It's Sunday and my Mom is watching TV and I've already made breakfast, made my bed and it's 12:36pm and it's a gloriously sunny afternoon in Aguascalientes'n, Mexico.

SO HERE IS A THREAD ON WRITING.

Buckle up, everyone.
My biggest challenge is NOT the lack of ideas. NOT the lack of motivation.

It's The Dreaded Blank Page. raulpacheco.org/2019/08/dealin…

Do I face The Dreaded Blank Page on a regular basis?

YES. Yes, I do.

Because I write by memorandums. raulpacheco.org/2020/04/writin…
Because I love writing detailed outlines for the papers I write, I often have to break down each heading or even sub-heading into a separate memorandum raulpacheco.org/2018/03/two-me…

HOW DO I TACKLE THIS CHALLENGE?
Well, I've discovered that what I enjoy is visually seeing sentences and paragraphs emerge. I start paragraphs with Topic Sentences and/or Triggering Questions.

raulpacheco.org/2018/10/writin…
Thus, when I am in my writing group or during the blocks of time I have scheduled for my writing, my goal is simply "to write 50 words about X topic". Nothing more. I want to see ONE sentence emerge on screen.

raulpacheco.org/2018/04/125-25…

Though I wasn't as productive this week...
... I am pleased with the fact that I have detailed outlines for every paper I need to finish, and detailed plans for the Revise-And-Resubmits (R&Rs) I need to complete. raulpacheco.org/2019/03/backca…

It may take me longer to finish everything, but at least I have a roadmap.
... and it all starts with simply putting words on the page.

Something that helps me a lot is writing in my Everything Notebook, by hand, in the section that I have devoted to a specific topic.

raulpacheco.org/2018/12/note-t…

Other times, I use different note-taking techniques.
Index cards raulpacheco.org/2018/11/note-t… and Cornell Notes raulpacheco.org/2018/12/note-t… do wonders for my "writer's block"

The fact that we are just trying to get by and survive a pandemic should never be obscured.

But I have always preferred this "low stress" approach to writing.
I plan to continue taking life one index card or one sentence at a time. Even if everything that I write takes much longer. Even if I have to cancel commitments.

Because when we are kinder and gentler with ourselves, we live richer and fuller lives.

</The End.>

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More from @raulpacheco

19 Oct
Toulmin on argument: An interpretation and application buff.ly/34cg5Lk

I want to thank Professor @jenmercieca for suggesting this paper to help me teach the Stephen Toulmin model of argumentation. I also assigned the book, which is not easy to digest.
A lot of people think that teaching research methods does NOT include helping students learn how to write properly.

I do teach:
- proper citation practices
- writing analytically instead of descriptively
- engaging discursively with others' writing
- argumentation
On proper citation practices, writing analytically and engaging discursively, I use Graf and Birkenstein:

They Say/I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing (my reading notes) raulpacheco.org/2017/05/they-s…
Read 7 tweets
18 Oct
I have quite an intimate confession to make:

As most of you know, I have struggled with my health over the past eight years, almost dying (literally dying) of overwork 4 times, 2 in the past two years.

I developed dermatitis, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, eczema & psoriasis.
This morning, I realized (again) just how much more I can do now that I am healthy again, and how important taking care of my health is for my own well-being. I ran my fingers through my skin this morning and the brittleness is not there anymore. I don't feel scratchy, nor tired.
One healthy response that my brain and my body have taken this year (thanks to the COVID 19 pandemic) is that, as soon as I feel overwhelmed and over-stressed, I start cancelling every single commitment I know I can't make.

It's healthy for me, and my health is MY priority.
Read 4 tweets
17 Oct
GENTE: llevo semanas guardándome esta secuencia de ideas, así es que ABRO 🧶
Cuando era yo joven y bello, estudié en la Universidad de Guanajuato en la ciudad capital del estado homónimo, Guanajuato. Allá viví.

Yo compraba la comida corrida de estudiante:
- sopa aguada de entrada
- arroz
- plato fuerte con dos guarniciones
- postre y agua de sabor.
Siempre me han gustado las papas.

Me gustan como guarnición y/o como platillo principal.

Por ejemplo, aquí las papitas con chorizo y recaudo hacen la función de platillo principal con el huevito con nopalitos y los frijolitos operan de guarnición.
Read 5 tweets
17 Oct
In a previous life, I did PR (public relations).

Doing tech-related PR and blogging opened my eyes to the world of copy-writing.

Weird as this sound, and much as I write A METRIC TON about writing, making a career of the act and art of writing never crossed my mind.
This is a bit of an ironic turnaround.

My Dad didn't want me to study International Relations as an undergrad.

He didn't want me to study Communications and PR.

He wanted me to (like my brothers) study Engineering (whichever I preferred). I chose Chemical Engineering.
I went from Chemical Engineering to Economics of Technical Change to Human Geography and Political Science (and in the latter, to Public Policy and International Relations).

But I also did MBA coursework (something I rarely publicize). One of my favourite courses was ...
Read 10 tweets
17 Oct
Es viernes en la noche, acabo de cenar tortas de pastor, y se me dió la gana escribir un hilo metodológico sobre un método que está muy en boga actualmente en Twitter: el análisis de contenido de periódicos y/o medios masivos de comunicación.

La ventaja es que este hilo será...
... de utilidad para mis estudiantes de métodos.

Primero que nada, empecemos con un par de ideas sobre análisis y datos. Si simplificamos los datos y los análisis en cualitativos (texto) y cuantitativos (números), podemos hacer una tabla de dos por dos con Datos y Métodos.
Ustedes pueden tener datos CUALITATIVOS y analizarlos de manera CUANTITATIVA. Un ejemplo sencillo es el análisis de textos para determinar frecuencias de palabras. Por ejemplo, ustedes pueden analizar discursos de políticos para determinar frecuencia de la palabra "corrupción"
Read 23 tweets
15 Oct
Al establecer una diferenciación entre investigadores/as de universidades públicas y privadas, este gobierno demuestra que lo que mejor hace es crear división y rencor.

Lo ideal en el SNI es que TODA PERSONA que se dedique a la investigación científica tenga acceso al estímulo.
Sí, ya había (y continúa, por cierto) discriminación entre quienes tenían adscripción oficial con 20 horas y quienes no, entre quienes eran investigadores/as mexicanos/as en el extranjero y quienes estaban en México.

La peor discriminación (sin demeritar las otras) me parece...
... negarle el estímulo a quienes carecen de adscripción permanente.

Un gran error de este gobierno es cómo se otorgan las plazas de tiempo completo: no las asigna ni la Secretaría de Educación ni las ganan las instituciones de educación superior: las asigna HACIENDA.
Read 9 tweets

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