Dear writers,

As a nosy writer-editor who works with writers full time, one of my favourite parts of the job is the peek behind the scenes I get into other people’s writing processes and systems. I get glimpses of research notes, reference managers, archival photos, and messy drafts. Structuring my view into these processes are different tools — both digital and analog — that writers use to organize research materials, annotate sources, and draft manuscripts. 

Depending on your disciplinary background, you may have had more or less training on how to integrate these systems into your research and writing process. As an art historian, I remember a mentor saying to “try and remember to date your archival image files” but beyond that, thinking about the processes, systems, and tools we use to create knowledge via writing was pretty much an individual affair. 

In contrast, other researchers might be bound by ethics processes to organize information in a certain way — perhaps your ethics application demanded that you keep interview files on a password protected hard drive or transcribe interviews using certain kinds of privacy-focused tools. In each case, your process has likely been determined by a series of past choices and external constraints.

When I ask my clients about their research and writing processes, I usually get one of two responses:

Sheepishly: I don’t really have a process.

Excitedly: Showing me a highly organized and idiosyncratic workflow. 

The thing is: both of these people have processes. The difference is that one person has acknowledged the choices made and (potentially) made them more intentionally. If you have ever produced a piece of writing (and if you’re subscribed to this newsletter the chances are high that you have done so), you have a writing process. 

Take a moment and reflect:

What tools do you use to reflect on themes and ideas in your work?

What tools do you use to organize or keep track of research materials?

What tools do you use to take notes on or analyze these research materials?

What tools do you use to draft text?

What tools do you use to edit your manuscripts?

Now, ask yourself: how are these tools serving you? Are there points in the process where you get frustrated — unavoidable, but worth noting — or lose the thread? Do you want to experiment with something new?

Implementing shiny new tools can be a preferred mode of procrastination for some of us (don’t ask me how I know this). If only I had a perfectly organized note-taking method then all my thoughts would brilliantly pour forth. That said, intentionally surfacing the tools you do use and articulating why you continue to use them can help you identify what’s working well and where you might be in need of further support.

I’m building a tool library for academic writers, you can get a sneak peak here. This is a work in progress, so I’m curious: what tools do you use? Hit reply and let me know. 

Sincerely,

Emily

P.S. You may have noticed that this email looks a little different than normal. That’s because I’ve switched up the tool I use to send it. My previous platform Mailerlite changed their plans and rather than pay more for AI garbage, I switched over to Buttondown — a platform run by a small team of human people (at least for now).