Writing as discipline and practice

photo credit: racheocity

I am always very touched whenever I read people saying on their “Follow Friday” shoutouts that they love my writing. I do, indeed, blush. You’ll see, a few years ago (well, at the time when I began my PhD and I was taking graduate, PhD-level courses), a professor of mine told me that he really didn’t think I was a good writer. He said that my writing was awkward, that it was hard to understand my points and ideas.

Clearly (to him), I was unable to convey my thoughts and lacked the ability to put them in writing in cogent, concise, clear sentences. I was devastated. At the time, I hadn’t even learned Japanese, but I was already fluent in 5 other languages. How could I possibly be such a bad writer in the language of the nation that had adopted me as a son, Canada? I was floored.

For the record and as a side note, I have written two single-author book manuscripts (one in English, one in Spanish), co-authored one book (in Spanish) and have edited an academic volume (in English). I have published dozens of journal articles, book chapters and conference papers. I write two blogs, one personal (this one) and a research one (that you can read here). And I completed a PhD dissertation. In English. In a language that isn’t mine. I also have a bunch of journal articles in preparation, conference papers forthcoming, etc.

I sometimes lack modesty, but I won’t say whether or not I am a good writer. That’s for my readers to say. But there’s one thing I am – I am a consistent writer. I write as a discipline and I write for practice. It’s like a muscle. I write EVERY SINGLE DAY. Because I have to. Because I NEED to. Because putting my thoughts on paper (or, sometimes, online) helps me formulate and structure my thinking.

I think that my academic writing is pretty strong, and I would like to believe my non-academic writing is compelling. Why else would thousands of readers come every day to consume the bits and pieces of content I publish on a regular basis? To those of you who have told me, either in person, or on Twitter, or by email, that you like my writing – THANK YOU. Your continued encouragement keeps me doing this – writing.

If there’s a tip I would like to share with aspiring writers, academics, students (my own students, even!), bloggers and content providers, it would be write in a disciplined way. Write every day. Write even when you don’t feel like it. Put your thoughts and ideas out there.

It pays off. Trust me, it does.