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News
July, 2007
Last May,we co-led a presentation on taking a coaching approach to burnout
prevention and treatment at the Western New England College Social Work
Conference. This summer we have added two ongoing Publish and Thrive groups
for academic writers as a follow up to a couple of single-session, free
Publish and Thrive workshops for untenured college faculty and other academic
writers offered in June. We also conducted a How To workshop
on Poster Sessions.
We’re
still enjoying our new, expanded office suite. This bright, two-room,
disability accessible area has plenty of space for groups and
for our extensive library of books related to writing, publishing,
journaling, coaching, and memoir.
Centrally located in downtown Northampton,
Massachusetts, we can be reached by public transportation
and are close to plentiful parking as well as nearby bookstores
and coffee shops for browsing before or after your appointment
(if you choose an in-office session).
Having worked with graduate students and academics from as far
away as Hawaii and Europe, Write on MBA communicates mainly
by phone, email, and US Postal Service. We are expanding the practice
to reach aspiring authors and people who want to move ahead in
their nonfiction writing from all over the US—thus this web
site to acquaint you with
our services.
As a service to people who visit our web site, we offer
monthly tips on moving ahead in your writing. To get started,
check out our 10 Suggestions to Getting Your
Writing Unblocked and/or feel free to print the Resources listed
below. |
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Resources
At Write On MBA, we care about helping you develop skills you can
take with you into the future as well as providing help coaching
you to the completion of your current project. To this end, we offer
the following reading list with notes and web site addresses (where
available).
For more complete bibliographies about theses and dissertations, overcoming
learning challenges, and getting published, please contact
Write On MBA with your question(s). |
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Style
Manuals and Other Print Resources
American Psychological
Association. (2001). Publication Manual, fifth edition.
Washington, DC: APA. Softcover, 439 pp.
The
Chicago Manual of Style: The essential guide for writers, editors,
and publishers, 15th edition. (2003). Chicago: University
of Chicago Press. Hardcover, 921 pages.
Day, R. A. (1998). How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper,
5th edition. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press. Softcover, 275 pages. *Most
useful to biologists and MDs.
Dodd, J. S. (ed.) (1998). ACS Style Guide: A manual for authors
and editors, 2nd edition. Washington, DC: American Chemical Society.
Softcover, 460 pages.
Furman,
R. (2007). Practical Tips for Publishing Scholarly Articles.
Chicago: Lyceum.
Gibaldi, J. (2003). MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th edition. Modern
Language Association of America. Softcover, 361 pages.
Gray,
T. (2005). Publish & Flourish: Become a prolific scholar. Las
Cruces, NM: New Mexico State University Teaching Academy. Softcover,
132 pp.
Hull, E. J. (1994). Scientific Style and Format: The CBE manual
for authors, editors, and publishers, 6th edition.
Cambridge University Press. Hardcover, 825 pages. *This style
manual for biologists now covers the physical sciences and mathematics
as well as the life sciences.
Mooney, J., & Cole, D. (2000). Learning Outside the Lines:
Two ivy league students with learning disabilities and ADHD give you
the tools for academic success and educational revolution.
New York: Fireside (Simon & Schuster). *An easy and irreverent
read.
Page, S. (1997). The Shortest Distance Between You and a Published
Book. Broadway Books. Softcover, 288 pp. *Excellent list
of steps to follow.
Wilhelm,
K. (2005). Storyteller: Writing lessons and more from 27 years
of the Clarion Writers' Workshop. Northampton, MA: Small Beer Press.
Softcover, 191 pp. |
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Mary
Beth's 10 SUGGESTIONS TO GET YOUR WRITING UNBLOCKED™ |
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Many
people who contact Write On MBA are struggling with writing blocks.
If you fall into that category, the suggestions below may help you. |
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-
Write. Start with something you can do, such as 15 minute
intervals of putting new words on paper (or computer screen).
Try keeping a daily journal.
- If
just writing doesn’t work for you, start by drawing a
web of ideas or making a list as a way to jog your mind.
- Have
fun writing. Put your thoughts down as poetry or "free
write," to rekindle your enjoyment of the craft/activity.
- Prioritize.
If you are serious about completing your book, article, story,
poem, etc., you may need to see this as a job. Go "to work."
Limit your phone calls and social email time during writing hours.
What nonverbal signals can you give other members of your household
or workplace not to interrupt you?
- Take
good care of yourself. Balance your writing, a solitary activity,
with the social interactions and emotional closeness you need.
Enough sleep, regular meals, and daily exercise are not "luxuries,"
but writing aids.
- Break
your work down into doable pieces. They will add up. Concentrate
on just this paragraph, page or chapter. Work from an outline
or writing web. Set a timer for writing intervals followed by
timed, planned breaks.
- Give
yourself positive feedback for the work you have done, rather
than unending criticism or worry about what remains to be done.
- Join
a writer’s group. Solidarity helps. Knowing you have
made a commitment to have something in particular done by the
next meeting may give you the drive to get it done.
- If
you are feeling burned out, or you are not getting any joy from
your writing, consider taking a planned vacation from writing
(either all writing, or just the "work").
- Get
writing coaching help with the stuff that’s holding
you back or with behavioral techniques to get you going again.
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