Creating a Satisfying Academic Career with Jo Van Every

I’ve invited Lisa Munro to write about the craft of writing and she’s chosen to focus on the central element of all scholarly writing: the argument. Boldly stating your argument requires confidence! That’s not always easy. I particularly like how she provides a formula to help you proceed even if you are experiencing discomfort. You can do this! You can find Lisa Munro, here: Linked In - https://w...

Inspired by a conversation on social media, in this track I talk about how to approach conference proposals if starting a writing project with an abstract doesn't work well for you. It complements other things I've written about abstracts (not yet available in audio)https://jovanevery.co.uk/writing-abstract-hard/https://jovanevery.co.uk/writing-summaries-abstracts/https://jovanevery.co.u...

Writing a bio is emotionally difficult. It feels arrogant and it's often difficult to identify your own skills and talents. But you still need to self-promote. Here's how to self-promote with less ick. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/author-bio/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterOr join the Academic Writing Studio: acade...

Are you trying to ease anxiety by doing more preparation? Anxiety and overpreparation in teaching may be caused by lack of confidence. How to identify this struggle, get support and feel better about teaching. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/how-does-teaching-make-you-feel/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterOr join the Academic Wr...

Are you telling yourself that you should be doing something that you really don’t think is valuable? This post is about being more confident in your choices. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/permission-scholarly-work/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterOr join the Academic Writing Studio: academicwritingstudio.co.uk Support me on Ko...

The downside of academic autonomy and freedom, is the lack of structure. This can lead to feeling like you need permission to do things from an invisible power. No one is going to give you permission. You have to find it for yourself. Here's how...Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/are-you-waiting-for-permission/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovaneve...

Asking for and accepting help is hard. So how do you get better at asking for and accepting help? This track is about something one does when NOT feeling confident while aiming to get confident about both what you are good at and what you are not. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/autonomy-asking-for-help/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/ne...

The second part of 2 posts on using supports. This one talks about the difference between useful supports and identifying when supports create other problems, via an analogy involving my dad. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/using-the-supports-you-need-part-2/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterOr join the Academic Writing Studio: a...

Help to identify what supports you might need, how to access them and accepting our different needs, via the analogy of yoga aids like blocks and elastic straps. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/using-the-supports-you-need/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterOr join the Academic Writing Studio: academicwritingstudio.co.uk Support me...

What if you proved your 'yaysayers' right? Inspired by Charlie Gilkey of Productive Flourishing, this post swaps out spite for support as a motivator.https://www.productiveflourishing.com/Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/prove-them-right/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterOr join the Academic Writing Studio: academicwriti...

Drudgery is not inspiring. External pressure often triggers resistance. At the very least it takes the joy out of the process. Here's how to reconnect with the desire to write. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/reconnecting-desire-write/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterOr join the Academic Writing Studio: academicwritingstudi...

This Spotlight highlights the things I’ve written about confidence with a focus on reframing what it is, and helping you understand the ways in which the structural conditions of your work and life affect your ability to feel confident. There are also practical suggestions for helping you feel confident enough to do the work you want and need to do. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, this Spotlight has dire...

In this track Jamie Pei proposes a different way of thinking about what it means to act confident. One that might be more accessible to those who are introverted and/or from traditionally marginalized groups. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/confidence-ease/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterOr join the Academic Writing Studio: aca...

If you are "very tempted to write the following as my conclusion: I wrote, I argued, it has finished. You can stop reading now. Thank you." this track will provide a perspective that might help. Thinking about the ways academics read articles, especially when overwhelmed, can give you a way into what is otherwise a legitimately frustrating part of the process. Refers to my books:The Scho...

A guest track by Joely Black (read by Jo) reviewing Dani Donovan's Anti-Planning. If, like me, you’ve bought every planner out there and still found yourself metaphorically sobbing in a corner because you can’t keep up, the Anti-Planner might help. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/anti-planner-review/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/n...

Using the recent publication of Jesse Stommel's book: "Undoing the Grade" as a jumping off point, I consider how those who have done well in academia, and gone on to become academics, have also been harmed by grades. The specific focus is on peer review, an editorial practice based in ideals of communities of scholars collectively producing knowledge. Referred to in the track:• Jess...

For most academics planning December is different from planning other months. This track provides practical tips for juggling rest, enjoying the holiday, and getting back into your writing. You might want to schedule an hour in your calendar and use the recording guide you as you collect the relevant information, make decisions, and figure out who you need to negotiate with to make your plan feasi...

This month we have a guest post by Allison Van Deventer and Katelyn E. Knox. Their book The Dissertation-to-Book Workbook has just been published by University of Chicago Press. In this post they explain the concept of the organizing principle of your book and provide some practical strategies for working this out. If you want to find more resources or get in touch, you can always find us at https...

A short track inviting you to consider whether you need to follow the career path others have taken. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/jumping-cliffs/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterOr join the Academic Writing Studio: academicwritingstudio.co.uk Support me on KoFi here: https://ko-fi.com/jovanevery Find me on Linked In here: htt...

In which I explain what is included in the Spotlight (and its playlist) and set them in the context of broader claims about impostor syndrome and how to address it in your own work. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/spotlight-on-imposter-syndrome/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: https://jovanevery.co.uk/newsletter Take the FREE 15 Minute Writing Challenge:...

I came across a blog post by an artist that resonated with things I know academics also experience. I’d like to share it with you. In it, the author talks about her own recent experience of being mentored, then her own experience of teaching and mentoring other artists. When you read the piece you might want to substitute “research” or “writing” for “art”.I quote some passages and discuss them. Re...

Are you imagining your harshest critics while you write? Is that making writing less enjoyable? Is it making your writing more defensive? In this track I talk about why this is not necessary. There is a receptive audience for your work, and it is these people you are writing for. I suggest some practical strategies for imagining that audience as you write. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co...

Some journalling prompts to help you do things in the face of impostor syndrome. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/fairy-godmother/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterOr join the Academic Writing Studio: academicwritingstudio.co.uk Support me on KoFi here: https://ko-fi.com/jovanevery Find me on Linked In here: https://www.linkedin.c...

Specifically addressing the uncertainty you might face when you take on a leadership role, with practical suggestions for how to manage this challenge. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/taking-on-a-leadership-role/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterOr join the Academic Writing Studio: academicwritingstudio.co.uk Support me on KoFi h...

Based on a conversation with a client about resistance to finishing a book because of fear no one would read it in the format it will be published in. Read the post here: https://jovanevery.co.uk/sneaky-ways-your-gremlins-try-to-get-you-not-to-actually-publish/For more content like this, sign up to the monthly newsletter: jovanevery.co.uk/newsletterOr join the Academic Writing Studio: academicwrit...