The group meets online every Monday at 9:00 am CT.
Got a manuscript to finish? Need to clean up your data? Want to maximize 1 hour for writing?
The Postdoc Writing Accountability Group is intended to support postdocs meet their writing goals by creating accountability. The group also aims to create a community among postdocs as they navigate their training and build professional and personal relationships.
Participants in the group commit to one hour per week to the process of writing that serves a concrete outcome in their postdoctoral training. During this time, participants can work on their publications, grant proposals, lecture preparation, poster design, peer reviews, responses to reviewers, etc.
Note that this is not a writing group that provides feedback on writing material. Instead, the group focuses on keeping participants accountable for their writing progress.
Why an accountability group
An accountability group is particularly helpful when we are working on tasks or projects that we find resistive, that have not gained traction due to lack of motivation, or that we left unfinished because other projects have gained our attention. Having group accountability allows us to engage with projects even in the presence of unpleasant feelings and can help counter unproductivity.
Defining “writing”
Within this context, writing need not involve “writing” as traditionally conceptualized, that is, text on a page, as when writing the abstract, introduction, or other sections of a paper or proposal. It could also involve specific research/statistical analyses that may inform the development of a paper/proposal or help meet other concrete outcomes.
Format
The format typically involves coming together on Zoom for a one-hour session per week. Videos are kept on and participants are encouraged to hide self-view so that the space is more representative of a real-life meeting space.
During the first 5 minutes of the session, participants clarify their goals for that hour. This step is not mandatory and depends on the level of comfort as well as group size. Participants commit to sitting in this virtual space and writing for the next 45-50 minutes, meeting their goals to the best of our ability. For the remaining 5-10 minutes, participants reflect on whether they have reached their goals and what their next steps might be.
How to join
If you have any questions or are interested in participating, please contact Dr. Ash Rajesh at arajesh@wustl.edu.