Event Summary: What is Academic Writing and How to Get Better at It

In our March online event, we hosted an interactive workshop titled ‘What is Academic Writing and How to Get Better at It’. Led by Anne Wilson—an award-winning scriptwriter, journalist, and careers counsellor—the session aimed to demystify academic writing and help participants refine their approach. Drawing on her extensive experience, Anne guided attendees through key strategies to enhance their writing skills.

Academic writing often carries an air of mystique, discouraging researchers from questioning its conventions. Even experienced academics can struggle to define what makes writing effective within their disciplines. In this participative workshop, we stripped academic writing back to its fundamentals, reflected on individual writing processes, and explored techniques suited to different ways of thinking.

A central theme of the session was understanding what academic writing truly is. As Anne highlighted, it should be direct, clear, and concise, structured as a persuasive argument supported by evidence. We explored Karen Ottewell’s four pillars of academic writing, namely rhetorical heritage, writer responsibility, low context, and linear structure, which provided valuable insights into the importance of clarity and coherence in scholarly work. Another key idea was accepting and managing uncertainty as an essential part of the creative process. Rather than rushing to eliminate doubt, Anne emphasised the value of sitting with uncertainty and strategically analysing thoughts to strengthen academic work.

We also reflected on the writing process itself, recognising that writing is a skill rather than an innate talent. The session highlighted the reflective cycle of writing, illustrating that the act of academic writing is just the tip of the iceberg, supported by extensive thinking and structuring beneath the surface. In addition, we discussed the importance of defining one's purpose when reading and taking notes before embarking on the writing process. Thinking critically while engaging with sources ensures a more analytical approach and prevents passive absorption of information. It also helps maintain a clear argumentative line, avoiding the risk of being overly influenced by others’ perspectives.

Another focus of the workshop was the necessity of planning arguments before writing, stressing the balance between description and analysis. We explored the ‘one-minute pitch’ technique, which encourages writers to summarise their key ideas concisely and compellingly—a method that can be particularly useful in academic writing. Finally, we discussed the benefits of free writing as a tool for unlocking ideas and overcoming writer’s block.

Throughout the workshop, these concepts were brought to life through small interactive group activities, allowing participants to engage with the material in a hands-on and reflective manner.

Thank you to all who joined us for this insightful and enriching session! Slides and resources from the session were kindly made available by Anne and can be accessed below.