Where Do You Find Your Writing Motivation?

Faculty Voices: Walden Talks Writing Spotlight

Finding motivation to write has always been somewhat allusive for me. While I’m generally a pretty productive person, when it comes to writing, I often find myself procrastinating and waiting until conditions are just right to sit down and put words on the page.  

Getting those conditions “just right” often means that I need to start writing well ahead of my deadline. For me, if I start writing without a deadline breathing down my neck, I can often trick my mind into thinking I’m working ahead of schedule, something my type-A personality really appreciates. This practice feeds my motivation, and I often find that writing comes easier to me when I’m writing working ahead.  

The other component of writing motivation for me is finding the right environment to write in. As a staff member in the Writing Center, I work from home and on my computer five days a week, so I find that I can easily be distracted if I try to write in my home office. Instead, I try to go somewhere else to do my writing: Right now, I’m writing from a quiet coffee shop down the street. There’s something about the ambient noises in a coffee shop that let me focus on my writing. No one particularly minds if I stare out the window as I think, and I feel a sense of kinship with the other people here working on their own writing.  

Recently, the Writing Center asked faculty contributors to our Faculty Voices: Walden Talks Writing project about where they find their writing motivation. Everyone has their own quirks about how or when they write best, and learning from others can help you learn what works for you.  

Watch the video to hear what our faculty contributors had to say, then think about your own writing motivation:  

Where do you find your writing motivation, and how can you cultivate that writing motivation to help you be a productive writer? 

Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-cF1cKjFZ8&list=PLM7NbPzilFBfs8PSMipc-ezfmsl7S403J&index=3&t=5s 

Beth Nastachowski Associate Director, Office of Writing Instruction.Beth Nastachowski has been with the Writing Center for 10 years and lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

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Writing About COVID-19

COVID-19 is inescapable for us all in the year 2020 as a pandemic that has resulted in widespread economic, social, and political consequences. As a Walden student committed to research for social change, you may find yourself interested in researching and writing on topics related to the pandemic. Here are some definitions and tips on writing about COVID-19 to provide you some initial guidance.

The World Health Organization (WHO) as an international public health leader named the disease and the virus that causes it in February 2020:

• The disease is named coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
• The virus that causes COVID-19 is named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

The term “COVID-19” refers to the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. However, it also has wider application. The term is also used to refer to the pandemic resulting from widespread infections of that virus, as well as to the consequences of lockdowns and policies meant to limit the spread of COVID-19. For greater specificity, use “COVID-19” as a modifier for the specific aspect of medical, social, political, or economic consequences being addressed, as follows:

• Executive orders that prohibited public gatherings caused COVID-19 closures, resulting in the closing of local libraries. People who contract SARS-CoV-2 can have a range of COVID-19 symptoms, from little to no symptoms (asymptomatic) to severe respiratory issues.
• Following APA style guidance, look to a standard collegiate dictionary such as Merriam-Webster for spelling, which uses “COVID-19.” Note that you will see many variations on spelling and capitalization of the term in different publications, especially since the term is so new.

Although COVID-19 is an abbreviation for “coronavirus disease,” because it is listed as a term in the dictionary, it does not need to be introduced via abbreviations in your writing (see Section 6.25 in APA 7).

Other names for COVID-19 circulate fairly widely in political discussions, but many of these terms are explicitly racist and xenophobic and thus should not be used in research writing except as quotations or in discussions of the problematic nature of such terms. These names include terms such as “Wuhan virus” or “China virus” that name the location where the virus was first identified in an attempt to lay blame for the pandemic on a people, country, or government. For more information, consult the guidance issued by the United Nations (UN) on combatting COVID-19 hate speech.

For some examples of how psychology, health care, and public researchers and journalists discuss COVID-19, see the American Psychological Association’s page on APA COVID-19 Information and Resources.

As you consider different aspects of COVID-19 for research, keep in mind that as the pandemic is currently active, there is a lot of ambiguity about terminology along with heated political debate about the meanings of specific terms. Here are some examples of terms in wide circulation today that should you should carefully chose and define in your writing:

• social distancing
• quarantine, lockdown, stay at home orders, mask orders
• personal protective equipment (PPE)
• face masks, face coverings, cloth masks, respirators, N95 masks, surgical masks

 
As always, please email or chat with Writing Center staff if you have additional questions about how to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic accurately, clearly, and objectively in your writing.

 

Paul Lai, Manager, Website and Information Resources

Paul Lai manages the Writing Center's website. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his partner and their two dogs.

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Faculty Voices: Walden Talks Writing

With almost 700 (yes, you read that right!) blog posts in our 10-year history, Writing Center bloggers have shared their perspective on a variety of writing topics and many ways of thinking about writing. Writing is such a rich topic for a blog because there are so many ways to write about writing.

However, we realized that as much as you all enjoy hearing from the Writing Center about writing, the faculty perspective on writing is also extremely important and useful for students. Faculty are a wealth of knowledge, bringing their experiences as teachers and as writers themselves. Because of that, we are pleased to bring you our new project, FacultyVoices: Walden Talks Writing.

To develop these videos, Writing Center staff asked faculty contributors from across the university a series of questions. Drs. Allyson Wattley Gee, Catherine Kelly, Darci Harland, Gregory Campbell, Kim Critchlow, and Laurel Walsh generously gave us their time to provide their writing advice and views on academic integrity, social change, and writing a doctoral study. We are grateful for their contributions and willingness to collaborate with us. They each provided insights about writing that all students can benefit from, including sharing their own experiences and challenges writing. 

All of the Faculty Voices videos can be found on our FacultyVoices: Walden Talks Writing page and integrated throughout our website, as well as via the list below. We hope you’ll choose one to watch so you can benefit from these faculty’s experience, advice, and expertise!

• Faculty Introductions: Learn about each of our faculty contributors
• Academic Integrity: Explore what academic integrity is and how can students avoid academic integrity
• Writing for Social Change: Consider how writing and social change are connected and hear about our faculty contributors’ experiences writing to achieve social change
• Writing Process: Learn how to develop a strong and effective writing process from our faculty contributors’ years of experience

The Walden University Writing Center provides a broad range of writing instruction and editing services for students, including writing assistance for undergraduates, graduate students, and doctoral capstone writers.

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The Wonderful World of APA 7: Advice and Favorite Changes

With the summer term starts, Walden University has officially adopted APA 7 across the university community. The Writing Center instructors and editors have been busy preparing for the shift, working with faculty and students on this transition to APA 7, and we are excited that the entire university is now using APA 7.

APA 7 incorporates many changes that are responsive to current writing and researching practices, and it clarifies some APA 6 rules that were cumbersome or confusing. Take a look at few favorite APA 7 changes of Writing Center staff and Walden faculty below.

What rule change are you excited about in APA 7?

·       Simplified rules for when articles do not have a DOI. –Claire Helakoski, Writing Center Writing Instructor

·       Always include the issue number in journal article references where available. Much easier and quicker to reference! –Dr. Kate Andrews, Contributing Faculty, PhD College of Management and Technology

·       One of the APA rule changes I am most excited about is the streamlining of et al. use, so now sources with three or more authors follow et al. format for each citation. –Veronica Oliver, Writing Center Writing Instructor

·       A few folks mention APA 7’s endorsement of singular “they”:

o   Singular "they" and the rationale behind it! –Dr. Jan Garfield, Core Faculty, Doctor of Business Administration

o   There are so many, but I'm particularly excited that the new edition explicitly supports the use of the singular "they". This is an example of putting people before rules, and adjusting expectations around language to reflect the inclusiveness we want to embody in our work. –Grete Howland, Writing Center Writing Instructor

With all this enthusiasm, we also recognize that students, staff, and faculty are just beginning to learn the APA 7 guidelines. We have many resources available to help you continue your journey:

·       Our APA6 and APA 7 Comparison Tables highlight the primary differences between APA 6 and APA 7, and the new APA7 Transition FAQ documents the most common transition questions we’ve heard from students and faculty.

·       The APA Citations and Style Webinar Recordings are now all in APA 7, including our APA 7 at a Glance sessions that detail the major changes from APA 6 to APA 7.

·       The General Templates and Doctoral Capstone Templates have been updated for APA 7. You now have the option of accessing the Doctoral Capstone Templates and Prospectus Templates in either APA 6 or APA 7.

·       All of the Writing Center’s APA Style instruction is now updated for APA 7, so you can get the most up-to-date information from our website.

These are only a few of the ways you can develop your APA 7 skills! See some excellent recommendations from Writing Center staff and Walden faculty below.

What will you be doing to continue to learn and engage with APA 7?

·       I will continue to follow APA on social media to gain insight on their reasoning behind their guidelines. This helps me understand how to apply the rule in various situations. –Lauri Barnes, Writing Center Writing Instructor

·       I've participated in several webinars online. I've accessed a few "tip" guides online too that highlight the major changes between APA 6th and 7th. [One example is the Writing Center’s APA6 & 7 Comparison Tables!] Lastly, I've updated my EndNote program to make sure that APA 7th edition format is installed. –Dr. Terrell Strayhorn, Contributing Faculty, Riley College of Education

·       To continue to learn and engage with APA 7, I plan to review Writing Center APA resources, such as the “APA7 at a Glance: Changes and Support for the Switch” webinar. –Veronica Oliver, Writing Center Writing Instructor

·       As I write articles and finish up a Master's thesis, I am actively engaging APA and highlighting those sections reviewed. Look at the index highlight and then the actual page. –Dr. Ora Robinson, Contributing faculty, College of Nursing

·       I'll be watching all of the Writing Center's new APA 7 webinars, and staying in conversation with my colleagues to clarify rules and figure out the best way to communicate changes. –Grete Howland, Writing Center Writing Instructor

We invite you to post your favorite APA 7 change and how you will continue to learn APA 7 in the comments below! 

The Walden University Writing Center provides a broad range of writing instruction and editing services for students, including writing assistance for undergraduates, graduate students, and doctoral capstone writers.

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Embracing the Learning Process: Transitioning from APA 6 to APA 7

It’s been 10 years since I first began my journey to master APA. When I began working in the Writing Center in 2010, APA had just published its sixth edition of the manual, so it was a perfect time for a new writing instructor like myself to dive in headfirst. Those early months of learning APA were frustrating. I can’t tell you how many times I looked up the rules for when to use “et al.” or when exactly an issue number was needed in a reference entry. Slowly but surely, however, I mastered APA’s rules. As I practiced using the style, both in my own writing and by teaching it to students, APA’s rules became second nature to me.

Fast forward 10 years, and I’m now looking at the recently published seventh edition of APA. The manual itself has helpful tabs and a colorful cover, but as I have started exploring the new and modified rules of APA 7, I’m reminded of how challenging and daunting it can be to learn the rules of a citation style. I’m taken back to my initial foray into APA, as I’ve been asked to learn entirely new guidelines or adjust old rules for the new edition of APA. As I do so, I tell myself over and over again that I will, at some point, memorize the URL version of a DOI so I won’t need to look it up every time. Intellectually I know that this is true, and that I’ve been here before, but it still feels frustrating. I’d gotten used to knowing APA intuitively, but now this new seventh edition of APA requires an extra layer of thought to something I used to do without thinking.

On the positive side, these feelings of frustration have also been productive. As I labor over the new edition, practicing the new way to reference a webpage or including “et al.” in all citations with three or more authors, I’m reminded that my feelings of frustration are simply part of the learning process. Learning often isn’t comfortable; it’s challenging, and it requires us to step outside of our comfort zone to learn to think in a new way. And so, with this learning process, I also am reminded of the student experience. It’s been quite a long time since I went through the process of first learning APA, and so learning APA 7 has given me insight into the challenges and frustrations of any Walden student who is new to APA style. 

Walden University will be adopting the seventh edition of the APA manual starting in the summer terms (May 4 for semester-based programs and June 1 for quarter-based programs). So, very soon, much of the Walden community will be joining me in this learning process. To support you along the way, here are a few tips from the trenches that you may find helpful:

• Acknowledge the Challenge: Learning APA 7, like any learning, is a process; there will be frustrations and challenges along the way. Acknowledging—and if possible, embracing—this challenge will help you avoid feelings of failure if you make a mistake or frustration if it’s taking some time.
• Give Yourself Time: I’ve had 10 years to absorb APA, and it’s unrealistic to expect that I'll memorize and use APA 7 intuitively in a short period of time. Similarly, using APA 7 will add to your writing time, since you’ll most likely need to look up rules and double-check formats.
• Use Resources: Once you begin learning and using APA 7, don’t feel like you’re in this alone. The Writing Center is working on a number of resources to help you transition into using the seventh edition. We will have fully updated APA resources throughout our website, so you can use tutorials on our website and services from our writing instructors and form and style editors to support your learning of APA 7. In the mean time, you can visit our APA 7 Transition page for the latest updates and a comparison table so you can see the biggest differences in the APA editions.
• Ask Questions: Don’t forget to ask questions, too: You can email usor visit our Live Chat Hours with questions about APA 7 after the May switch dates. Your faculty and classmates can be a great source of support, too. I can’t tell you how many times I've reached out to colleagues to confirm I’m using a new APA 7 rule correctly.

We will also have new and updated webinars in May to help with the transition. You can find the full schedule and registration information on our webinars calendar page. All webinars will be recorded and archived as well, so you can watch them at your convenience.

We look forward to working with you as you engage in your own learning process with APA 7, and we’re pleased to support you on this journey. And hey, if you find yourself loving a new rule or experiencing a particular challenge, be sure to let us know. We’re all in this learning process together! 

Beth Nastachowski has been with the Writing Center since 2010, and she currently manages the center’s webinars, modules, and videos. She spends her time running after her son, husband, two cats, and dog in St. Paul, MN. 

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Thesis Sentences vs. Blueprint Sentences

“Dear, Kacy. This is a blueprint sentence, not a thesis.” 

This succinct comment stands out in my memory because it’s one of the first true pieces of constructive criticism I ever received on my writing.

The sentence was written in the margin of the first page of my first real research paper. As an end-of-year project, each student in my sixth-grade class selected a country to write a report on, and then we created poster boards and made traditional food from the country to share at an international day at my school. I picked Bermuda because at the time I was a little obsessed with the Bermuda Triangle. I remember cutting out pictures of business people wearing shorts with their suit jackets, and baking some really good cookies that seemed like sugar cookies to me but were also apparently very Bermudan.

For the first two weeks, I received every possible point for the project. I’d come to school with six (beyond the requirement of five!) books on the day our sources were required. I’d diligently written out the assigned number of index cards with individual facts. After turning in the outline I’d crafted using my index cards, I was fully prepared to collect another perfect score.

“What?? What’s a blueprint sentence?” Probably I should have asked what a thesis sentence was, because I had an example of a blueprint sentence right in front of me: Bermuda is located on a small island in the Atlantic Ocean and this paper is about its history, economy, and culture. Like the blueprint of a building, I’d provided a layout of the contents of my paper, but I hadn’t produced an argument or put forth any idea. My reader would know to expect a paragraph on Bermuda’s history, a paragraph about its economy, and a paragraph about the culture. But what did I want to say about the country?

I think my thesis statement ended up being something about the Bermuda Triangle, but I can’t say for sure. And I had to double-check that Bermuda is indeed in the Atlantic Ocean while drafting this post. So, the actual information I obtained during the project clearly hasn’t stayed with me too well. But I still think about this experience when teaching, tutoring, or writing myself. It’s great to give your reader an idea about the general format of your paper, but the most important part isn’t a list of the different topics you’ll cover. 

The advantage of hindsight (and a few additional decades of writing experience) tells me I should have realized this from the beginning. After all, I had picked Bermuda because of its mysterious Triangle, so why shouldn’t I use what peaked my own interest to grab my reader’s? And why is it that I can so vividly remember the picture I copied from a book, of a group of men holding briefcases and wearing shorts under their suit coats, but I can’t remember Bermuda’s capital? Or where I left my phone? 

Hmmm. Can someone try calling it?

Kacy Walz is a Minnesota native currently living in St. Louis, MO. She has been a Writing Instructor at Walden since 2016 and spends most of her free time trying to complete her PhD, seeking out adventure, and playing with her puppy dog.

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Grammar for Academic Writers: Can I Begin a Sentence with "And"?

During my 7th grade year, my English teacher conducted a multi-month unit on sentence structure. We learned patterns of sentences with acronyms like SV, SSVV, DC, IC, and the list goes on. These acronyms explained the different structures a “correct” sentence could take, with S standing for subject, V standing for verb, DC standing for dependent clause, and IC standing for independent clause. (There were many more acronyms and structures, but I’ll stop there for now.) The approach was a continual drill practice of sentence construction, which at the time seemed terribly tedious, but all these years later these patterns stuck with me.

When I say “correct” sentence construction, I’m referring to more formal, academic writing and what is deemed correct in that context. I clarify because in our day-to-day use of language, whether it is spoken or written, we often don’t follow these formal, academic patterns. Some of us might think we do, but it’s a rare person who speaks with the same grammatical accuracy and formality with which they write. Additionally, in different genres of writing, a broader range of sentence structures are often used and considered appropriate. 

Here are a couple of ways I wrote sentences this week that didn’t follow one of correct structures I learned in my 7th grade English class:

• I gave my daughter a strawberry. But she said didn’t like it even though she loved them yesterday. So I gave her a peach slice instead. And then she asked for a strawberry.

• I cleaned our front windows in preparation for the party. But then my toddler woke up from her nap. Needless to say, I cleaned them again. (Can anyone else relate?)

The “problem” in these sentences, from an academic writing perspective, is that some of the sentences begin with the words and, but, or so. These words (and other coordinating conjunctions) should typically be used within sentences to connect ideas rather than used to begin a sentence. Beginning a sentence with a coordinating conjunction can lend an informal tone to the writing, therefore impacting scholarly voice. Additionally, these sentences would be deemed incorrect by my 7th grade English teacher.

The best fix for a sentence beginning with a coordinating conjunction is to either make a compound sentence, using the coordinating conjunction to connect the ideas, or to use a different connecting or transition word that is more suitable to begin a sentence. 

Here’s what each situation might look like:

Using a compound sentence instead of starting with a coordinating conjunction 

I gave my daughter a strawberry, but she said didn’t like it even though she loved them yesterday, so I gave her a peach slice instead. Then, she asked for a strawberry.

Using an alternative connecting word

I cleaned our front windows in preparation for the party. However, my toddler woke up from her nap. Needless to say, I cleaned them again.

While I imagine not all of us can remember back to middle school English class, especially if the teacher didn’t use the drill method, there’s plenty of hope to be had. You’re already on the right track to learn about and be on the lookout for sentences that begin with and, but, or so. For a more comprehensive explanation of sentence structures in scholarly writing, including compound sentences, view our Mastering the Mechanics 2 and 3 webinars.   

Amy Bakke is a senior writing instructor and multilingual writing specialist at the Walden Writing Center. She enjoys researching cultural differences in education and considering how students with different educational perspectives and histories experience writing at Walden. In her non-work time, she’s outside (as much as possible in the Midwest) with her husband, toddler, and dog.  

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Grammar for Academic Writers: Essential Clauses

Whether you are a native or non-native English speaker, you may come across situations where you are unsure where to place commas in a sentence. Today, I’ll cover those phrases where you should not use a comma to surround supporting information—essential clauses—and discuss the difference between these and nonessential clauses. The decision to add a comma in these cases often depends on the meaning of the sentence, so it can require some reflection and detective work.

Here’s an example of an essential clause (bolded for emphasis):

The students who visited the writing center enhanced their confidence.

Here, we have an essential clause because we are explaining a specific group of students. Which students? The ones who visit the writing center.

You might be tempted in this example to use commas instead for something like this:

The students, who visited the writing center, enhanced their confidence.

Here’s where it gets tricky because both of these sentences are grammatically correct—they just have different meaning depending on if we use commas or not.

In the first example we mean specifically that the students who visited the writing center enhanced their confidence. This implies that there are other students who did not visit the writing center. In the second example, we mean that all the students visited the writing center and therefore their visit is not essential information to understanding our meaning—it’s nonessential, meaning we should surround it with commas.

Another way to think of this is if you are considering surrounding a clause with commas, try writing out the sentence without the information in the commas. If that sentences still conveys the meaning you intended, then you have a nonessential clause. However, if the sentence makes sense but doesn’t convey the meaning you intended, then it’s likely an essentialclause and shouldn’t use commas.

An example will be helpful to illustrate this situation.

The assignment due Thursday was very difficult.

Let’s try the comma test:

The assignment, due Thursday, was very difficult à The assignment was very difficult.

So now we have a decision to make: Do we want to emphasize that it’s this specific assignment? In that case, we’ll keep it without commas. But if the date it’s due doesn’t impact the meaning we intend, we’ll add those commas.

Next time you’re wondering about comma placement and essential or nonessential information, consider your meaning and try this simple test!

Note that essential clauses can also be called restrictive clauses, whereas nonessential clauses can be called nonrestrictive clauses. Read more on our grammar page on this topic as well!

Claire Helakoski is a writing instructor at the Walden Writing Center. Claire also co-hosts WriteCast, the Writing Center's podcast. Through these multi-modal avenues, Claire delivers innovative and inspiring writing instruction to Walden students around the world.

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