Write in manner that makes the reader turn the page

''The writer's object is - or should be - to hold the reader's attention. I want the reader to turn the page and keep on turning to the end. This is accomplished only when the narrative moves steadily ahead, not when it comes to a weary standstill, overloaded with every item uncovered in the research.'' 

- Barbara Tuchman, New York Times, February 2, 1989

Writing as Weaving

There are many metaphors we use to describe the act of writing. Today, I experience writing as weaving. I looked at the different ideas I have collected over two months and sorted over four days, and put like ideas together, and today, I started weaving some of these like ideas together, chaining them logically to other like ideas, and then putting this chunk in a position relative to other chunks.

It feels like weaving, knitting, or sewing, because I am doing intricate work. I look at the words of each idea to find similarities. For example, I see something in common between what Jackson (1995) says that teachers may deliver more than promised when they tell stories and what Benjamin (1968) says about how narrative achieves an amplitude that information lacks. Both ideas tell us that stories can give us more than what we are expecting, that there is potential in stories. So I will allow these two separate threads to intertwine into a thicker and stronger thread that will form an argument in my literature review.

Writing a journal article = Making a good argument

An argument is a discourse intended to persuade. You persuade someone by engaging their doubts and providing evidence to overcome those doubts. A journal article, then, is a piece of writing that attempts to persuade a reader to believe in something. It expresses a point of view intended to influence. (p. 82)

... Don't have streams of data without any argument. Make sure that your ideas about the data are organizing the article, not the organization of the data itself. If you have divided your article into sections that mirror the chapters of your literary subject, or the chronology of related events, or the order in which you came across the information, stop and revise. You should arrange and group the data according to what you want to argue about it. (p. 89)

The Instant Thesis
#1. Although ___________ (general statement, opposite opinion)
#2. Nevertheless ________ (thesis, your idea)
#3. Because ____________ (examples, evidence, #1, #2, #3, etc.)  

I had a eureka moment when I was reading the above text and also reading that first published article of mine. I suddenly realized that it could be the argument that gives the writer a voice. If you are simply stating data and facts and conclusions, that is a report, not a journal article. Anyone can do it, but if you are arguing something, or trying to persuade someone, that is an act of an individual, that is a thinking human voice.

Suddenly, it made sense. I used to like to organize my writing by case studies, or individual by individual, but my supervisor told me that was very boring. On hindsight, not only was it boring, it did not help me argue as well. It is not the best way to position data to prove a point.

This is truly a eureka moment for me. On hindsight, that first article was poorly written because it did not have an overriding message or argument pulling everything together. But I guess the process of writing and publishing it, brought me many gifts, including this newly learnt lesson. So I shall rest my case and not be upset over not learning this earlier anymore. :)

Belcher, W. L. (2009). Writing your journal article in 12 weeks: A guide to academic publishing success. Los Angeles: SAGE (this is amazing book!)

Writing

The thing about writing that I think we don't often talk about it the use of "tools", which I mean how sometimes an idea comes to me and I quickly latch on to it, and it leads to other ideas, but later on, I delete the first idea as it is not as relevant to my work as the ideas that followed it.

I rely a lot on tools actually. I write a lot, but I also delete a lot. It's like an expletive paragraph or sentence.

I recently read this:

We can hardly talk without the expletive, for it gives us time to shape our thoughts. But when we write, and therefore have time to revise, we ought to cast away unnecessary baggage, and that often means the expletive. We are not suggesting that you never use It is or There are - they have their uses. You just should not overuse them or fall back on them to avoid a little extra effort or thought. (Packer & Timpane, 1986, p. 219)

I'm reading up on "Writing with Economy" now...

It's something I strongly believe in... That as writers, we can respect our readers' time and energy, by writing as clearly and directly as possible. I would like to invest as much effort on copyediting as for this purpose. I believe it's not enough to have good ideas, but you need to express them well and in a timeless manner as well.

Packer, N. H. & Timpane, J. (1986) Writing worth reading: A practical guide. St. Martin's Press and New York: A Bedford Book

(This is actually surprisingly a book I really like. Not a sit down to read finish it book like Wolcott's but a now and then I need a little probing and direction, I refer to it type of book.)

Metaphor for Writing

I found a helpful metaphor that seems to nicely describe the stages of writing. It's by Carol Rosenblum Perry (2011) in her book "The Fine Art of Technical Writing".

1. Order - The Skeleton: Constructing a Stable Framework
2. Conciseness - The Body Mass: Making Every Work Count
3. Vigor - The Muscle Tone: Empowering Your Words

Perry conceptualizes writing as a living creature, like us, and all parts must work together in concert "to convey meaning and ensure the ultimate goal: clarity" (p. 19).

I am currently reworking on the skeleton of the manuscript. I am reconstructing the structure because the reviewers have asked of me many things and I find that the current structure cannot contain what they are asking of me. I am expanding the structure in some places and unfortunately (or fortunately?) have to also restructure other places in order to work in the reviewers' suggestions. To me, this is the heaviest work I have to do. Because in order to rework the skeleton, I also have to do much reading and re-reading of new and old literature but also have to go back to my data to bring in more nuances into my writing of the findings and discussion.

Once I get this out of the way, I can work on conciseness. Actually, I will probably start working on conciseness tomorrow, even though the skeleton is still not fixed, because the word count is bulging already, and I don't feel comfortable expanding anymore as I have exceeded my frame. I actually enjoy this conciseness part of writing the most... :)

The part that I may have most problem with is the last point of vigor. My English is not very good. LOL. So I sometimes (or oftentimes) lack the skill of making a sentence more powerful. I tend to write in very simple and short sentences, if you have not already noticed. So... probably when the time comes, if there is enough time, I will be relying more on Perry's book to work on my muscle tone.

Dissertation Abstract

Approaching the end. I have not written the summary/abstract of the whole thesis. Spent the morning tidying up the Conclusion.  I hope to get it done by today, as I want it to be ready for proof-reading by supervisor and a professional by Monday. One of the feedback given to me by my supervisor was that I should put in more direct quotations from the interviews in the Findings section. Alas, this aspect I have procrastinated for so long and still have only done in bits and pieces, but looks like I would sacrifice this if I have no time. I already first worked on the more important Conclusion section. Next up, I need to work on the Abstract, which is very important if you read what I typed out below for you.

But as for now, I think I should stop. On my way to church. I guess I should start preparing this heart to be at peace and ready to enter into God's house of prayer, instead of coming in with my thoughts still on my work. I will spend the coming moments thanking God, for His help in provision of many ideas that I could have completed the Conclusion section in the morning. I have been struggling with that for the longest time.

“Too often, writing this brief but important statement is left to the last minute, at which time the author dashes off a hasty synopsis that needs instead to be concise, highly informative, and carefully written. Having to encapsulate one’s major professional preoccupation of the past months – or years – into the inviolable word limit of an abstract for a journal, or of one’s dissertation study for Dissertation Abstracts, can seem like the last straw. Fortunately, it is about the last straw, a signal to celebrate that a major effort is finally nearing completion. As with anything you write, give time and thought to preparing your abstract, review it editorially, try it out on others, and ask someone to read it aloud to you. An abstract affords a valuable opportunity to inform a wide audience, to capture potential readers, and to develop or expand your interactive professional network. Whether others will pursue the reading of your complete text may depend entirely on their assessment of this tiny sample of your writing, including its style. Once again, emphasize problem and content, not fieldwork techniques.”

Writing Up Qualitative Research by Harry Wolcott, 3^rd Edition. (p. 134)

Cool Down

My draft one was not up to my expectation. It was not very coherent. But I have reached a saturation point in my mind and know that further tarrying will not help bring it forward. So I printed it out on Monday and gave it to my supervisor. It is still lacking in word count. I know it's shocking! How can it be right? Graduate students struggle with too much to say and not too little. But I think this amount is fair enough, with more thorough editing, it should reach just the right amount of 40,000. So, I'm not as long-winded as I thought. Actually I'm more often a person of few words, to be honest, especially in person. My salute to those who write books and PhD thesis. It's credible how one can keep a 100,000 over word document coherent! It takes much patience, enduring, perseverance and hard work!

So for this week, I will not touch my thesis. But I will touch it again next Monday. That will give me a 1 week cool down. So what is a cool down for a writer? What does it mean?

Distancing yourself physically from your creation allows you to disengage from it mentally. And by disengaging, you effectively separate the writing stage from the editing stage - that is, the stage in which you scrutinize and revise what you've composed. Naturally, you're always doing some editing while composing. But much of that will have been done piecemeal, without an adequate overview.

Like any break, cool-down refreshes you. Then, once refreshed, you can step back from what you've been working on to truly see it. You know what should be there, but is it really there? You know what you meant to say, but did you really say it? The perspective you gain from cooling down will help you spot and correct faults in the logic flow, trim unnecessary words, and invigorate flabby text. (p. 75)

My thesis will be due on the second week of January. That leaves me with slightly more than a month. What I learn about academic life is that we never work apart from tight deadlines. Everything I do is not done in optimal conditions, but against a backdrop of competing projects/tasks/interests/demands/commitments. It makes me appreciate academics more. Many of them produce the finest works, not in an environment of peace and ease, but under extreme pressure and stress.

Reference
Carol Rosenblum Perry, The Fine Art of Technical Writing, 2011

Introducing and defining the problem

... if the problem is not stated in a reasonable, understandable way, readers will have no interest in your solution. Even if the reader labors through your paper, which is unlikely if you haven't presented the problem in a meaningful way, he or she will be unimpressed with the brilliance of your solution... In the introduction you should have a "hook" to gain the reader's attention. Why did you choose that subject, and why is it important? - Robert A. Day and Barbara Gastel in How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper (7th ed.)

So here I am. Thesis update! Yesterday I have read through once my findings section. Yippie! That means, now my weakest section is the Literature Review, Discussion and Conclusion. Today, I am planning to work on these. But before I will do so, I want to revise/edit my Introduction so that when I write the rest, they will cohere. So here I am reminding myself the purpose of the introduction. Define the problem and entice my readers to be interested in my solution! :)

Feedback

I think I enjoy thinking about writing, sometimes more than writing itself. I am in the thick of it. I have revisited my Chapter 1 and a newly created Chapter 4 which talks about the context of Singapore. And recently, I have started revising my Chapter 5 which is findings. And now, time for a break. I read this passage in Harry Wolcott's Writing Up Qualitative Research (ed. 3 page 73):

The search for theory, like a cogent review of the literature, offers another way to link up with the prior work of others and a shorthand way to convey the gist of our interests and inquiries. This "searching" stage is where one's dissertation committee, one's faculty colleagues, even anonymous reviewers, can - but seldom do - render invaluable service. Rather than belittle the efforts of novice researchers who thrash about trying desperately to hook up with theory, those more experienced in inquiry of this kind can - and should - suggest possible leads and links. We all run the risk of getting tunnel vision when writing up our own research, failing to see the broader implications or remaining unaware of relevant work that might provide a fresh or clearer perspective. 

I like this passage because I have been the recipient of many kind feedbackers. I don't take very well to criticisms and praises. I'm like those tender reeds that break easily, though I'm put in that situation so often, I hope my skin has grown thicker. So I have been extremely blessed that people who give me feedback are always very kind. They never fail to first draw out my strengths, before showing me my weaknesses. My confirmation reviewers wrote such nice comments about my work that I hid the comments for about a year. I was so embarrassed by it. But when I took them out to read them more objectively, I found that they had given me very good directions about how to expand my work, rather than having that "tunnel vision".

I've written here a couple of times about how I broke out of that theoretical box and that mesmerization with theories. It took me one year to get out of it. But actually, early into my study, my reviewers have already pointed out that I should break out of it. As I continued my research, the part that I have wanted to distance myself most from - the context of Singapore and Asia - were what my reviewers and supervisor thought were key to my research. The more I analyze my data, the more I realized what they said were very relevant and true on hindsight.

So that was my journey. Your feedback counts. :) So invaluable to my thoughts and thinking.

"You cannot begin writting too early"

I have written many things that would probably never see the daylight (never be published). They are in varying states of disarray. Many were written not for myself, but for others, whether for my bosses or my professors. But today, I feel that while those works did not come to fruition, the writing I did seem to be really for myself.

I can write faster and with greater ease today than I could while writing those stuff in the past. Could it be possible that those rejected works were foundations upon which my current works stand?

I'm now reading an AMAZING book called "Writing Up Qualitative Research" (3rd Edition) by Harry E. Wolcott.

"Writing is not only a great way to discover what we are thinking, it is also a way to uncover lacunae in our knowledge or our thinking. Unfortunately, that means we must be prepared to catch ourselves red-handed whenever we seem not to be thinking at all. The fact should not escape us that when the writing is not going well, our still-nebulous thoughts cannot yet be expressed in words." (p. 19)

"Writing is a way to access that personal fund of information - and misinformation." (p. 21)

Here I have shifted focus to what I am currently writing, my thesis. I have started writing again. And whenever I am unsure about something I have written... I highlight it in yellow. It sits uncomfortably there. And it forces me to return to check out my assumptions and the basis upon which I wrote those sentences and to change those parts till they fit in with what I'm saying.

About two years ago, I learned a systematic method of doing a literature review. It involved a lot of reading. A year ago, I was so immersed into this reading and trying to synthesize everything I have read into a coherent whole. I found it extremely difficult to synthesize, as my reading transverses many fields, many nations and many styles. I have since given that up. I have stopped reading. And stopped obsessing about knowing enough before I can write. Fair enough, that method was good for a start and exposed me to (almost) everything there was to patriotism. But as for today, I find my reading most strategic and effective, when I begin writing. I agree with Wolcott who says:

"Not surprisingly, I regard my most effective reading as the reading I do while I am engaged in fieldwork and/or preparing a manuscript. Writing gives purpose and focus to searching for new sources and reviewing old ones. It provides pegs on which to hang relevant ideas and a basis for deciding what to retain, what to let go." (p. 18)

Another I learned through writing of manuscripts, was that my real difficulty, while initially was in producing text, but thereafter was really in reducing text. I tend to write too much. I was forced to confront this when the editor raised this issue that there was much text to cut. That episode taught me not to develop an attachment to what I write or how I think, but to be ever read to re-structure and edit, so that what I write would be interesting and easy to understand for a reader. I learned that what I want to say must align with what others want to read. So I also agree when Wolcott says:

"The major problem in writing up descriptively oriented research is not to get but to get rid of data! With writing comes the always painful task of winnowing material to a manageable length, communicating an essence rather than compiling the bulky catalog that would provide further evidence of one's painstaking thoroughness.  The greater one's commitment to letting informants offer their own interpretation of meanings and events - the emic emphasis, as it is referred to in anthropological circles - the greater the proclivity to provide lengthy accounts that dampen the enthusiasm not only of readers but of potential publishers as well. The lengthier the study, the more costly to produce it, and, correspondingly, the greater the risk of it does not attract a wide readership."

Writing as "physical, emotional, and aesthetic labour"

From my heart, I sometimes write snippets about writing on Facebook. But I want a better place to collect them. So I'm gonna add some here. Maybe more to come in the future. This is to remind me that writing is so much more than a technique and a product, it is also a craft and a process.

The difficulty with writing is oftentimes not that I do not have enough ideas but that I have too many, and I have to learn to pick and choose those that I can thread together into a beautiful necklace. This often involves abandoning some of my favorite beads that do not fit the theme of the necklace I'm stringing together. - May 5 2014

Writing is an art. Initially, I approach it with my own bare hands, molding and restructuring it into shape. Towards its completion, I come with a chisel, chipping off bits and pieces to reveal the sculpture. My work has a frame - the word limit. And like an artist, I have put in so much tears, sweat and blood into my work that any criticism is hard to bear. - 7 September 2014

Kamler and Thomson (2014) say that, "Writing is physical, emotional and aesthetic labour... Many scholars carry their scholarship deep in their psyche, bones and muscles. (p. 3)" I think so too. :)

Kamler, B. and Thomson, P. (2014) Helping doctoral students write: Pedagogies for supervision (2nd Edition) Florence, KY: Routledge

Writing the thesis

My supervisor and I recently worked on an article for a journal. It was the first time my writing and thinking was scrutinized. My pride was wounded and it hurt. But on hindsight, I am so grateful and thankful. Because those comments helped me to think clearer. It helped me to make certain decisions. It focused my thoughts. It helped situate me amongst my audience, reminding me that people who read what I write, are going to question it and going to dialogue with it. Therefore I must write with this in mind. My love goes out to the editor of the journal and the two reviewers.

It also made me desire to write one more, rather than work on the thesis. But I think they will all have to go hand in hand, together with my work work. Yes, I have to do this multitasking, at least for the next 4 months.

And I need to resume thesis writing! I am planning to wake up early to use my clearest moments to write. I read this in a book by Max Lucado (He still moves stones) yesterday in the acknowledgement section:

"You are about to entrust me with your most valuable asset - your time. I pledge to be a good steward. Though writing a book can be a like desert journey, reading a book shouldn't be. It should be a pause at the oasis. I hope it is.
Drink deeply."

This will be my manifesto. My goal is to do the difficult work of thinking and writing, such that you, my audience, will have many points of enlightenment, many points of joy with ease, when reading what I have wrote. To this end, I will strive towards. I will edit as many times as required and allowed according to my schedule, such that you have the most value for time when you read my thesis and if I do write another article, that too.

Crooked Lines

The advantage of being a slow learner is that I notice when I learn.

When I was a young writer, I struggled a lot more with the basics, such as dos and donts, such as figuring how to do citations, whether a statement required one at all.

Today, I am worried more about what I want to say and whether I can bring it across, rather than am I doing it right.

Another thing I noticed is that because of limitations of the mind, there are times when no matter how much you try to write something, it does not come out. The funny thing, is when leave your work for some time, read more literature, both related and unrelated, and go and experience more things, talk to people, ask experts, or even not touch it for a few months if you have the guts and lack of option, and when you return to your work... Something amazing has happened in your mind. You have reconceputalized that thing you are writing without even knowing it! And you see the flaws of your previous work and you have ideas for your new one.

There have been countless times when I got ideas for my work from unrelated Christian literature or listening to Ravi Zacharias podcasts. I don't know how it works, but when you're seeking something, God has a way of bringing it to you.

Writing is therefore always an act of faith for me. It is something spiritual, because it's inspired.

God has collected my tears and turn them into joy.

Warming Up The Reader

 Keep It Simple Up Front

"Do not give the reader too much complex and/or detailed information too soon. The writer is familiar with the material he or she is presenting and often forgets that the reader is not. Start where the reader is, not where you are. Be simple and direct in the first sections of a manuscript, laying the necessary groundwork for the reader to understand the more complex and detailed arguments and information later. If you want the very sophisticated reader to appreciate your knowledge and understanding of complex matters, reserve such information for later. You also might consider footnotes or appendices for such material. Keep the manuscript moving." (p. 212)

Bogdan, R. C., & Biklen, S. K. (2007), Qualitative research for education: An introduction to theories and methods, Boston: Pearson Education.

A reminder to myself as I read and re-draft the introduction chapter...

Components of the discussion

"1. Try to present the principles, relationships, and generalizations shown by the results. And bear in mind, in a good discussion, you discuss - you do not recapitulate - the results.
2. Point out any exceptions or any lack of correlation and define unsettled points. Never take the high-risk alternative of trying to cover up or fudge data that do not quite fit.
3. Show how your results and interpretations agree (or contrast) with previously published work.
4. Don't be shy; discuss the theoretical implications of your work, as well as any possible practical applications.
5. State your conclusions as clearly as possible.
6. Summarize your evidence for each conclusion. Or, as the wise old scientist will tell you, "Never assume anything except a 4 percent mortgage.

...

In showing the relationship among observed facts, you do not need to reach cosmic conclusions. Seldom will you be able to illuminate the whole truth; more often, the best you can do is shine a spotlight on one area of truth. Your one area of truth can be illuminated by your data... so exhibit your little piece of the mirror, or shine a spotlight on one area of the truth..."

Day, R. A. and Gastel, B. How to write an publish a scientific paper, Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood, 7th edition, pp. 72-75