If you’re currently looking to delve deeply into your thesis writing, then your timing is impeccable. November is #AcWriMo (Academic Writing Month), a time when academic writers band together online to commit to 30 days of intensive writing.
#AcWriMo is mainly a social media phenomenon (which means it’s not official or mandatory, and no-one’s scrutinizing your progress – yay!) Here’s how it works: you decide on a writing goal for the month of November. It might be a certain number of hours to spend writing, or a certain word count to achieve, or a chapter to complete. Whatever the goal, you declare it publicly; generally via social media using the hashtag #AcWriMo. During the month you can post progress updates if you like, and at the end of the month, you declare your results. Simple!
If you’d like to take part in #AcWriMo, here are some resources that could help:
- Dr Lyn Lavery, who you may recognise from the NVivo courses she runs at AUT, is offering a free webinar on ‘Writing Tips for #AcWriMo’. It’s coming up next Tuesday 30 October, 11am – noon. Register here if you’re interested in participating.
- There are AUT workshops on thesis formatting on November 17 and November 24, 9am – 2pm in WB412. Check out elab.aut.ac.nz to book.
- If you’d like support from an AUT Postgraduate Learning Advisor, you can request a consultation here. They have particular expertise with academic writing.
- Dr Margy Thomas of ScholarShape is taking a more reflective (and less word count-based) approach to #AcWriMo 2018. Join her here for daily video reflections about writing practice.
- If your goal is more about mass word counts, then check out this blog post from Dr S. Scott Graham full of tips for binge-writing.
And if you’re going to be at the November Writers’ Retreat, be sure to keep everyone posted on your progress from Long Bay.
Happy writing everyone!
