Customer Reviews

The Work of Writing: Insights and Strategies for Academics and Professionals

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Helpful text describing the insights and key strategies to use when writing professional and technical non-fiction. Topics such as: defining you contribution (selecting a topic); determining your audience; and selecting a voice. The author describes each topic in an easily understandable manner through the eyes of her reading groups. At the end of each section are tips on how to apply each lesson in a reading group and also to solo writers. Additionally, several ideas are presented on how to avoid and break through the dreaded "writer's block".

The author clearly demonstrates through numerous examples that most writing problems can be resolved by stepping back and re-examining your purpose, audience, and voice. This is most easily accomplished either by giving yourself some distance (time) or through the use of friends and writing groups. I recommend this book for anyone tasked with writing professional and technical non-fiction, especially for those transitioning from dissertations or thesis work to journals and articles.

This short book (less than 100 pages) gives basic principles for those who would publish. But these principles pertain to other forms of communication as well. The author draws from her positive experience with writing groups.

Elizabeth Rankin wrote a stimulating little book about writing based on her experience in writing groups. She found out that academics from different disciplines can be of great help to each other and she illustrates this very well in The Work of Writing. She focuses on the intellectual work of writing. What is the purpose of your writing? Who is your audience? What is your own voice? Themes that writers from all discplines have in common:
- What is your contribution to the professional conversation?
- How do you meet your reader's needs and expectations?
- How do you find your professional voice?
- How do you start and finish your writing projects?
Each theme is illustrated by examples from writers who brought their work to the writing group. You easy identify with these examples and Rankin gets her message across. The book is a pleasure to read a gave my a lot of new insights to work with. This five star book deserves to be widely known.