How to write clearly and concisely
Students want their text to get to the point, and for their argument to be easy to understand. Their writing needs to be clear and concise.
Getting through sticking points in your PhD thesis
In the final phase of your PhD, approach late-stage setbacks in practical ways to distract from the doubts.
How to make cuts
The main point of cutting back a piece of writing is to make your work more impactful—more energetic and more persuasive.
Where is your reader?
When you're writing, picture yourself working in a room and re-position your imagined reader as you progress.
Think like a writer
Connect with your writerly self and try thinking about your writing in the way that professional writers do.
Planning, writing and editing: a helpful approach
You might be surprised to learn that it could be more efficient to spend less time on drafting and longer on other aspects of your writing.
Finding your faults
When we edit, most of us simply read the text, line by line, correcting as we go. But it can be more effective to read for one kind of fault at a time.
The art and craft of editing
Use focussed tasks to turn editing from a fuzzy, depressing process into a proactive, task-based operation with clear goals.
Evidence for eyes and ears: teaching sentence style online
When re-designing workshops for online delivery, I try to exploit the auditory and visual potential of the platform to enhance what I’m communicating.
Working with your word limit
Cherise Saywell When coaching students nervous about the blank page, I’ve often used the word limit as a technique for getting started. A big project, such as a PhD thesis, is less intimidating once you break it down. For example,…