Here, Paul Silvia reveals the secret to how to write a lot: writing a lot. That's it. If you want to write a lot, you just have to sit down and do it. Go. Write a lot.

The slimness of this idea accounts for the slimness of this volume, and Silvia even pads it out with a chapter on how to write well, which alternates between good advice (don't use pointless jargon) and silly (good writers use dashes-- if that's the case, then I am surely among the best). But the fundamentals are strong: Silvia says that to write a lot, one must pick out a time to write, make a schedule, and stick to it no matter what. This is excellent advice, but I immediately came up with a dozen reasons I couldn't do it. Then I went onwards and found out that he had anticipated all of my objections and shot them down. Well, phooey. Silvia is a writer himself, of course, and he knows what's up, which makes this book work. It helps that he is also funny (favorite line: "Unlike fashion, APA style lacks police."), and he's peppered the book with New Yorker cartoons.

I have to point out, however, that I'm still not following Silvia's advice... but that might account for most of my current problems.

Paul Silvia's volume is a humorous bit of sound advice on how to produce plentiful bits of academic writing. His basic premise centers around the creation of a writing schedule that is immutable and permanent. Whether you spend four weekly hours or ten, Silvia contends that the consistency will produce results far faster than if you should wait for inspiration to strike.

It wasn't without some guilty recognition that I read Chapter 2, "Specious Barriers to Writing a Lot". However, Silvia keeps the tone pragmatic, rather than condemnatory, and suggests various methods of tracking one's progress and "carrot-on-a-stick" rewards.

While I am sure Silvia's methods will work (I've had success thus far), I do wonder about academics who have children. The needs of children do not often fall into a schedule, and I can see that parents might find maintaining a strict writing schedule more difficult. I do know a few colleagues who would find Silvia's approach an oversimplification of what it takes to write.

I recommend this book because it is a quick read and contains some valuable and consolidated insights into writing productively. I think he is overly negative about the act of writing (some of us DO enjoy writing), but addresses it as a necessary evil for those who may not be so inclined. While it is geared toward post-graduates and faculty, it certainly would help anyone engaged in writing a dissertation, particularly in the humanities or social sciences. ( )

An enjoyable little book that helped me realize that all the reasons I say I can't write are really excuses that can be fixed by creating a schedule and practicing often. Glad i'm not in denial anymore :-) ( )

Die üblichen Empfehlungen, dicht gepackt und unterhaltsam geschrieben. ( )

Pros: some useful guide
Cons: mostly obvious advices; writing for the sake of writing; not exciting; lack of confidence in writing
( )