Posts Tagged 'how to write a lot'

A supposedly fun thing I’ll never do again … #ala11

Published June 28, 2011 conferences , writing 1 Comment
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This wonderful David Foster Wallace title does not refer to my experience with the American Library Association’s Annual Conference. I’ve been to four conferences now and each time I’ve had a better experience than the last. Admittedly, I’ve not quite found my home in the organization yet. My library job has many facets (data, instruction, government info, etc); therefore, it is hard to justify concentrating on only one. I also love meeting and connecting people to each other. I probably won’t ever stick to one division (although my wallet may not like it), but it means that I will have a harder time finding my “fit”.

I will have some conference summaries soon, but my most memorable experience this year was with the Emerging Leaders Interest Group’s EL Summit headed up by the fabulous Jaime Hammond. Lisa Carlucci started off the session with an inspiring talk on Cadillac Leadership and a few of us did lightning rounds on topics related to EL-ness, such as professional development and getting onto ALA Council. I hope Lisa will post her talk somewhere because I couldn’t take notes at the time. Maybe someone in the room was taking good notes! While the EL program has room for improvement, it has been tremendously valuable both for the ‘leadership’ aspects and for new friendships, but also because I am able to learn from people I would never meet within my job-related divisions (like GODORT). Learning about life in the public library from new librarians helps to put some of the issues within ALA and the profession into much greater perspective. When I applied for EL, I listed this as one of the reasons I wanted to join and I haven’t been disappointed.

So, what is my supposedly fun thing I’ll never do again, if ALA isn’t it? When I arrived home yesterday I found a package. Inside were copies of my book, Numeric Data Services and Sources for the General Reference Librarian

the supposedly fun thing i'll never do again

I knew that writing a book would not be a fun project. Nevertheless, I am glad Katharin and I wrote it because it fills a serious gap in the market. At a RUSA data discussion session on Sunday, Michelle Hudson, the data librarian at Yale University said, “Hopefully all librarians will be data librarians someday.” The idea is that every reference/instruction librarian should feel comfortable using numeric data sources because they are information too, just like the written word. We will still rely on specialists for certain questions, but all librarians will have basic familiarity with the WIDE range of sources out there. Helping all librarians become data librarians is the goal of this book!

So, why would I think twice about writing a book? First, it takes so much of your head space. I understand now why people take writing sabbaticals. I should have thought more strategically about this when I agreed to the project and would encourage any librarian who wants to write a book to think seriously about the amount of time you have to commit to it. Unless your library can give you time away from regular duties to concentrate on writing, you are going to be struggling to use your free time. Unfortunately for most of us our time is not structured for serious writing projects.

Second, the book as a format is a bit of a letdown. There are many great tips in this book for incorporating data into instruction and reference, but I already want to update the entire thing! I’ve learned so much and so much has changed since February 2010 when I sent my final proofs to the publisher that I’m already on a second edition in my head. I’ve thought about creating a wiki or a blog for the book, of course, and I’ve been trying to figure out the best forum. I would just like the book to be more of a social experience. I am not the final word on data reference and instruction, so how do I get other people’s voices and ideas heard? How do  we make the print book an ongoing organism and not stuck in a  particular moment in time? Once I’ve found the ability to do that, then may be it won’t be as much of a downer.

I am excited about the book arriving. It will have a positive impact for people who are new to numeric data. It has a place in libraryland! I just would need my arm seriously twisted to take on a project like that ever again :)

On a final note, I received another package in the mail yesterday. It is a birthday gift from my husband and I just had to share. Those of you who know me well will know why.

Hello kitty!

Everyday I write the book

Published July 25, 2009 work , writing 4 Comments
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Or so Paul Silvia would hope.

I am not exaggerating when I write that Paul Silvia’s How to Write a Lot changed my life. I place it on the same level as Getting Things Done for complete brilliance in simplicity. I am perfectly comfortable with the existence of manic cults rabidly dissecting the minutiae when it comes to these two books. They ought to win Pulitzer Prizes for General Nonfiction.

OK, maybe that is an exaggeration.

But, Paul Silvia’s How to Write a Lot is perfect for academics and others who have writing expectations (especially as the book is very short!). Silvia is a Psychology professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (disclosure: my institution). He has been a prolific writer and wrote HTWAL to convey the methods that worked for him.

His argument is simple. We need to set regular writing times (starting at four hours per week), establish regular achievable goals (“Finish my novel” is not achievable), and recognize that writing is a craft and not just an art. But there is much more; summarizing his argument down to those three principles is kind of like saying GTD is about making lists.

In addition to the basic ideas, he provides a few tricks for encouraging your writing. My favorite is his use of coffee as a motivator, but his idea of creating a writing group is also brilliant. The writing group, called an Agraphia group, should be a community of peers that meets weekly or bi-weekly to set goals for the coming time period. The peer group should hold each member accountable for the creation of achievable goals and provide positive reinforcement of success.

While the book is geared to research faculty, the principles are certainly applicable for the varied types of writing librarians do. The untenured librarians at UNCG created our own Agraphia group after hearing about Silvia’s book through the faculty grapevine. I think it has been pretty successful. We are very flexible in our writing projects; presentation proposals, user guides for our patrons, and even blog posts are acceptable. In my view, any writing project can provide inspiration for other possibilities plus you are giving yourself time to practice the craft.

Although he briefly mentions this, the only thing I would add to Paul Silvia’s book is the need to have our writing reviewed. Too often in libraryland we seem nervous about letting others read our stuff. In my Political Science graduate program we had regular writing workshops based on areas of concentration, and they were incredibly useful though at times brutal. While I’m not encouraging brutality (much), constructive criticism of ideas and writing style is tremendously helpful. In addition to having them at the local level I wonder if small group workshops would work through ACRL. The sections could call for participants within their subject areas, provide a submission deadline, and then distribute the papers in advance of the conference. Or, even better, we could move into the 21st century and have virtual writing workshops! Maybe there wouldn’t be enough interest; maybe the publishing turnover is too quick in libraryland. Maybe it is something to think about though.

Have you read Paul Silvia’s How to Write a Lot? If so, did you find it useful or overly simplistic? Other writing tips you would give your fellow librarians?

Let’s get it started

Published July 18, 2009 writing 2 Comments
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So, yesterday was #followalibrarian day on twitter where you could say which librarians you *heart* following. The goal (I think) was to find more librarians. I offered some of my favorite peeps and found a few new ones. Roy Tennant was among those. First, I found his twitter profile and then I found his blog (ah, serendipity). Apparently he only updates it twice a year, but his current entry caught me off-guard. He writes on writing and the courage to write. While at times the writing on the “Intertubes” is  cringe worthy, I have to admit that this cynical Gen-Xer found his blog entry, shall we say, inspiring (such a rare occurrence).

I love to write, but I’m a perfectionist who won’t put my words out there unless they are, well, perfect. But this next year I must write a lot… A LOT. I’m not kidding. My library can’t offer funding for travel, so  we are being told that writing might be a good idea. I’ve been lucky in finding opportunities and generating ideas: I have a book due in less than a year and three articles and a chapter proposal all in the works. I may have been too lucky!

To support each other we even have a writing circle initiated after reading How to Write a Lot by Paul Silvia, a prof at our university. You can read my short review of it. One of his arguments–that writing is a craft that must be practiced–is one that I’ve definitely taken to heart. Combined with Roy Tennant’s “Just do it” call to arms, I’ve returned to this blog to give a second chance. My goal is to reflect on my time as a new librarian and maybe use this as a platform for other writing projects. My hope is that someone will read some of the entries, reflect back, and start a dialogue. If I can’t travel much to get inspiration, maybe these pages will serve that function.

But maybe they won’t. If not, at least I will follow the words of wisdom from Roy and Paul and just write. Even if only for myself.

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