Post 149. How To Write With Impact. November 18, 2024
Dear Real Academics,
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Happy writing, productivity, and truth-seeking! — Maggie and the Team
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Pic of the Week
Orchid living symbiotically on the bark of this large tree on the FIU Campus.
Tip of the Week
About a month ago, I listened to an interview of Malcolm Gladwell.
If you are not familiar with Gladwell, he is the author of New York Times best selling books, including The Tipping Point and Outliers.
Learn more about him here: https://www.gladwellbooks.com/
In the first 20 minutes of the interview, Gladwell was asked about his writing, and the very first question was about his approach to writing.
His answer made me think about how academics can have more impact with their writing.
In essence, Gladwell’s approach to writing is simple but profound:
(1) have a question you want to answer and
(2) have a story you want to tell.
In thinking about your academic writing:
What is the question you want to answer?
What is the story you want to tell? (and how are you going to tell it?)
If more academics could answer these questions, it would make for potentially more compelling and more intriguing research and writing (i.e., more impactful!).
The full podcast interview is here:
In Closing…
What about you? What are your thoughts on how you can make your academic writing more impactful?
I’d love to know! If you are able, please leave a comment. If not, please email me at inforealacademics@gmail.com
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