How does Becker’s book match
up to your expectations for a book claiming to teach you how to: “start and
finish your thesis, book, or article?” Keep in mind that in spite of this
negative-seeming prompt that I find the book to be worthwhile enough to assign
it!
6 comments:
Hi, all. Cat here. I do like how Becker demystifies academic writing. I also appreciate that there’s something for everyone in this book whether you're a student, a faculty member, and so on. A few chapters seem a little premature to me, but if I survive this process I bet they’ll come in handy one day. (I can tell which bits make sense to me now: there are copious margin notes in chapters 1-4 but very few in later chapters. I think this book will remain on my shelf for a while.) I’m not sure I really had specific expectations before reading it, but let’s just say I feel a little less alone now.
The only other book I’ve read about writing is Anne Lamott’s “Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life” It’s really about writing fiction, but there are moments Becker would probably enjoy, such as this bit: “Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a sh***y first draft.” (Sorry for the asterisks. I didn’t want to use blue language in my blog post. Take it up with Lamott!)
Dana Brookover-
Becker definitely has some interesting perspectives on writing I have not heard before: "Use the literature, don't let it use you" (very new idea for me/ lots of us I'm sure), don't get pulled into trying to sound "classy", JUST WRITE ANYTHING, find your people who you can mutually take risks with and give and receive feedback, and "getting it out the door." These all seem like "simple" suggestions for such a bold claim to teach you how to start and finish your thesis, book, or article.. but it clearly has spoken to generations of writers. Like Cat said, some of it seems premature for me to fully understand; I think much of the book is geared for people who are writing about what they truly want to be known for- I'm still a little bit in that student stage of writing on assigned topics that are less flexible. I'm sure soon it will be more applicable and I hope I be excited about writing and ready to "get it out the door" in its time.
Becker
Becker's approach both eased my mind about academic writing and gave a "peak behind the curtain" (yes, I know this is a metaphor) for a glimpse of what's to come. While I'm still a fan of a poignant metaphor, I can see the purpose of being as clear and concise with one's writing as possible. I think we can agree that no one likes the "B.S. in life" (not Bachelors of Science, the other B.S.).
Clear, Concise, Convincingly, Courage, & Commitment
I see this the same as no one wants to read all of the fluff in research. Clear, concise, and convincingly would be the appropriate "C's" to take away from the Becker read. A 4th Becker "C" would be Courage to actually initiate and formulate the writing. While the 5th "C" takeaway, for me, would be Commitment to write. The best way to get better as a writer (and a doctoral student) is to write (and read) to hone the craft. From the Final Word, "Reading this book won’t solve all your writing problems.... but you might get some ideas about how to solve them, or at least start working on them."
This book exceeded my expectations for helpful guidance in how to tackle academic writing. I was expecting a rather dry read with formulas and lots of “don’t” lists. However, Becker kept things real and got into the nitty gritty of the process and context of academic writing.
A few weeks back I tried out his suggestion to use free association in my first draft, then organized my thoughts into an outline I reviewed with my peers and faculty mentor. I was surprised how helpful and manageable each step was compared to my usual method of procrastination and house cleaning! Viewing peer review as one step in a long revision process made it a productive and positive meeting.
I haven’t had an opportunity to try out how this book might help me get a paper “out the door” but based on how it’s worked for me in the past, I feel like it will in future.
I’ve read other how-to resources on the technical aspects of writing (like using active voice and consistent terms), but none has addressed the emotional and mental barriers that come along with academic writing. I appreciated the reminder to have the courage to be imperfect and risk vulnerability in a highly perfectionistic and demanding profession. The last chapter really brought home Becker’s message that to really start and finish a paper, I have to write, try out different techniques, surround myself with helpful folks, and realize what is mine to own and what is my discipline.
-Rachel Regal
Erin Hanley
For me, Becker was a nice additional layer to what seemed to be the start of the semester: "you need to write!" Whether it is being published or beginning personal dissertations, everyone emphasizes putting pen to paper. It still seems to be such a broad concept, one everyone says needs to happen without telling exactly how or where to begin. Instead of hearing, "Try not to worry! We'll cross that bridge when we get there!," Becker tells us where the bridge may be, what it might look like, and a few potential ways to stumble across. (Or at least how to make crossing a lot less confusing and scary.) At a time where so much of learning seems to be feeling things out (or making educated guesses), it was nice to have a semblance of guided steps on something I am expected to do, and do well. Becker actually breaks down the steps that can help make writing happen, and pinpoints the barriers likely to be faced along the way.
A certain level of honesty and reality has been missing from previous advice about 'needing to write.' I personally needed to hear that the anxiety that can come with writing - or even sharing writing - is not just a 'me' thing, that forcing yourself to write absolutely anything down is not a horrible way to get started, and that both putting something out quickly and holding onto it for too long are common behaviors that I can change, cultivate, or challenge, should I choose.
I see this book helping me in more ways than one, not just as a writer but as an academic, and even a professional. Yes, it is important to write, but should I really publish just to say I'm published? Should I stick to the writing constraints of popular journals in my field, or seek out other, smaller publications? Should I really fear peer workshops and write in isolation? I believe these are questions I will continue to ask myself, and that I will turn to this book to help find answers.
Andrea Moreau
I found Becker’s book to match up with my expectations of learning about academic writing. During my master’s program, I did an independent study with my advisor at the time. I spent the entire semester working on creating and crafting a literature review for an article. I can’t even remember how many times I reworked that piece of writing and this practice helped me realize that scholarly writing is a cyclical process. Your writing can always be better or tweaked, however at some point, one must step back and be willing to submit for publication or nothing would ever be published. What I found most helpful in the book was the suggestion of writing everything down first, don’t worry about an outline, just get what is in your head down on paper. I often get ‘held up’ in my writing when I start, I try to craft what I am going to say in my head before putting it down on paper. Moving forward, I plan on pouring all of my thoughts out before agonizing about the structure of my paragraph or argument.
In the last chapter of the paragraph Becker revisits what social scientist Orwell discusses in the “Politics and the English Language” (1954), who argues that “the pressure to disguise political realities led officials and their supporters to write in a way that disguised rather than communicated” (p 175). My goal when writing is to be as concise and clear as possible so the reader can understand the argument I am trying to convey. I have never been one to use flowery language or as Orwell describes it, “manipulated stylistic devices to sounds ‘scientific’, particularly nothing how passive constructions could produce a façade…” (p 15). It was nice to see Becker defend a concise writing style since it is the one I find myself most comfortable with. Overall a great book and very useful read.
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