Writing on Writing

New! A curated list of books and articles about writing for faculty writers.  

Highly Recommended by Faculty Writers

A short list of perennial favorites among faculty across disciplines.

• Belcher, Wendy Laura. Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks. University of Chicago Press, 2019.
  Faculty writers appreciate how this book guides them through stages of article writing from start to finish. Note that many writers do not in fact complete their articles in 12 weeks. To make the most of this book, focus on how she demystifies the process and try her approach for yourself rather than on the strict prescription that you can and should write anything in 12-weeks. Your mileage will vary.
• National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD).
  Not strictly “writing on writing,” but always worth highlighting. Virginia Tech is an institutional member of NCFDD, which means that all VT faculty have access to this rich set of resources, including webinars, 14-day writing challenges, and articles. Sign up with your VT PID. New to NCFDD? Try starting with the Core Curriculum series. 

Guides to Scholarly Writing 

Craft and Practice

• Goodson, Patricia. Becoming an Academic Writer. Sage, 2012.
• Sword, Helen. Air and Light and Time and Space: How Successful Academics Write. Harvard University Press, 2017.
  Sword interviewed many successful academics and discovered that they have many different ways of writing. What determined their success was not adhering to universal rules or disciplines, but learning and applying what worked for them. Filled with inspiring examples and a system for building your own approach.
• Toor, Rachel. Regular column on writing at The Chronicle of Higher Education.
• Sarnecka, Barbara W. The Writing Workshop: Write More, Write Better, Be Happier in Academia. 2019. (links to full text)

Building a Regular Writing Practice that Works for You

Finding time and using it wisely, setting goals, and building momentum. 

Many popular techniques and books endorse steadfast routines in the service of maximum productivity--write for 30 minutes a day, etc. While helpful, it’s also essential to remember that there are many ways to write, and that you, your process, and productivity--its meaning and metrics--will change over time. Explore practices that may work for you as your life is now, and build a repertoire of sustainable practices that adapt with you, your context, and your goals.  

• Ahern-Dodson, Jennifer and Monique Dufour. “The Productivity Trap: Why We Need a New Model of Faculty Writing Support.” 2023. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning 55:1 (24-30).
• Dufour, Monique. “A Fresh Take on the Pomodoro Technique.” 2023.
• Jensen, Joli. Write No Matter What. University of Chicago Press, 2017.
• Samuels, Ellen. “Six Ways of Looking at Crip Time.” 2017. Disability Studies Quarterly 37:3.
• Silvia, Paul. How to Write A Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Writing. APA, 2018.
  A popular and practical guide to…writing a lot. 

Revision

• Bishop, Wendy. Acts of Revision: A Guide for Writers. Heinemann, 2004.
• Davies, Peter Ho. The Art of Revision.. Grey Wolf Press, 2021. 
• Germano, William. On Revision: The Only Writing That Counts. University of Chicago Press, 2021.
  “On Revision will show you how to know when your writing is actually done—and, until it is, what you need to do to get it there.”
• Haag, Pamela. Revise: The Scholar-Writer’s Essential Guide to Tweaking, Editing, and Perfecting Your Manuscript. Yale University Press, 2021.
• Lanham, Richard A. Revising Prose.
  First published in 1979, Revising Prose may be cranky, but the techniques are effective.. Lanham dares writers to prize clarity, and then shows them how to achieve it. 
• Mikal, Jude. “How to Revise and Resubmit Without Losing Your Voice.” Inside Higher Ed, January 11, 2021. 

Style

How to write and edit for clear, engaging prose. 

• Sword, Helen. Stylish Academic Writing. Harvard University Press, 2012.
  “How to make articles and books a pleasure to read--and to write.”
• Williams, Joseph and Gregory Colomb. Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace. Pearson, 2014.
  Published in several versions--a longer one and a shorter “basics”-- and over many editions, I recommend that you begin with any edition of the basics. 

Books on Writing by Well-Known Authors

Insight into craft and process by well-known published authors. While most of these authors do not focus exclusively on scholarly writing, many faculty find these works inspiring and helpful.

• King, Stephen. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. Scribner, 2010.
  Part memoir, part craft guide, King tells the story of his writing life in a way that brings the act of creation to life in the messy, quotidian world as we know it. He narrates the audiobook, which brings the writer even closer to your desk (which, if you read this, may pushed to the corner of the room). 
• Lamott, Ann. Bird by Bird: Instructions on Writing and Life. Vintage, 1995.
  Like an overplayed song you hear again after years of relief from it, Bird by Bird remains a source of wisdom and good sentences. 
• McPhee, John. Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process. FSG, 2018.
• Tate, Claudia. Black Women Writers at Work. Haymarket Books, 2023. 

Publishing

Advice about navigating the publication process, from idea development to press.

• Germano, William. Getting It Published: A Guide for Scholars and Anyone Else Serious about Serious Books. 3rd ed. University of Chicago Press, 2016.
• Portwood-Stacer, Laura. The Book Proposal Book: A Guide for Scholarly Authors. Princeton University Press, 2021.
• Rabiner, Susan and Alfred Fortunado. Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction and Get it Published. Norton, 2002. 

Writing and Your Career

• Boice, Robert. Advice for New Faculty Members. Pearson, 2000.
• Clark, Alexander, and Baily Sousa. How to Be a Happy Academic: A Guide to Being Effective in Research, Writing and Teaching. Sage, 2018.
• Gasman, Marybeth. Candid Advice for New Faculty: A Guide to Getting Tenure and Advancing Your Academic Career. Sage, 2016.
• Selzer, Rena. The Coach's Guide for Women Professors Who Want a Successful Career and a Well Balanced Life.  Stylus, 2015.
• Silvia, Paul J. Write It Up: Practical Strategies for Writing and Publishing Journal Articles. American Psychological Association, 2014.
• Smock, Pamela J. and Robin Stephenson. Getting and Giving Career Advice: A Guide for Junior and Senior Research Faculty. University of Michigan ADVANCE Program, 2016.
  

Resources for Writers in the Sciences

The Virginia Tech Office of Research and Innovation offers support for faculty researchers. Be sure to check out their resources, events, and programs.  

The Center for Communicating Science creates and supports experiences for scientists, engineers, scholars, and health professionals to build muscles of connection, communication, and collaboration.  

• Dean, Cornelia. Am I Making Myself Clear? A Scientist’s Guide to Talking to the Public. Harvard University Press, 2012.
• Gastel, Barbara and Robert A. Day. How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper. 9th Edition. Cambridge University Press, 2024. 
• Matthews, Janice R. and Robert W. Matthews. Successful Scientific Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide for the Biological and Medical Sciences. 4th Edition. Cambridge University Press, 2014. 
• Oster, Sandra and Paul Cordo. Successful Grant Proposals in Science, Technology, and Medicine: A Guide to Writing the Narrative. Cambridge University Press, 2014.
• Schimel, Joshua. Writing Science: How to Write Papers that Get Cited and Proposals that Get Funded. Oxford University Press, 2012.
• PLOS Writers Toolbox: Valuable bi-weekly tips on writing and publishing in the sciences.