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Paul J. Silvia
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How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing (First Edition, 2017) 1st Edition

by Paul J. Silvia (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 913 ratings
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In this practical, light-hearted, and encouraging book, Paul J. Silvia explains that writing productively does not require innate skills or special traits but specific tactics and actions. Drawing on examples from his own field of psychology, he shows readers how to overcome motivational roadblocks and become prolific without sacrificing evenings, weekends, and vacations. After describing strategies for writing productively, the author gives detailed advice from the trenches on how to write, submit, revise, and resubmit articles, how to improve writing quality, and how to write and publish academic work.
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  1. ISBN-10
    9781591477433
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1591477433
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    APA LifeTools
  5. Publication date
    January 15, 2007
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    5 x 0.5 x 8 inches
  8. Print length
    149 pages
  9. See all details
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From the Publisher

How to Write a Lot A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing book tips and tricks
How to Write a Lot, 2nd Ed How to Write a Lot, 1st Ed
How to Write a Lot, 2nd Ed How to Write a Lot, 1st Ed
Customer Reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
915
4.5 out of 5 stars
913
Price $21.99 $13.64
Edition 2nd Edition 1st Edition
Publication Year 2019 2007
Writing grant and fellowship proposals. ✓
Fresh advice to help overcome barriers to writing and use time more productively. ✓
Tips and strategies have been updated to apply to academic writing. ✓

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A contemporary admonition tells us, "If you talk the talk, you have to be able to walk the walk." Paul Silvia does both; he writes effectively about how to write effectively. Without being either a scold or a Pollyanna, he identifies ways in which each of us can achieve our goals of being more proficient authors.
--Lawrence S. Wrightsman, Professor of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence; author of The Psychology of the Supreme Court and coauthor of Forensic Psychology (2nd ed.) with Sol Fulero.

A common complaint among faculty and graduate students alike is that writing often takes a backseat to other professional and personal commitments. For those who have trouble writing enough, Paul Silvia explains how to write more. For those who already write plenty, he shows how to do so more efficiently and with lower cost to one's other obligations. Every researcher will benefit from the gems of advice in this book.
--Mark R. Leary, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

Paul Silvia's new book is just the tonic for academics who want to be more productive. Silvia demolishes all of the typical excuses that people use to put off getting to work, and he gives a few concise, practical tips that will help anyone to write more. Psychologists are the target reader, but professors in any discipline would benefit from the advice in this book.
--R. Keith Sawyer, Associate Professor, Department of Education, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri; author of seven books, editor or coauthor of three more, and author of more than 50 articles.

About the Author

Paul J. Silvia received his PhD in Psychology from the University of Kansas in 2001. He studies the psychology of emotion, particularly what makes things interesting, the role of emotions in the arts, and how emotions intersect with personality. He received the Berlyne Award, an early-career award given by American Psychological Association Division 10, for his research on aesthetic emotions. Dr. Silvia is the author of Exploring the Psychology of Interest (2006) and Self-Awareness and Causal Attribution (with T. S. Duval, 2001).

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1591477433
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ APA LifeTools; 1st edition (January 15, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 149 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781591477433
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1591477433
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.5 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 913 ratings

About the author

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Paul J. Silvia

Paul J. Silvia
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Paul J. Silvia is the Lucy Spinks Keker Excellence Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he has worked since 2002. He conducts research on the psychology of aesthetics, creativity, and the arts. Recent work explores the neuroscience of creative thought, the experience of "inner music," and when people find art interesting, intriguing, and awe-inspiring.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
913 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Veronica Fortino
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend!
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2015
Verified Purchase
This book is awesome! Although I am not in the same field as Dr. Silvia, (I was doing my PhD in Biomedical Engineering when I purchased this book) the advice is invaluable. I followed it step by step, made a schedule, committed to it, and was able to write over 60 pages of my Dissertation in 3 months just by writing 30 minutes every day (not including weekends!!). I was sitting on a review paper that I could never finish - by following the tips in the book I completed it in a few weeks. I love the fact that he says to take writing not as a chore or as something to cram into a weekend, but as something that you have to do (like go to meetings) and not dread it as much. I think this is what has helped my writing out the most. Whenever I have a huge writing task ahead of me, I go back to this book (which now has highlights and underlines all over it) and refresh the methods. I put it into practice and voila!, effortless writing! The specious barriers to writing chapter was great, and I have even converted some of my 'binge writing' friends!! This book is not packed with lofty, theoretical, pie in the sky type stuff. It definitely is a practical, step by step guide to those of us in any academic field that need to write a lot and need practical advice on how to do it. I highly recommend this book, ESPECIALLY to those starting out, such as PhD students and/or new faculty.
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C. Tomasi
4.0 out of 5 stars Can be summarized in one sentence
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2014
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The main message of this book on academic writing is that if you want to be a prolific writer you need to make a writing schedule and stick to it. You need at least four days of writing, one hour a day, no exception. Even just four hours a day will make a huge difference when compared to "waiting until you have the time to write." The best chapter in this book, on "Specious barriers to writing a lot," debunks the obvious excuses we make to procrastinate writing. My main feeling while reading this chapter was one of embarrassment: The excuses he lists are obviously and transparently lame, and yet I have used all of them at some point. Fortunately, his tone shows empathy and understanding, and you don't feel that he feels holier than thou. So you may be able to share his sense of amusement while he describes all the contortions we go through to delay the inevitable. Chapters 3 and 4 are on ways to keep you motivated and share your writing experiences with others. Advice in these chapters is somewhat trite. A chapter on writing style is useful mostly for the references it gives to the literature on the subject, rather than for its quick and sometimes questionable suggestions. The last 2 chapters (not counting the somewhat perfunctory conclusion) are specific to writing in psychology, so if you work in a very different field these two chapters may be less useful. Overall, I like the matter-of-fact, amused, empathetic tone of this book. It is short, and you can easily read it on a cross-country flight, so if you don't like some parts then little harm is done. The one aspect I did not enjoy is the author's constant emphasis on how unpleasant writing is. I think academic writing is hard but can be very enjoyable if you do it right. "Doing it right" is well described in the book "Writing Science" by Joshua Schimel, which I recommend. By the way, why four stars for a three-star review? Because I actually made a writing schedule after reading the book, and I am so far more or less sticking to it!
8 people found this helpful
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CJean
5.0 out of 5 stars Ouch, that was a real slap in the face, but thank you.
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2014
Verified Purchase
To Dr. Paul Silvia, author of How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing, I want to say: Ouch, that was a real slap in the face, but thank you.

A few days ago, I was gladly notified of the acceptance of my proposal to present at a graduate student research conference this fall. Considering the grave importance of producing the most satisfactory piece of academic writing as my first official foray into the academia, I wanted to be as well prepared as possible. A firm advocate of the Chinese idiom -- sharpening your axe before cutting the firewood is never a waste of time -- and a long-time beneficiary of a myriad of how-to books, I picked Dr. Silvia's How to Write a Lot as one of my reference materials.

This book starts out with bona fide face slapping -- piercing, painfully accurate diagnosis and demystification of the four most prevailing "specious barriers" to writing a lot. And I scored 3 out of 4. Yes, I am the one who constantly complains about not being able to find time to write yet never miss my favorite TV show. "Binge writers are also binge readers and binge statisticians." Bingo! You often say "I'm waiting until I feel like it." How do you know that?!

For me, holding the misconception of creativity being a flash of inspiration out of nowhere is the most lethal of all. Flash of light, bolt of lightening, and alignment of stars have rarely happened, yet the sheer scarcity of their occurrences ironically further feeds my illusion. Dr. Silvia makes all attempts -- scientific, psychological, and motivational -- to hammer home to his readers the simple point that "writing breeds good ideas for writing." Inspiration comes through diligent scheduling, not desultory daydreaming.

Another life-altering wake up call for me is the principle of "write first, revise later." I was indeed in a misguided quest for the perfect first draft throughout graduate school. It would take me forever to write down a perfect first sentence before I can move on to the next one. It is the self-inflicting malpractice of writing that makes writing more excruciating that it already is. Hence the procrastination. Hence the analysis paralysis.

Besides the heart-pumping motivation and trenchant guidance on how to implement a writing schedule, this book also provides insights on submission and resubmission of academic journals, writing a book, and other aspects of academic writing any scholar will encounter in their professional life. I look forward to the day when I revisit this book for specific advice on those parts, but for now, I will just enjoy the zen of scheduled writing with the magical weapon of the prolific Anthony Thrllope -- "a piece of cobbler's wax on my chair."
38 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Goccediscienza
5.0 out of 5 stars Molto utile
Reviewed in Italy on January 11, 2020
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Nonostante si riferisce alla scrittura scientifica in ambito psicologico, tutto quello che dice si può applicare a tutte le discipline. Molto, molto soddisfatta.
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Christian Felipe Rodríguez
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente
Reviewed in Mexico on August 9, 2017
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Desde la primera semana escribo un promedio de 600 palabras al día. Un libro de cabecera para todos los que nos encontramos en el mundo de la academia. Si eres de los que necesita inspiración para terminar esa tesis, artículo o libro, este libro es para ti.
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Jithin S V
5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely buy!
Reviewed in India on January 13, 2018
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An excellent book which I would unabashedly recommend for any aspiring researcher! The book not only helps you understand the HOW of publishing but also the WHYs.
One person found this helpful
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luis felipe
3.0 out of 5 stars Tecnicamente bom
Reviewed in Brazil on December 13, 2014
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Para os que escrevem usualmente uma ferramenta útil, para os quem não tem tal habilidade vejo o livro complexo. Recomendo parcialmente.
One person found this helpful
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Carlos C.
5.0 out of 5 stars Buena compra
Reviewed in Spain on May 25, 2016
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Este libo es genial para quienes necesitamos un norte para poder centrar en qué hacer y cómo hacerlo al momento de redactar una tesis (en mi caso)
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