Writing on Writing

As you read the effortless and insightful prose of the luminaries in your discipline, do you ever wonder how they do it? We certainly have, and as part of the Writing Across Boundaries project, we decided to ask them.

We have written to a number of scholars who have made a significant contribution to the social science literature and asked them to write a short piece (500 to 1,500 words) offering their personal reflections on the process of writing. In these pieces, scholars from a variety of social science disciplines share their thoughts, feelings, pearls of wisdom, anecdotes, theoretical musings and much else likely to give insight and inspiration to those in the later stages of doctoral writing.

We have had a good response and been able to assemble a series of thought provoking pieces. We have a list of scholars lined up to provide their insights in to writing but why not let us know who you would like to see produce a piece, then please email us from our main site.

What they said

Take some time to read through this selection of authors discussing various aspects of the writing process. More will be added as they arrive.

Outside desk-work

Dame Professor Marilyn Strathern - University of Cambridge - Read article

What is ‘writing’?

William Outhwaite - Read article

It's a craft and a job and requires practice

Liz Stanley - Read article

Correspondence from Professor Horowitz

Irving Horowitz - Read article

Advice to PhD Candidates

Julian Le Grand - Read article

Mystories: Connecting the Personal and the Political

Norman Denzin - Read article

Which (or Whose) language should I use?

J.P Roos - Read article

Some rough notes on writing methods: from typewriter, via computers to the pen

Alan Macfarlane - Read article

How to write practically*

Bryan Turner - Read article

Writing on Writing

Arthur Kleinman - Read article

A Short Note on Writing

Harry F. Wolcott - Read article

About Writing a Thesis

Alan Walker - Read article

Curbing Self-Referential Writing

Jay Gubrium - Read article

On pragmatism and poetics

Ken Plummer - Read article

Some words about writing:

Howard S. Becker - Read article

Writing With Your Head in Your Hands

Patrick Sullivan - Read article

In defence of handwriting

Tim Ingold - Read article

Writing as a form of analysis

Arthur W. Frank - Read article

Ten Tips for Writing Something

Harvey Molotch, New York University - Read article