How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing (LifeTools: Books for the General Public)

This book worked for me. I now understand myself as a 'binge writer'; a condition with guilt, anxiety and lost weekends as the symptoms. Now I understand the key to becoming a consistent, productive writer is to consistently produce writing. Simple. This book (in particular Chapter 2) takes a no nonsense approach to writing. It will not ask you analyse your writing fears or release some hidden inner novelist. It simply provides three tools to write: a schedule, goals and monitoring system and some helpful advice and tips on style and types of writing. Before reading this I was under the false impression that some people were just good at writing or they wrote a lot much because they liked it or were less lazy than myself. Now I understand from a referenced study, quotes from great authors and the author himself that the key to producing writing is to consistently sit down and make yourself write. This book is a short, sweet because the advice and tools work for me and (ish) because chapter 2 will reduce your excuses about not writing to nonsense if you are anything like me.

A concise and comical read. I enjoyed my time reading this (brief as it was). A delightfully written book which has served as some much needed motivation for a budding academic writer. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who needs a few laughs and to get some tips on how to be more productive at writing.

I have only discovered this book recently, read it in a day, and change my wrong writing habits. I was one of those saying "I am waiting for an inspiration to write" and never writing anything properly until the last minute. However, this book on very clear and interesting (funny, as well) way explains that writing is a habit and scheduling a time for writing is the most essential part in the writing process. It really change my attitude towards academic writing, from "i hate it but I must do it", to "Not so bad at least, and I can practice it and become better". Extremely helpful for me, 1st year PhD student.

This book states the obvious, yet it does it in such a way that it is certainly an obvious that never occurred to me before. Silvia takes the mystery out of writing and lays it out for what it is, the product of a healthy discipline and clear process. Although I am only beginning to implement the practices outlined here I think before long I may be indebted to the author. If you struggle as I do with a weight of worry about how to get through your mountain of research projects you could do no better than to spend an hour or two of your procrastination time reading this book. It might just flip that switch in your head as it seems to have done in mine.

Recommended very enthusiastically by an academic friend. Good strong message & interesting ideas to think about the way you organize your own writing. Easy to read -quickly - which I guess helps you get on with the task of writing a lot for yourself ! Could have being interesting to discuss excuses like getting bored and finishing off that "thrilling" manuscript you started so enthusiastically. Sometimes finishing off is the hardest part, once you have worked out what the problem was for yourself. The answer is maintaining the momentum through scheduling - which doesn't always solve the problem of competing writing projects ;) Overall, thanks worth the read.

This is a good book if you want to kick start your writing and turn it into a habit. I would classify it as a movitational book for those who loathe writing or are too lazy to write. That said, there are some practical tips and good references if you want to read further. Worth buying if your just starting writing, or have lost your writing mojo.

This book takes a light, but firm approach to debunking some of the self-learned mythologies about writing. It's too easy to make excuses for yourself put off writing until the pens are in the right order, the right balance of coffee has been achieved, and the stars are aligned: this book reminds you to make a plan, keep writing, and stick to your goals. It is also a quick read, and an enjoyable one. Hugely recommended for those, who like me, delude themselves that only other people are clever enough to write a lot

Silvia makes a simple point - that it's better to write regularly and consistently than binge writing as he calls it. He's right, but he really has nothing else to say and spends the majority of the book saying exactly that over and over again.

An excellent book which I would unabashedly recommend for any aspiring researcher! The book not only helps you understand the HOW of publishing but also the WHYs.

Desde la primera semana escribo un promedio de 600 palabras al día. Un libro de cabecera para todos los que nos encontramos en el mundo de la academia. Si eres de los que necesita inspiración para terminar esa tesis, artículo o libro, este libro es para ti.

Small book, but full of excellent tips on how to write productively, and regularly, without the kind of procrastination panic that is all too common. Goes through all excuses systematically, dispelling common myths, and helps develop the tools you need specifically for your situation. Separates book-writing strategies from academic articles with well-thought-out specifics for each. Helps you view writing as just another part of your job, and calms any psychological qualms about it. Not only will you write a whole lot more, but you'll have a good laugh about it, this book is hilarious. Try not to get too distracted from its good advice. I wish for myself it had been written 30 years ago!

Para os que escrevem usualmente uma ferramenta útil, para os quem não tem tal habilidade vejo o livro complexo. Recomendo parcialmente.

著者は心理学の研究者です。どのようにしたら生産的に論文を執筆できるかを、生活の中で執筆をどう位置付けるかという点から、行動科学的視点を踏まえて具体的に書いています。まじめだけどコミカルです。 自分もこの本を、学生～かけだしの研究者のうちに読んでおけば、今ごろもっと生産的に書けるようになっていたかもなぁと思いました。