My feed
Premium
Please
or
to access all these features

Academic common room

Roll up roll up Autumn Writing Challenge!

221 replies

bigkidsdidit · 25/09/2017 18:40

Welcome everyone to Autumn Writing. Post your targets to be done before Christmas. Small or large!

OP posts:
Report
CocoaIsGone · 09/10/2017 12:27

I have done 800 words so far... but I have hit a wall on how to progress that section.

I am now going back to the section I did not write on Friday. I have two hours or so to make progress.

Good luck with targets this week!

Report
Hatstand · 09/10/2017 12:45

Well done bigkids!

Report
Hatstand · 09/10/2017 12:45

Well done bigkids!

Report
worstofbothworlds · 09/10/2017 13:00

Niggly little grant bits. What will this person do. What will this other person do. How about this one. Why is your grant fabulous (read the effing proposal!).
Kill me now.
I'm aiming to have all the "person" sections finished today except for one CV that I don't have yet.

Report
worstofbothworlds · 09/10/2017 17:14

Nope - still one person's "role" to do and they are the person I know least about.
Can I put "they will take all the glory and do none of the work"?

Few niggly bits on a paper that I thought was done and dusted.

Lecture written (but it's a first year one and slightly handwaving).

Let's see if I can get this final role done before I have to go and pick up the DC and then I'll go on to "context" and "objectives" and maybe some papers if I'm lucky tomorrow.

Report
Yogafire · 09/10/2017 21:35

Just started up again. I practically never work in the evenings but I am determined to hit targets, or at least not miss them by too much so this monograph does not drag on too long after xmas. If I can write a few crap paras now and edit tomorrow I'll be happy... My eyes are very heavy though

Report
Yogafire · 11/10/2017 13:57

I'm into the review stage (first half of book). This is the bit when I probably get very depressed

Report
Hatstand · 11/10/2017 14:23

Managed around 500 words today while baby napped. Aiming to add another 2000 or so and get one article done by the end of October. I may pay for that long naptime later tonight though...

Report
NeverEverAnythingEver · 11/10/2017 14:53

I'm not sure I can remember what I was supposed to be writing ... That's the problem - you write, and then deal with a million other stuff, and then you forget where you were. Or is it just me?

Report
bigkidsdidit · 11/10/2017 16:06

For that reason I hAve a lovely big pad by my computer with tear off sheets. One sheet per paper, saying things like 'paper one - tues finished analysis for figure 1. Next - tidy up figure and write legend. Future - read the papers tagged in endnote for this section and analyse March experiments to see if they fit'

It took me ages to realise I needed to jot down what I was doing on each one

OP posts:
Report
bigkidsdidit · 11/10/2017 16:21

Today I managed half an hour on one of my HEA assignments. I am going to finish and submit that tomorrow (maybe another 2 hours). I'm off for most of half term and I don't want it hanging over me.

OP posts:
Report
JustAnotherManicUsername · 11/10/2017 17:23

That sounds like a very good plan, bigkids. I really struggle with getting my focus back after a break. At them moment I'm trying to do at least 1 pomodoro (pathetic, I know!) on my paper every day, so as to reduce that problem. Today's just led to getting in a state about it again and deleting some things I'd written yesterday but I try to tell myself that that's all part of the process. I know I have to go through all the self-doubt and turmoil to get to the final version of the paper. Hate the process though...

Report
bigkidsdidit · 12/10/2017 11:46

I have sent my HEA piece to my mentor, and had a brilliant idea for another (I have to write 8). So I am trying to do two pomodoros on that before life takes over.

OP posts:
Report
worstofbothworlds · 12/10/2017 12:19

I have a desk diary (old school!) but I only write in the day's tasks/appointments.

Today's writing - on to grant no, er, 4? Not sure at this stage. Have handed over the Really Annoying Bits (TM) for grant, er, 3 to colleagues but I have a feeling they are about to hand them back.

In theory I also want to get stuck in to writing a paper but in practice I don't know which one/where to start.

Report
CocoaIsGone · 12/10/2017 12:33

Well, I just found out someone has published a paper (December 2017 early view) which covers something of what I am writing... so I need to read that. Rather annoyingly they have not referenced a paper I already published on the subject, despite using some of the same primary data Angry
But at least I found their paper before I submitted this one.
Happy days.

Report
worstofbothworlds · 12/10/2017 14:18

Still absolutely no writing done today. I forgot how many people want to pop in and see me when I'm not on sabbatical...

Report
worstofbothworlds · 12/10/2017 18:22

Total today:
1/2 hour slots done on grant: 2
Appointments forgotten: 2
Ex students nagged: 1
Academics nagged: 1 (me. I need to write more papers and be more realistic and set more deadlines for myself. You can be my witnesses).

Report
JustAnotherManicUsername · 13/10/2017 11:52

Okay, completely lost most of my supposed writing morning to a piece of admin because someone else had missed their deadline, meaning I couldn't do the final piece of the job until now. Grrr. I suppose I should have written in the time I'd expected to spend on the admin yesterday but somehow there wasn't time (and probably I just couldn't face it).

But, I have some time now. I wil aim for 1 pomodoro before lunch, focusing on the intro to the article.

Report
Yogafire · 13/10/2017 14:35

I've reviewed the draft so far. I have more work ahead than I hoped : (

Report
JustAnotherManicUsername · 13/10/2017 16:00

I have done enough to send my paper on to two colleagues for review before I send it back to the journal. I'm still not very happy with it but I just needed to get shot of it for a bit. We'll see.

Hope everyone gets some time off over the weekend - I'm not going to do any work at all.

Report
CocoaIsGone · 13/10/2017 16:56

Yoga i am in the same position. I have set myself the deadline of asking a colleague to read it by Monday, though. I have one section still to finish and a whole section to write. Overall it is coming together but not fast enough.
Though it is the first thing I have written in a good while, so with that in mind, I am not going to berate myself too much!

Report
purplepandas · 13/10/2017 19:57

Sent my paper out to co-authors yesterday, 5 1/2 solid hours working in a coffee shop got it out. Am sure there will be more changes heading my way but the next step and off of my desk. Another one looming and we won't talk about the book chapter.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

bigkidsdidit · 13/10/2017 20:08

Well done!!

OP posts:
Report
Yogafire · 15/10/2017 20:56

Hope you're on target coco
Well done purple
I'm going to have a mega week this week. Go to really nail the next phase. I was floundering by thurs/fri. I'd reviewed the draft and all over the place with starting revisions. Should have taken Friday arvo off and taken a long walk rather than sit staring at blank page. Remind me next time - if you're not getting anywhere take a day off!

Here's to a good week, all 😀

Report
worstofbothworlds · 16/10/2017 11:29

Have only done messing about and admin this morning.
Aiming for
2 x 1/2 hour on lectures
2 x 1/2 hour on grant 2
Sort out where grant 1 is at.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.