Pat, your lovely prompt reminded me of the new mantra I had to learn upon leaving academe to start the WriteSPACE: "From features to benefits." Instead of proudly explaining how much work I've done to create all these fabulous writing resources, I had to find ways of communicating how those resources can help my readers become more stylish, productive, joyful writers. For scholarly researchers (and teachers!), an equivalent mantra might be "From content to connection." As academics, we're trained to write about what we've done -- data collection, methodology, analysis -- with little attention to our readers. The simple act of imagining a connective spark between writer and reader can bring energy to our writing and help us feel more human and alive.
So, so true, Helen! Thank you for sharing these mantras. Especially helpful for me, as I prepare to retire (next Summer) from academia - but, hopefully, not from the writing and connecting with readers.
Thank you for this beautiful prompt, Patricia! 🙏 It’s helping me (re)think about the name of my Substack that I plan to start posting on this month. At first I was calling it “ScholarShape Extracts” because each piece is an excerpt from the ScholarShape Archives. But that’s not the most inviting name because it’s more about what I’ve done (created the Archives and now pulling pieces out of them) than about what I’m inviting the READER to do (thanks to Helen for helping me see this!). I switched the name to the “ScholarShape Gallery,” which evokes an exploration of pieces set out for you, then the I tried “ScholarShape Sanctum,” but that doesn’t feel quite right either. Thinking about what I’m inviting my reader into today -- thanks to your prompt! -- will hopefully help me find the right answer 💫📬
How about "ScholarShape Magic"? The name riffs off your "Scholar Magic" course and promises readers some magical titbits from your store of wisdom. "ScholarShape Entries" feels a bit esoteric to me -- it assumes that potential readers already know what ScholarShape is and why they might want to enter/sample your archive. For readers who have no previous knowledge of your work, the fact that you're quoting from an existing archive is irrelevant, as they'll be experiencing each post as something new and fresh.
Or here's another idea: "ScholarShapings"! A work in progress with the potential to change its readers, not just a collection of old posts drawn from an unchanging archive.
The important thing is to have fun rolling your deliberations around in your mind. When you find the right name, you'll know!
These are really great points; thank you so much! I agree the title needs to focus on the reader’s perception and experience above all. ... I actually think I may like the sound of “ScholarShaping”! As in, the gerund form of the verb ScholarShape (definition: to ScholarShape is to live and create your Story-Argument). It feels active, dynamic, like it’s in the process of creation. I’ll sleep on this and see how it feels in the morning. Thanks again! 🙏
I like "ScholarShape Magic" - but it made me think of "ScholarShip Fractals" - although it doesn't convey anything about what you want the READERS to do. This type of thinking is so much fun! Thank you for allowing us to play along with you, Margy!
Margy has written about fractals as a metaphor for structure (and Story-Argument) in scholarly writing, so that would certainly be a fitting title, if not necessarily an informative one!
I'm thrilled to hear that the prompt is 'useful' in some way, Margy! Hum... I'm going to be thinking about it, as well... (brains love an unsolved puzzle, don't they?). Although, I must say, I like your choice of Gallery, so far. Will be eager to see what you settle on...
I’m leaning toward “ScholarShape Entries” for the Substack title, playing on the dual meaning of the word “entries” to refer to doorways (since each post will be an invitation into Story-Argument) and items in a larger record (since each piece will be excerpted from the ScholarShape Archives, my larger body of work). Not sure 100% if I will keep it, but I do think it’s better than the previous names I was playing with! Thanks again, Pat!
I love the idea of writing as an invitation, an offering-up of ourselves. There’s such vulnerability in that, but when someone lets us know that our writing meant something to them, it’s a powerful connection. I post in another online chat group and whenever someone responds with something like “This!” or “Sing it, sister!” it really does help me feel less alone in my thinking.
I must add a little confession: when I read the prompt, I misread “our garbed selves” as “our garbled selves”. And maybe it wasn’t the intention, but I’m owning the garbled self. If the clothes fit...!
How funny... but not untrue, right? I should have thought of that and used both words! Thank you for sharing Pam. Made for the first big smile of the day, on a foggy morning, over here.
Thank you so much for this wonderful and thought-provoking post, Patricia. Just what I needed to hear this morning... It reminds me of how important our writing is, how important writing community is and how we *can* change things.
Thank you, Sophie, for reading and enjoying it. I'm always in awe of how writing - either what we write or the sheer fact we are writers and united by a common effort -- can bring people together! Here's wishing your writing will contribute to changing things for the better... always.
I never write alone. My mother has always been one of the readers in my head -- no matter what I’m writing about, I always need it to make sense to her, too, as well as my primary audience. She passed away at the beginning of the pandemic, so it is especially nice to have her integrated in my own mind in this way now.
Similarly, when I’m writing, all sorts of people who have been and are important to me now flit through. I’ll get a chance to tell an old joke my ex-husband used to love telling, or I’ll respond to complications I know a particular friend would raise. And of course, all my teachers & all my students & alllllllll the books & articles & poems & records.
Writing’s sociality is one of my favorite things about it, I think 😊💛
When thinking of when and how I am writing, I already know I’m not alone. I like to think things through on paper, and even if something hasn’t been fully fleshed out, I write in a way to explain myself and my ideas so others may understand me, to engage others in alternative thought processes they may have never considered. I don’t always “write technically” or focus on overly dry, technical subjects but I do want to engage with readers—and other writers. I think, I explore, I question, I seek. I write as though whoever is reading feels the same way. I want to know more and understanding I’m not the only one who feels this way spurs me on.
Yes... the desire to engage is at the heart of being human, isn't it? Writing to explain one's self... fascinates me that we have that need (to explain), and always amazed that we GET to do it! What a privilege, right?
There are millions of teachers in the U.S. who are suffering in silence, painting on their smiles for their students, their parents, their co-workers, and their administrators, and then going home to a maelstrom of burnout, stress, anxiety, depression, other mental illnesses, borderline poverty (especially the single parents), and addiction. (In fact, teachers abuse alcohol more than any other profession.)
Many teachers feel “trapped” in the profession. They feel that they are only qualified to do one thing -- or -- struggle to find new work because potential employers pigeonhole teachers with stereotypes about their perceived capabilities and skill sets. Or, they need relief in the form of better working conditions. They need to see and hear other people stories to recognize that their concerns are valid and worthy of action.
My book will be a mirror for those teachers who feel like they are alone. My book will be the microscope for those policymakers and administrators who genuinely care about the well-being of teachers and need more insight into their experiences to make the changes they need to recruit and retain quality educators.
My book will be the window for those outside the teaching professions, students’ parents, for instance, who are starting to notice that there is a resignation crisis and want to learn more about what’s happening -- and what they can do to help.
Can't wait to read your book, Robyn! I agree entirely: it will bring much-needed validation for many people; they will learn they are not alone... truly. Thank you for authoring these stories!
Thank YOU, Maggie - When we write together I truly feel I'm not alone! (and yes, your comment popped up once, very briefly, but when I searched for it to reply, it wasn't there... I haven't figured out Substack, yet, it seems).
I think I accidentally prematurely "unsubscribed" which must have deleted my comment. Yes, I find Substack to be a lovely platform but difficult to figure out it some regards (i.e., not as intuitive or clear as other platforms). Again, thank you!!!
Given that I do research in what's often the domain of engineers or economists (transportation), it has made me feel a little less alone when I come across writing that considers the social, political, or cultural aspects of transportation. So I'd like to think that I can provide that to someone else, when I write about the politics of infrastructure or the social meanings of mobility: that the reader feels like they've found a kindred spirit.
Oooh. Writing as communion/community-forming. Part of what I’m good at in history-ing is around including the less obvious stories and making them interesting. (And I did several Hardanger pieces 25+ years ago. I loved the orderliness of it.)
I'm so glad you can do something that's so challenging, well, Lisa!!! Thank you for your comment.
Yes, I love Hardanger due to its symmetry and the use of simple satin stitches. The cutting of the threads, though... well, let's say I cannot tackle it if I'm tired... (I think you may relate).
Oh, I cannot work on it without a strong magnifier and a strong light (macular degeneration). I'm so grateful these tools can still be helpful. So sorry about the vision problems, Lisa. Very, very frustrating.
Thank you so much! I did not design it, though. Only stitched it. Hardanger embroidery. One of the needle-art techniques I employ to keep my sanity (along with writing)...
I am so distracted by the idea that you would risk putting coffee on that lovely needlework that I can't think straight!
There was a moment or two (ok, it went on for several months!) where in my morning pages I was writing to the doll I knit. I wonder if I should move her over next to my writing chair. Couldn't hurt? In her navy sweater, she does look somewhat academic.
LOL!!!!! I would NEVER risk putting coffee on that piece, Rebecca. That cup was mighty clean and merely a photo prop!
Would love to see your knitted doll! I had a colleague at the university who would read drafts of his (or his students') papers out loud, in his office, to stuffed bear that adorned one of his chairs... So I guess you're in good company, writing to your doll. Whatever it takes, right?
Thanks for this prompt, Patricia. It reminded that one reason I was drawn to reading and writing early on was because I was looking for stories that reflected my life and the that of others in my community. And the power of telling stories that others can connect to.
Nov 8, 2023·edited Nov 8, 2023Liked by Margy Thomas
One of the self-imposing barriers I have identified myself is that I am an outsider in my research field (faculty development) because I am not actively working in the area. However, I am passionate about how to teach online and the principles of adult learning. This imposter syndrome sometimes causes me to think I have nothing to contribute to the field.
As I think about my doctoral research, I am the only person in the whole institution taking the time to look at data collected in 2020, and conducting newer studies in 2023 to tell my research story. So, I want to tell my readers that you can still be an outsider in the field and bring to the table an invaluable perspective through your interests and willingness to look at what's around.
What Margy said, below, is precisely what I was going to write: innovations usually come from outside. Often, it's a lonely place to inhabit, but if you can manage the discomfort, it CAN be an advantage. Thank you for sharing!
This goes back to my motivation to share other people's good work in AcWriMoment #3. I write to say, "Not only are you not alone. Here's a person in a situation like yours and here's how they do the hard thing you want to do."
Pat, your lovely prompt reminded me of the new mantra I had to learn upon leaving academe to start the WriteSPACE: "From features to benefits." Instead of proudly explaining how much work I've done to create all these fabulous writing resources, I had to find ways of communicating how those resources can help my readers become more stylish, productive, joyful writers. For scholarly researchers (and teachers!), an equivalent mantra might be "From content to connection." As academics, we're trained to write about what we've done -- data collection, methodology, analysis -- with little attention to our readers. The simple act of imagining a connective spark between writer and reader can bring energy to our writing and help us feel more human and alive.
So, so true, Helen! Thank you for sharing these mantras. Especially helpful for me, as I prepare to retire (next Summer) from academia - but, hopefully, not from the writing and connecting with readers.
Thank you for this beautiful prompt, Patricia! 🙏 It’s helping me (re)think about the name of my Substack that I plan to start posting on this month. At first I was calling it “ScholarShape Extracts” because each piece is an excerpt from the ScholarShape Archives. But that’s not the most inviting name because it’s more about what I’ve done (created the Archives and now pulling pieces out of them) than about what I’m inviting the READER to do (thanks to Helen for helping me see this!). I switched the name to the “ScholarShape Gallery,” which evokes an exploration of pieces set out for you, then the I tried “ScholarShape Sanctum,” but that doesn’t feel quite right either. Thinking about what I’m inviting my reader into today -- thanks to your prompt! -- will hopefully help me find the right answer 💫📬
How about "ScholarShape Magic"? The name riffs off your "Scholar Magic" course and promises readers some magical titbits from your store of wisdom. "ScholarShape Entries" feels a bit esoteric to me -- it assumes that potential readers already know what ScholarShape is and why they might want to enter/sample your archive. For readers who have no previous knowledge of your work, the fact that you're quoting from an existing archive is irrelevant, as they'll be experiencing each post as something new and fresh.
Or here's another idea: "ScholarShapings"! A work in progress with the potential to change its readers, not just a collection of old posts drawn from an unchanging archive.
The important thing is to have fun rolling your deliberations around in your mind. When you find the right name, you'll know!
These are really great points; thank you so much! I agree the title needs to focus on the reader’s perception and experience above all. ... I actually think I may like the sound of “ScholarShaping”! As in, the gerund form of the verb ScholarShape (definition: to ScholarShape is to live and create your Story-Argument). It feels active, dynamic, like it’s in the process of creation. I’ll sleep on this and see how it feels in the morning. Thanks again! 🙏
I like "ScholarShape Magic" - but it made me think of "ScholarShip Fractals" - although it doesn't convey anything about what you want the READERS to do. This type of thinking is so much fun! Thank you for allowing us to play along with you, Margy!
Thank you so much, both of you! Very helpful. I’ll keep pondering this and see what settles 🙏
Typo: should be "ScholarShape Fractals" - my computer auto-corrected before I noticed.
Margy has written about fractals as a metaphor for structure (and Story-Argument) in scholarly writing, so that would certainly be a fitting title, if not necessarily an informative one!
O thank goodness your auto correct did that--it made me realize that Margy's ScholarShape is play off of ScholarShip which I never realized! duh!
Lol! Like me not catching your GOAT pun the other day, Michelle! 😂
I'm thrilled to hear that the prompt is 'useful' in some way, Margy! Hum... I'm going to be thinking about it, as well... (brains love an unsolved puzzle, don't they?). Although, I must say, I like your choice of Gallery, so far. Will be eager to see what you settle on...
I’m leaning toward “ScholarShape Entries” for the Substack title, playing on the dual meaning of the word “entries” to refer to doorways (since each post will be an invitation into Story-Argument) and items in a larger record (since each piece will be excerpted from the ScholarShape Archives, my larger body of work). Not sure 100% if I will keep it, but I do think it’s better than the previous names I was playing with! Thanks again, Pat!
Thank you!!
I love the idea of writing as an invitation, an offering-up of ourselves. There’s such vulnerability in that, but when someone lets us know that our writing meant something to them, it’s a powerful connection. I post in another online chat group and whenever someone responds with something like “This!” or “Sing it, sister!” it really does help me feel less alone in my thinking.
I must add a little confession: when I read the prompt, I misread “our garbed selves” as “our garbled selves”. And maybe it wasn’t the intention, but I’m owning the garbled self. If the clothes fit...!
I too am a 'garbled self' this morning, Pam. "This!" 😀 💜✨
How funny... but not untrue, right? I should have thought of that and used both words! Thank you for sharing Pam. Made for the first big smile of the day, on a foggy morning, over here.
Thank you so much for this wonderful and thought-provoking post, Patricia. Just what I needed to hear this morning... It reminds me of how important our writing is, how important writing community is and how we *can* change things.
Thank you, Sophie, for reading and enjoying it. I'm always in awe of how writing - either what we write or the sheer fact we are writers and united by a common effort -- can bring people together! Here's wishing your writing will contribute to changing things for the better... always.
I never write alone. My mother has always been one of the readers in my head -- no matter what I’m writing about, I always need it to make sense to her, too, as well as my primary audience. She passed away at the beginning of the pandemic, so it is especially nice to have her integrated in my own mind in this way now.
Similarly, when I’m writing, all sorts of people who have been and are important to me now flit through. I’ll get a chance to tell an old joke my ex-husband used to love telling, or I’ll respond to complications I know a particular friend would raise. And of course, all my teachers & all my students & alllllllll the books & articles & poems & records.
Writing’s sociality is one of my favorite things about it, I think 😊💛
Oh I love this! Just beautiful 💗
Isn't it just amazing?! Agree, entirely!
When thinking of when and how I am writing, I already know I’m not alone. I like to think things through on paper, and even if something hasn’t been fully fleshed out, I write in a way to explain myself and my ideas so others may understand me, to engage others in alternative thought processes they may have never considered. I don’t always “write technically” or focus on overly dry, technical subjects but I do want to engage with readers—and other writers. I think, I explore, I question, I seek. I write as though whoever is reading feels the same way. I want to know more and understanding I’m not the only one who feels this way spurs me on.
Yes... the desire to engage is at the heart of being human, isn't it? Writing to explain one's self... fascinates me that we have that need (to explain), and always amazed that we GET to do it! What a privilege, right?
There are millions of teachers in the U.S. who are suffering in silence, painting on their smiles for their students, their parents, their co-workers, and their administrators, and then going home to a maelstrom of burnout, stress, anxiety, depression, other mental illnesses, borderline poverty (especially the single parents), and addiction. (In fact, teachers abuse alcohol more than any other profession.)
Many teachers feel “trapped” in the profession. They feel that they are only qualified to do one thing -- or -- struggle to find new work because potential employers pigeonhole teachers with stereotypes about their perceived capabilities and skill sets. Or, they need relief in the form of better working conditions. They need to see and hear other people stories to recognize that their concerns are valid and worthy of action.
My book will be a mirror for those teachers who feel like they are alone. My book will be the microscope for those policymakers and administrators who genuinely care about the well-being of teachers and need more insight into their experiences to make the changes they need to recruit and retain quality educators.
My book will be the window for those outside the teaching professions, students’ parents, for instance, who are starting to notice that there is a resignation crisis and want to learn more about what’s happening -- and what they can do to help.
Can't wait to read your book, Robyn! I agree entirely: it will bring much-needed validation for many people; they will learn they are not alone... truly. Thank you for authoring these stories!
Just catching up with the Day 5 link now and did a LinkedIn post about it! https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7127225872595456000/
Thank you, Anne! I really appreciated the fact you noticed the "challenging" part of the text...
I had previously commented, but don't see it now...in any case, I just wanted to say THANK YOU for the lovely prompt!
Thank YOU, Maggie - When we write together I truly feel I'm not alone! (and yes, your comment popped up once, very briefly, but when I searched for it to reply, it wasn't there... I haven't figured out Substack, yet, it seems).
I think I accidentally prematurely "unsubscribed" which must have deleted my comment. Yes, I find Substack to be a lovely platform but difficult to figure out it some regards (i.e., not as intuitive or clear as other platforms). Again, thank you!!!
Given that I do research in what's often the domain of engineers or economists (transportation), it has made me feel a little less alone when I come across writing that considers the social, political, or cultural aspects of transportation. So I'd like to think that I can provide that to someone else, when I write about the politics of infrastructure or the social meanings of mobility: that the reader feels like they've found a kindred spirit.
I'm sure some readers will feel they have... !
Oooh. Writing as communion/community-forming. Part of what I’m good at in history-ing is around including the less obvious stories and making them interesting. (And I did several Hardanger pieces 25+ years ago. I loved the orderliness of it.)
I'm so glad you can do something that's so challenging, well, Lisa!!! Thank you for your comment.
Yes, I love Hardanger due to its symmetry and the use of simple satin stitches. The cutting of the threads, though... well, let's say I cannot tackle it if I'm tired... (I think you may relate).
Good point! I haven’t tried it since I went to progressive lenses and, more recently, shifty double vision.
Oh, I cannot work on it without a strong magnifier and a strong light (macular degeneration). I'm so grateful these tools can still be helpful. So sorry about the vision problems, Lisa. Very, very frustrating.
PS: Your needlework is stunning, Patricia!
Thank you so much! I did not design it, though. Only stitched it. Hardanger embroidery. One of the needle-art techniques I employ to keep my sanity (along with writing)...
agreed!
I am so distracted by the idea that you would risk putting coffee on that lovely needlework that I can't think straight!
There was a moment or two (ok, it went on for several months!) where in my morning pages I was writing to the doll I knit. I wonder if I should move her over next to my writing chair. Couldn't hurt? In her navy sweater, she does look somewhat academic.
lol!
LOL!!!!! I would NEVER risk putting coffee on that piece, Rebecca. That cup was mighty clean and merely a photo prop!
Would love to see your knitted doll! I had a colleague at the university who would read drafts of his (or his students') papers out loud, in his office, to stuffed bear that adorned one of his chairs... So I guess you're in good company, writing to your doll. Whatever it takes, right?
Thanks for this prompt, Patricia. It reminded that one reason I was drawn to reading and writing early on was because I was looking for stories that reflected my life and the that of others in my community. And the power of telling stories that others can connect to.
Yes; that's exactly what CS Lewis was referring to. Thank YOU for reading, Lorena!
One of the self-imposing barriers I have identified myself is that I am an outsider in my research field (faculty development) because I am not actively working in the area. However, I am passionate about how to teach online and the principles of adult learning. This imposter syndrome sometimes causes me to think I have nothing to contribute to the field.
As I think about my doctoral research, I am the only person in the whole institution taking the time to look at data collected in 2020, and conducting newer studies in 2023 to tell my research story. So, I want to tell my readers that you can still be an outsider in the field and bring to the table an invaluable perspective through your interests and willingness to look at what's around.
An outside perspective can be a superpower! Research shows the most innovative ideas can come from the margins 💥
What Margy said, below, is precisely what I was going to write: innovations usually come from outside. Often, it's a lonely place to inhabit, but if you can manage the discomfort, it CAN be an advantage. Thank you for sharing!
This goes back to my motivation to share other people's good work in AcWriMoment #3. I write to say, "Not only are you not alone. Here's a person in a situation like yours and here's how they do the hard thing you want to do."