Academic Writing Amplified

Why is it acceptable in our academic cultures to go to conferences, but less so to attend writing retreats? I'm diving in to the (evidence-based) benefits of retreats and how you can find one that works for you. Writing retreats might be viewed by some institutions as a vacation more than an important work activity, but that just isn't true! Retreats are shown to have measurable positive effects on your writing and your career. That's a win-win for everyone. In this episode of The Academic Woman Amplified I'm going deep on writing retreats to help you see the very real return on your investment. I'll walk you through the evidence-based positive outcomes, give you tips on what to look for in a retreat, and share ideas for every level of retreat, from professional to DIY. Research on Benefits of Writing Retreats Writing retreats are good for your writing and provide ongoing benefits, and there is research to back this up. A 2016 integrative review on academic writing retreats by Kornhaver, Cross, Betihavas, and Bridgman found that increased publication outputs was a measurable outcome of academic writing retreats. Five themes were linked to this outcome: 1. Protected time and space. Time apart from distractions helps with focus and reflection on writing, and not just at the retreat itself. Participating in a retreat helps participants legitimize the time needed and prioritize it as an important activity on their return to campus. What we do on our retreats: Make sure that your needs are taken care of so you don't have to devote time to things like planning meals, housekeeping, or caregiving. 2. Community of practice. A supportive cohort and social interaction provided by a writing retreat helps participants write more. Discussing ideas and common roadblocks with your peers adds tremendous value. What we do on our retreats: We provide structured times for co-writing, goal-setting and time for community and support. 3. Development of Academic Writing Competence. Another key aspect of academic writing retreats linked to increased writing output was the development of academic writing competence. Focused time to practice, and learning from other attendees or presentors adds to competence. Everyone learns differently, and exposing ourselves to new avenues of learning is priceless. What we do on our retreats: At our last retreat, we had presentations and feedback from periodicals editors, as well as time provided for peer review and feedback. 4. Intra-personal benefits. My favorite intra-personal benefit that Kornhaver et al. found was "increased self-awareness." The studies showed retreat participants learned barriers and enablers to increased writing output during their interactions with other retreat participants. What we do on our retreats: We include relaxed, peer interaction and downtime as part of our retreat structure. We also provide peer mentoring and review. "When you get academic women together across fields, mentoring happens." 5. Organizational Investment. Not surprisingly, the review found that writing retreat participants experienced longer lasting benefits when they had support from their institutions. When your institution supports you by allowing you the time to attend a retreat, or even funding your attendance, it creates a positive cycle of support and mutual benefit. What we do on our retreats: We help with goal-setting to maximize outcomes for you and your institution, and each attendee gets a one-on-one session with one of our coaches. If you need tips for how to approach professional development funding requests with your institution, be sure to listen in to Episode 7: Securing Professional Development Funding. The main outcome of this evidence-based research is this: increased publication outputs are a measurable outcome of academic writing retreats. That sounds good! "The bottom line is that you want to publish more." For another take on the benefits of retreats, see the research of Dr. Rowena Murray. She researches academic writing retreats using a social processes approach. She discusses the common purposes that writing retreats share in her book: Writing in Social Spaces: A Social Processes Approach to Academic Writing. She lists a number of essential purposes that writing retreats share, including increasing and improving outputs for research assessment or promotion. What to Look for In a Retreat A change of physical space. Make sure you are out of your usual environment, away from the usual distractions. Physical needs like food and housekeeping are met for you, or there is a plan in place to do so. There is structure, but not too much structure. Three Levels of Retreats 1. Professionally Run Retreats. The retreat I have coming up in July 2020 is a professionally run retreat. We provide lodging for a week, most meals, group activities, coaching, co-writing, goal setting, and one-on-one sessions. Retreats like this one give you all of the evidence-based positive outcomes discussed in the research linked above. Cost: $4000-$4500 If you are struggling with the idea of spending this much money, look at it as the very real investment in your career that it is. If a writing retreat moves the needle on a book, or a grant project, or receiving tenure, the payoff received in terms of higher pay over the course of your career offsets the investment pretty darn quickly! Don't forget to petition your institution to help with the cost of a retreat under professional development umbrellas. "Making investment into writing will have the biggest payoff in terms of our career." 2. Low Cost DIY Retreats. If a professionally run retreat isn't going to work for you, consider creating a retreat experience for yourself. Be sure it still has all the essential elements to look for in a retreat. Change in physical space: rent an Air BnB or a hotel for a few days. Physical needs met ahead of time: be sure to have a plan for meals ahead of time. Create a little bit of structure for yourself: an example would be to write, then walk, then eat. Repeating this cycle throughout your day gives a little structure, but not too much. 3. No (or very little) Cost DIY Retreats. If you truly can't get away, consider a working-hours-only retreat. Even in this pared down version, be sure to still include your 3 essential elements. Change of space: reserve a room in your public library or another department of your institution; go to a hotel lobby or a coffee shop where you are unlikely to know anyone. Be sure to have a plan for meals. Give yourself some structure or a plan for your day. I hope you'll come away from this episode with a lot to think about, and some good ideas for how to include some kind of writing retreat in your writing goals this year. Read on for more information about our upcoming retreat. Puerto Rico July 2020 Retreat If you've decided that the lasting benefits to your writing practice and the payoff for your career are worth investing in a professionally run retreat, consider joining me in Puerto Rico this summer! The retreat price of $4000 includes 7 days, 6 nights in a boutique hotel in Old San Juan, steps from the beach, in a culturally rich and vibrant neighborhood. Group coaching, peer mentoring, co-writing and a one-on-one coaching session for each participant are part of your program. If this sounds like a good fit for you, be sure to click here to join before 2/15/20, when the price will rise to $4500. We have 6 spaces left as of the recording of this podcast. Keep in mind that this will be our last "stand-alone" retreat… future retreats will be included in the membership for my Amplify program. Get in on future retreats by joining Amplify, my program that helps academic women go up for tenure with confidence. Click here for more information and to apply. Connect with me: Website Facebook Group Facebook Page This episode was first published at cathymazak.com/episode20.

Learn six strategies to build writing momentum and overcome guilt and overwhelm. Discover the importance of small, consistent writing sessions and creating cycles of positivity around your writing. Find out how to use 'Tiger Time' for peak productivity and set achievable goals for successful writing practice.

Challenging the traditional academic path, this podcast talks about embracing diverse journeys in academia. It highlights the importance of defining success on your own terms and discusses programs like Elevate and Amplify for supporting academic women in their careers.

Discover why the host of the podcast avoids words like 'bootcamp' and 'balance' when talking about writing. Learn about the importance of reframing writing practices and promoting a positive environment. Explore alternatives that focus on intentionality, gentleness, and community support for academic success.

Explore the benefits of New Year's resolutions for academic writers, focusing on forming habits for a better life. Learn about incremental upgrades in writing habits, theming your academic year for focus and productivity, and practical tips for improving writing routines.

Need a gift for the academic woman in your life, or ideas for what to put on your own wish list? In this episode of The Academic Woman Amplified, I'm sharing 5 of the books you should gift yourself or someone else to make this the best year yet for your professional life. The Slow Professor: Challenging the Culture of Speed in the Academy by Maggie Berg and Barbara K. Seeber The authors of The Slow Professor explain how academia is wrapped up in 'fast capitalism' and what that means. They point out patterns that show why we are being asked to do more and more with less and less time and how it leads to overwork and overwhelm. They give us ways to push back against these ideas and expectations, and point out the universal nature of these issues. I especially love the introduction and first chapter, so if you read nothing else (although it's a short read, you can do it!), be sure to read those. Click here for a copy of The Slow Professor. Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff The big idea in this book is that we go about goal-setting in the wrong way, and therefore start a lot of things we have trouble finishing. The author talks about how to change this pattern, and finish the projects that are important to us. It's funny, accessible, and full of practical wisdom. He gives concrete ideas for creating processes to set yourself up for success. Two of the methods are cutting our goals in half, and giving ourselves double the time to do them (sound familiar? He talks about a lot of the same things I do!). It's not your average productivity book. It's engaging and fun, and it's a whole new way to view goals and goal-setting. Get a copy of Finish here. Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead by Tara Mohr This is an excellent book for women in academia, and any woman who is trying to make an impact and have her voice heard. The author connects feminist history and conditioning to our current experiences as women creators and leaders. She shows us why we may have fear around "playing big", explains the different types of fear, and ideas for how to deal with our inner critics. She also makes an argument for why we should disconnect from both criticism and praise as we present our work and ideas to the world. (Hint: they both tell more about the person giving the feedback then they do about your work.) Get a copy of Playing Big here. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport The author explains the difference between "deep work" and "shallow work" and why it's important to stay in deep work as much as possible. Deep work as an academic would be writing and other creative, idea rich work. Shallow work is things like email, scheduling, and other maintenance tasks. Newport talks about the importance of boundary setting, and how to protect your deep work time. He also gives advice for how to accomplish more deep work. "When we get lost in the shallows...our energy is not going to the most useful place." Get a copy of Deep Work here. The Positioning and Making of Female Professors: Pushing Career Advancement Open (Palgrave Studies in Gender and Education) edited by Rowena Murray and Denise Mifsud This book is a collection of chapters written by women in academia, including yours truly! The journeys and theories of success in academia are told in narrative form by each woman. My chapter is "Baby's Taught Me How to do Academia: Crafting a Career in an Institution That Was Not Built for Mothers". I tell the story of my career through the births of each of my 3 children, framed through a feminist and motherhood lens. Get a copy of The Positioning and Making of Female Professors: Pushing Career Advancement Open here. This episode marks the end of my first podcasting "semester" of 15 episodes to match the 15 week semester model. I will be back after a break with a spring semester of 15 more episodes, and a summer session after that. I wish you a Happy New Year filled with growth and purpose. If you are making writing and professional development a priority in the coming year, be sure to check out https://www.cathymazak.com/ for all kind of resources and programs for pre-tenure and tenured academic women. Connect with me: Website Facebook Group Facebook Page This episode was first published at cathymazak.com/episode15.

The culture in academia sets us up to see breaks as a time to catch up or get ahead. But should you spend break time writing? My answer as a writing coach might surprise you. As the semester reaches a crescendo, tasks pile up and it seems like there's just not enough time to do it all. It gets very tempting to push things into break time. After all, you don't have teaching tasks during break, so that's the perfect time to finish those annoying tasks, right? Wrong. Break time should be just that, a break! My First Suggestion for Break Take a break! Seriously, if there is any way at all that you can do it, I urge you to completely disconnect from academia over your break. You need that restorative pause in order to come back with a fresh, energized brain that is ready to think creatively. So if you can, take your whole break off. If you feel like you just have to get something done, consider following my 3 week framework. "Disconnecting from your work is vital to not burning out." My 3 Week Framework for Break If you feel like you have to get something done over break, don't make it those undesirable, annoying tasks that you didn't want to deal with during the semester. Follow this plan and come back rested and with something accomplished that moves the needle for you. Week 1: Completely disconnect from work. Do not go in to the office, do not check email, do not read that latest article on your project. Set an auto-responder on your phone and email and STEP AWAY. Do only those things that make you feel rested and clear your mind. Weeks 2-3: Do a sprint on one project until it's done. First, choose a project. Be sure to choose something that you are able to finish, and that is satisfying for you and your career. Second, set up your sprint schedule. Make a list of tasks to do for the project, block off 1-3 hours a day to do them, and keep to your schedule. Check out this blog post for more information on how to do a writing sprint. Some Final Encouragement If you can, disconnect and choose deliberate rest for the whole break. If you can't do the whole break, take 3-7 days at an absolute minimum! Be sure to PLAN for rest and put up solid boundaries around this time. Remember, this is good for you and it's good for your work. "Taking those rests leads to better work. It's not taking away time that you could be working, it's investing in your work to take a break." Interested in more community-based ways to improve your writing? Want to go up for tenure with confidence and without overwhelm? Consider applying for my writing accelerator program, Amplify. The program is a small cohort of tenure-track women encouraging and learning from each other, with my support and writing advice. Learn more here. Connect with me: Website Facebook Group Facebook Page This episode was first published at cathymazak.com/episode14.

When you're in a season of overwhelm you might feel like all you're doing is putting out fires, and nothing is getting accomplished. On this episode I'm sharing how to work through the overwhelm and move the needle forward. Are you at a point in your semester where overwhelm is taking over? If you are having trouble figuring out where to put your energy, distinguishing between what is important and what is urgent, or you can't seem to decide what to focus on, you might be struggling with overwhelm. I've got some advice and practical ideas for cutting through the distractions and staying on track. Combating General Overwhelm When you're feeling like nothing is getting done and you can't focus, it's important to set yourself up to make progress where you can. Here are some simple ways to do that. 1. Do a brain dump. Find a place that is easy to access and write down All The Things. Put everything on this list that is bumping around in your brain and stressing you out. I recommend making the list somewhere that is easily accessible when you need to add to it, like the notes app on your phone or Trello. 2. Pick 3 things each day to get done. At the end of each day, peruse your master list of to-do's from the brain dump and pick just 3 things that can reasonably get done the next day. Be sure that you are picking small manageable tasks (grade 5 papers, read an article for review, etc.) and not projects (do all the grading, write an article, etc.). "Checking 100% of the things off the list is actually not the goal." Writing Through the Overwhelm Your writing is often one of the first things to suffer when you are in overwhelm. Getting realistic and paring back is the best way to keep your practice going. Here's how. Use your "tiger time". Tiger time is your best, most focused and energetic time. During seasons of overwhelm it's vital that you use your best time for writing. In episode 2 I walk you through the process for finding your own tiger time, and why you don't need to write everyday. Dial back to the basics. Don't try to write every day! For now, dedicate 1-2 hours per week during your tiger time to writing and no more. Things to Remember During Seasons of Overwhelm Plan in advance. Taking just 10 minutes at the end of the day to choose your 3 things for the next day will save you headache and help you focus. Be realistic about what can get done in a period of time. (Check out episode 3 for ideas on how to break writing down into manageable tasks.) Go back to basics. Dial back your writing to a few productive hours, and reign in extra time on teaching and service as well. Be gentle with yourself. Give yourself a break during these seasons, and always! We are looking for coachable, dedicated, pre-tenure women on the tenure-track who are open to our vision of an academic experience free from guilt and overwhelm to join my Amplify program. If you are interested in support and professional development and would flourish as part of a deeply connected community, click here for more information. Connect with me: Website Facebook Group Facebook Page This episode was first published at cathymazak.com/episode13.

So often our (lack of) writing makes us feel guilty and overwhelmed. Why is that? What can you do to change it up by changing the way you think about your writing and how it fits into your academic career? Guilt is the biggest killer of writing productivity for academic women. In this episode we are learning how to cultivate a positive relationship with writing by fighting back against the guilt. I'm giving you concrete ways to shift your mindset, move writing up on the priority list, and show your writing a little love. Why Do We Feel Guilty? Academic women often share with me a sense of guilt around their writing process. No one wants to do something out of a sense of guilt. The first step to eliminating those negative feelings is to drill down to some of the reasons we feel guilty in the first place. The 'shoulds'. We as women are often plagued by a long list of 'shoulds'. We feel like we 'should' have gotten more done than we did; we think we 'should' be able to manage "all the things", and we can't; we know we are "supposed to" write, but don't really know how and feel like something is wrong with us. Writing is seen as a high-stakes gatekeeper, not something joyful. Dissertations get you a PhD, article writing is part of the tenure process.. we've all heard the phrase "publish or perish". Pressure builds pretty quickly when we only see writing as something standing between us and our dreams. We don't feel like we deserve to take the extra time. Take a look at other times in your life where you feel guilty. Going to the gym? Taking time for yourself? As women we often struggle with putting our own priorities at the top of the list. "You deserve to spend that time invested in your own self-development and your own career development." How to Combat Guilt and Align Everything to Your Writing So what can we do to fight back against those feelings of guilt? How can you move writing up the list of your priorities to the spot it deserves without getting burned out? I have some ideas for you. (If you haven't listened to episode 6 yet, head here for my thoughts on what it means to put writing at the center of your career) Start with an Academic Mission Statement. When you can link your writing back to your fundamental purpose in academia, you will be reminded of why it's so important, and worthy of your time and energy. Click here to read my post about how to craft your own academic mission statement. Align other academic responsibilities to your writing. One semester, I was able to combine student participation in classes with research and reading for a grant project I was conducting. The students were given real-world experience and up-to-the minute information, and I was able to use class and prep time to further my writing goals (remember: writing includes all the tasks you need to do in order to produce finished work, including research, preparation, etc.). Writing and research drove my semester; I incorporated it into my teaching instead of feeling like it was getting in the way of my teaching. Love your writing, it will love you back. Feeling good about writing doesn't happen by accident, as I discussed in Episode 5. But when you make the choice to invest in yourself and your writing by listening to podcasts (like this one!), or finding professional development opportunities, it will pay off. "If you center your writing, everything else falls into place." Your Next Step to Combat Writing Guilt If you're ready to fight the culture of guilt and overwork, grow your writing proficiency, and go up for tenure with confidence, click here to apply for my Amplify: Faculty Writing Accelerator program. We'll walk you through the application process to see if you are a good fit for our year-long, small cohort program. Connect with me: Website Facebook Group Facebook Page This episode was first published at cathymazak.com/episode12.

Sometimes it feels like writing and teaching are at odds in our academic lives, but they're not! There are ways to level out your teaching tasks, create more room for all your responsibilities, and give yourself a more comfortable semester experience. When you are in the throes of the busiest times of your semester, you may feel overwhelmed, like you can't possibly keep balancing all the different plates you have in the air. You might be behind on grading, swamped with prep, and doing more hand-holding for students who are also feeling the crunch. On episode 10, I talked about how to approach these times in the semester and still keep your writing in your plans. On this episode, I'm talking about teaching; survival tips to manage your teaching right now, and ideas for creating more space in the future. Creating Breathing Room in Your Teaching Right Now Here are some ways to manage teaching to give you a little space to breath. Remember that tweaking things to make them doable at this stage in the semester is ok and understandable. Re-evaluate how you are doing assignments and assessments. Drop assignments if possible, change your grading strategy (pass/fail, less feedback, make something in-class instead of take home), look for any way to take some of that grading weight off your plate. Corral your prep. At times like these, it is ok to not be the 'ultimate expert', and to just stay two steps ahead of your students. In order to keep your prep time from ballooning out and taking too much time, schedule it up against a firm boundary, like class time. Build more participation into your class time. This is a win-win, because it alleviates the burden of preparing a full out lecture, while letting the students have a chance to really engage with the material and each other. "A lot of times we feel like we need to be the end-all and be-all experts, and we don't." Creating Time Savings in Teaching in Advance When you get ready to start planning your teaching for next semester, or for the next time you'll be teaching a particular class, remember what this busy time of the semester was like. Reflect in advance on where your focus will be in a given period, and do future-you a favor by implementing some of these ideas: Corral your prep. This one is important whether you're in survival or planning mode. Don't let prep time take more time than it should. Don't reinvent the wheel: re-use systems, templates and themes. Plan to re-use templates for assessments and assignments and use long form or response heavy formats only when really necessary. Set up structures that you can re-use between classes and/or from semester to semester. Get creative about keeping up on readings, for you and your students. Assign readings that you are interested in and want to read for your own work! This is a win-win: you get an added motivator and time-saver, and the students get to stay up on cutting edge information. Also consider having students present on the assigned readings and lead class discussion. Create opportunities for "in-the-moment" assessments. Use apps or digital assessment tools, check off work or participation on the fly, anything that cuts down on the pile of paper you need to bring home. "You can't do everything at level ten out of ten all the time." My Amplify program is now open for enrollment! If you're looking for help and support to organize your academic life while keeping up a productive pipeline of writing and publishing, and providing high quality educational instruction to your students, this could be the place for you. For more information and to apply for Amplify: Faculty Writing Accelerator, click here. Connect with me: Website Facebook Group Facebook Page This episode was first published at cathymazak.com/episode11.