, fiddle with a sentence, then back to distractions. I swear I'm spending half my days just dreaming/planning about where I'm going to go on my bicycle for my daily allowed outdoor exercise time - the only thing in the past 12 days that I've left my tiny apartment for. I just can't concentrate on anything that requires thinking. I did make some nice figures, so I suppose that's something.

So yeah, lots of commiseration; no words of wisdom. It is very nice to hear that I'm not the only one feeling this. Unfortunately I do have a proposal that really needs to get written in the next month, so I have to find some way to get myself together.

[Cheerful]

I think maybe we should all just give ourselves a pass.  Sure, we could be using this extra time to sit down and concentrate and really make use of this period! But, c'mon, the world is in flames, the government is running around in circles accomplishing almost nothing, except for ways of making things worse, people we know are at risk, and the future is uncertain. And we're feeling as if we should really be writing journal articles?  I think a certain period of lower-stress living is in order. Maybe have one writing day a week. On the others, reach out to people, keep a journal, make tea, go for a socially distance walk, take good care of yourself.  This is not a time when we should be putting the onus of maximum productivity on ourselves.  Would we ask that of our students?  Then we shouldn't ask it of ourselves.

+1

These are extremely challenging times, to put it mildly.  Be gentle with yourselves.  Celebrate each accomplishment, no matter how small.

[Parasaurolophus]

There's no question I have more time, and I have lots of plans. But it doesn't feel like I have more time. I absolutely loathe doing all my teaching online, even though it's easier, and I think that's sucking up all my energy (I'm having to do a lot more to reward myself for completing those tasks, for instance). But I'm optimistic that next week will be better.

I have a writing deadline at the end of April, so there's that. And I want to make significant progress on at least one new paper, maybe one paper and a new co-written paper.

Tell you what. I'll write a paper if you write a paper!

[polly_mer]

Although I am salaried, I must continue to meet some sort of professional productivity to continue to be paid.  Article writing is something I can legitimately do at home and charge my time appropriately to the relevant projects.

My employer is being flexible, but the world has not ended.  If it really were ending, then I'd be assigned different duties.  As it is, I have had my resources reassigned to people working on vaccines so what I can do to keep being paid can't rely on my regular research duties, but can be writing things up.

[Puget]

Alright, it sounds like there is some interest in an April writing challenge thread, so I'll start one.
Social support/accountability can be really helpful, and you are only committing to 30 minutes a day.

I really don't think trying to stay productive and busy is incomparable with taking care of ourselves -- at least for me, it helps. Also, a lot of us need to stay productive to keep our jobs, in the short or longer (tenure file) term, and those of us with labs have other people depending on us to keep research going. If that doesn't describe you, then by all means no pressure to participate.

[Wahoo Redux]

I thought I would have so much more time to write, but I didn't get my classes up in a timely manner, so most of my time has been migrating and reinventing my coursework.  Not to mention the grading that is actively piling into Blackboard now that I have them doing short blog-posts in lieu of class discussion or what have you.

I'm hoping that I can just get everything up and then grade, answer emails, and write because I, like the OP, am nervous about what COVID will do to my job.