Newsletter - 10000WORDS

I built something new

2 minutes of reading / Newsletter

In my last email, I talked about how there’s so much advice on academic writing — yet it can still be so difficult to find the answers you actually need. I built something new to address that: the Scientific Writing Knowledge Hub.

I built something new Read More »

how to start, knowledge hub, Productivity

Why you should focus on the writing process, not just the finished journal article

5 minutes of reading / Newsletter

"Write the abstract first," or "start with the methods". I see this type of advice often in academic writing: it tells you what to do, but not how to do it – leaving you wondering what exactly you’re supposed to do. Here are some pieces of advice I’ve seen a lot, and why they tend to fall short in practice:

Why you should focus on the writing process, not just the finished journal article Read More »

how to start, writing strategies

Back in Feb 2025 (+ 10 writing resources to keep going)

3 minutes of reading / Newsletter

In my last newsletter, I wrote that I was going to keep sending newsletters, even though I'm going on maternity leave soon. Turns out, that was a wildly optimistic plan 😅. So, here’s what I’m going to do instead: I’ll share an overview of the writing resources currently available to you as a subscriber. Let's have a look!

Back in Feb 2025 (+ 10 writing resources to keep going) Read More »

Feedback, how to start, submission & publication, writing strategies

Writing clear sentences – with or without AI?

3 minutes of reading / Newsletter

Ever find yourself staring at a sentence, wondering what on earth you were trying to say? You're not the only one. I've written my fair share of incomprehensible sentences over the years.

Writing clear sentences – with or without AI? Read More »

ai, clear writing, readability

Thinking productively and redefining success

5 minutes of reading / Newsletter

Scientists need more time to think, and to be less distracted by tasks like email and chat. But why is it so hard to prioritise complex thinking tasks over simpler, 'distracting' tasks like email? And can we reduce distraction in a digital world that is constantly asking our attention?

Thinking productively and redefining success Read More »

Mental health, Productivity, thinking

Building trust to get through peer review

6 minutes of reading / Newsletter

Today I want to share a story of building trust - and how not to do it. To get through peer review, you need trust. You need to convince the reviewers that they can trust that your science is airtight (among a few other things, like being relevant and interesting).

Building trust to get through peer review Read More »

peer review

Let’s redefine consistency (no more guilt-fuel)

4 minutes of reading / Newsletter

If you ever played around with the language app Duolingo, I'm sure you're familiar with its mascot Duo. Duo hates me. For real. I have a widget on my phone where Duo tracks my streak (which breaks if you don't practice Duolingo every single day), and he is perpetually angry with me.

Let’s redefine consistency (no more guilt-fuel) Read More »

Mental health, Productivity

Planning vs. Improvising: finding your academic writing personality

4 minutes of reading / Newsletter

A couple of weeks ago I wrote how planning can make writing easier. But what if you're not much of a planner? In writing, just like in life, there's different types of people. In novel writing, this division is called pantsers vs plotters.

Planning vs. Improvising: finding your academic writing personality Read More »

writing strategies

Getting stuck and asking the right questions

4 minutes of reading / Newsletter

Today I want to share something that is so evident, so simple, yet it took me years to realise: Writing is easier with a plan. I know, sounds obvious, right? Most things are easier when you plan first. Yet it took me years to understand the implications of this.

Getting stuck and asking the right questions Read More »

getting unstuck, structuring the narrative

Thank you!