This fall semester, Director of CSU Writes, Dr. Kristina Quynn, gave a talk at the University of New Mexico through their National Science Foundation Advance Program’s Research Success Series. Quynn spoke about how research writers might create realistic and sustainable writing practices amidst the rapidly shifting work terrains of academe during a global pandemic. The talk included a quick self-assessment about the number and nature of current writing projects in the researchers’ pipelines, and about how writers were (or were not) engaged with their projects. The talk also focused on language and strategies to keep writing real, including:
sustainable: a successful writing place and pace that promotes wellbeing
engagement: a meaningful connection with a project
These foci represent an alternative discourse and focus to writing support focused on “productivity,” which tend to add pressure and stress to research writers rather than supportive options for writing during a global pandemic.
Quynn’s own research and talks through CSU Writes often focus on the various ways researchers develop sustainable writing practices and habits.