There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed. ~Hemingway
I’m going to let you in on a secret, dear reader.
Writing is hard for me.
Before you click unsubscribe on Publish Not Perish because I haven’t got it all figured out, hear me out!
In academic writing, we often have to think through complicated ideas in new ways. This work is inherently hard, requires a lot of refined thinking, and lacks full clarity in early drafts. We all, of course, know this as intimately as Hemingway did, but many of us still retreat when writing gets tough. We often doubt our own abilities to produce good work and assume that it’s not as difficult for others as is is for us.
Today’s post encourages us all to push through the pain points in writing instead of retreating from them. I advocate for the development of a reflective practice that will assist you in learning from difficult writing moments and better understanding yourself as a writer.
Yes, I’m urging you to write about writing.