The Writing Workshop: Write More, Write Better, Be Happier in Academia

Ok, so I've read A LOT of books about how to be a successful graduate student/early career academic. This is one of the most useful I've purchased. When I got to graduate school I realized that I 'faked it till I made it' as an undergrad but really lacked the skills I needed to read/write/produce the way expected if I want a career in academia. Since my university (as most) don't offer much in the way of building these skills (Cause they are skills to learn! No one is naturally born with the ability to write academic papers!) I looked for outside sources. Most of what I found were about writing blocks and time planning, which is useful, but I needed more. Enter this book. It has some of that (Although with a bunch of unique tips I haven't seen other places!) and more. It really starts with a broad picture of writing and then focuses in all the way down to word choice. It's really amazing. And her templates on her website are super useful!After reading this book, I introduced it to my department's productivity group and we're all reading it together this summer. Its a source all of us feel we'll go back to over and over. I've already incorporated a few things from the book into my life. I now have a term IDP, I work with topic-sentence outlines (which actually gets me faster feedback from my advisor), started a writing group that uses a shared accountability spreadsheet, and we're trying to get our department on board with doing a rejection log (we're broke grad students and we're hoping they'll buy the cake).I really don't have any criticisms or anything that I feel needs improvement. I think anyone serious about academic writing will benefit from this book.

We started reading this book in our (computational neuroscience/maths) lab in an effort to improve writing abilities, and when I first started reading it, it was not at all what I expected. It started very generally on the psychological aspects of academic writing - what can I say, every word Sarnecka writes, is hands-down true. The more technical writing tips further down the road are practical, if sometimes a bit pitched towards psychological research. Particularly useful is her systematic 'recipe' for literature research - this is what will turn starting a new research project into a fruitful endeavor! In essence, an absolute must-read if you want to get the hang on academic writing! If you're a student and want to do research, then reading this book is absolutely recommended (because "writing is thinking"), and if you're a PI (or other kind of academic mentor), you might want to think about recommending this to your students.

I’ve followed Dr. Sarnecka’s writing blog for some time now, and I bought this book the moment it was announced. The intended audience appears to be graduate students, but researchers at all career stages can take away something from this book! For reference, I am a psychology post-doc with eight years of writing tutor experience.The book provides great chapters on the elements of good scientific writing (paragraphs, sentences, words) - as a writing tutor, not much in these chapters came as a surprise to me. I did, however, find the first few chapters (the workshop, planning your time, the practice of writing) to be insightful and encouraging. A year or so ago, I had started keeping a rejection list inspiring by the blog. And, after reading the book now, I immediately created a 3-year post-doc IDP (individual development plan) and a term plan. I’m excited to come back to this book throughout my career, especially as I design my own writing workshop as a (future) faculty member!

This is an absolutely fun book to read about writing and about how to survive in academia. I got to read it after I passed my comprehensive exam. It is very helpful to my transition to the dissertation proposal, reminding me how to write every section of a research paper. You might find many suggestions are familiar because you probably have heard many times from your own advisors and from other books. However, with the examples that Dr.Sarnecka provided, I found myself no longer alone in this writing journey. This makes me feel much better and more positive about writing. I have recommended this book to the graduate students and colleagues within my department, and you, as well. :)

I stumbled upon Dr. Sarnecka's blog while looking for some advice on how to write a literature review. Her blog was incredibly well written, and she mentioned that she just published a book that expanded greatly on her posts. The Writing Workshop is an amazing book on multiple levels: it offers a guide to writing, living, and thriving in science. This book may seem like it's about writing, but it's really about becoming a healthy, productive, and therefore successful academic. As I have just finished my Master's and am looking to get a PhD, I feel like I couldn't have found Dr. Sarnecka's book at a more perfect time.

This book should be required reading for everyone in academia. Sarnecka does an incredible job breaking down the writing process - from why it is so difficult for us to handle, to advice organize time and goals, to tips for how we should tackle different sections of an academic paper. Writing is such an integral part of the research process and no one ever takes the time to explain it as clearly as she does. My only regret is not reading it sooner!

I am a grad student in psychology and my writing, productivity, and wellbeing have all improved from implementing the advice in this book. Individual Development Plans (IDPs) have released me from the never ending todo lists that used to haunt my life. If you’re a grad student or postdoc, drop everything and make one. We also started a writing workshop in my department based on the guidelines in this book and it is still one of the things I most look forward to every week. This book is a gift to all struggling trainees. Ninja writers unite!!

As an early career researcher struggling with academic writing, I found this book quite useful. After each reading session, I close the book with a motivation to write and compassion for myself. I think this book is a "must-have" book for graduate students and early career researchers because it not only teaches how to write but also how to be patient about your own progress and how to cherish your efforts. Thank you for all the effort Dr. Sarnecka!

Fantastic book, well written and easy to follow (and enjoy). Great advice! Must have for any student at any level!

Dr. Sarnecka has written a very useful, interesting, and entertaining book. If you are an academic writer, you will appreciate the many tips and the positive framework. Get it!