the guide to gremlins:

learning to love (or live with) your academic gremlins

there are some thought patterns - or gremlins - that can haunt an academic, making everything so much harder.

and one of the best ways to get rid of gremlins is to get to know them.

i work with graduate students every day who have internalized the idea that they're bad writers - and when you believe that, almost every part of graduate school is harder.

but often, the problem is that the skills, techniques, and moves of academic argumentation aren't explicitly taught, and grads are left to extrapolate from feedback and criticism what they can work on in their own writing.

so i created this six week seminar to help give actual instruction around academic writing, with exercises, workbooks, video lessons, and support to help you improve the strength of your arguments, the clarity of your thinking, and to bring your voice and contributions to the forefront. new lessons available once a week so you don't get overwhelmed, and you can keep the material forever, so that it's always there when you need it.

here is the outline for all six lessons, each with video material, workbooks, and exercises to guide you!

week one: what makes strong writing in your field?
let's look at the writing that inspires you, figure out what about it works, and how you can start to work towards that, but in your own way!

week two: templates, maps, and outlines
part of the mystery is figuring out the structure of what you're trying to say, and how you might say it. we'll look at all kinds of tools to help you map out a path between "blank document" and "it's done and published yay!"

week three: working with the literature
for better or for worse, strong academic writing positions itself in the conversations already happening in the field and discipline. learn how to work with the literature, and not drown in it! 

week four: supporting your claims
there's your argument, and then there's the evidence you need to back it up. learn how to find the balance between argument and evidence to make a clear, compelling case for your ideas.

week five: bravery and boldness
academic writing requires some bravery - saying what you mean without undercutting yourself, and maybe even disagreeing with powerful people. learn ways to identify meekness in your writing, and feel confident in your voice.

week six: when to break the rules
ultimately, the goal is not to replicate someone else's voice - the goal is to find your own, and strengthen it. we'll talk this week about when to break the rules, and how to build a sense of authenticity in your work so that people KNOW it's you!