academic writing book
As well as books written specifically for academics, some general books on nonfiction writing and English grammar are essential to all researchers and students who want to learn how to write research proposals, essays, papers, dissertations, reviews, or their memoirs after surviving grad school.
Thanks to K.S. for suggesting that I write this post. Thanks to I.G. for many enjoyable discussions over Skype about Helen Sword’s book and academic writing in general.
In On Writing, classic horror master Stephen King offers the story of his life and how he used his experiences to master his craft. While King is a known fiction writer, his techniques and advice can apply to anything you write— even academic writing. His love of sharing a good story will be contagious as you turn each page of this book.
In Bird by Bird, writer Anne Lamott tells her memoir and the story of how she honed in on her craft, becoming the writer she always wanted to be. She provides amazing writing tips that can help anyone, no matter what subject you’re writing about, while also incorporating sound pieces of life advice thrown in the mix. Not only is her writing funny and entertaining, it’s also extremely helpful and the tips are hard to beat.
Using a lucid conversational style, the authors talk of the challenges that most writers face and offer a systematic approach to overcome it. Broadly divided in three parts, the book covers all the essentials that go in the generation of academic papers….Throughout the text, the authors have used extracts from student assignments, making it more readable and comprehensible from the student’s perspective.
Using a lucid conversational style, the authors talk of the challenges that most writers face and offer a systematic approach to overcome it. Broadly divided in three parts, the book covers all the essentials that go in the generation of academic papers….Throughout the text, the authors have used extracts from student assignments, making it more readable and comprehensible from the student’s perspective. The elaborate analysis that follows each extract helps the reader master the skill of reviewing not only others’ works but also their own writing. While all the three parts of the book are interconnected, each unit can be read and assimilated as independent unit. Additional resources provided in Appendix 2 are a valuable add-on. This small, crisp book can be recommended for everyone who wants to master the skill of writing well. It is a ‘must read’ for all management students and researchers for whom project reports and term papers from part of the academic curriculum.
Silvia is a professor of psychology in America. He also focuses on scheduling, looking at goals, priorities, and ways to monitor progress, and again his book is lightly referenced. The voice is chatty, informal, often amusing, and the index is adequate. Silvia suggests setting up a writers’ support group as ‘a constructive source of social pressure’ (p 56). Only half of the book is focused on productivity, the other half addresses writing style and gives advice specific to writing academic journal articles and books. The short concluding chapter comes back to productivity and reminds the reader to set a schedule, get on with it, and keep making progress.
Finding Time For Your Scholarly Writing: A Short Guide. Jo Van Every, 2018, self-published e-book. $3.75. (paperback coming soon)
These 14 books are great reads for academic writers. Use them for inspiration, ideas, and to jumpstart your writing. Read on.
What books do you find worth reading? Share them below!
References:
http://www.homeworkhelpglobal.com/ca/blog/5-academic-writing-books-that-will-help-your-academic-writing/
http://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/academic-writing/book235182
http://helenkara.com/2018/04/17/books-on-academic-writing-productivity/
http://blog.taaonline.net/2014/04/12-books-worth-reading-for-academic-writers/