Below are some Advice & perspectives on the writing process:
Enrich your argument by “reading around” a topic
Sociologist Tressie McMillan Cottom explains how “reading around” a subject can enrich your argument.
“To read around the subject of Dolly Parton, instead of plugging her name in the Google search bar, I’m going to ask Dolly Parton, cultural object, “What are you?” Not: Who are you? You’re Dolly Parton, I get that. …how would you describe Dolly Parton? You would likely say, “Well, it’s a woman. She’s white. She has yellow hair.” … “She has an accent.” What’s the accent? “Sounds rural and Southern.” And now, instead of searching Dolly Parton’s name, I’m going to start searching around what Dolly Parton is. That kind of searching gets you closer to what the object means, rather than what the object is. Because knowing everything about Dolly Parton isn’t the same as answering the question, “Why Dolly Parton?” You start with the question of what she is, but you’re really trying to answer the questions, why is she and what does she mean?”
Tressie McMillan Cottom, Sleep Around Before You Marry An Argument (March 2021).
Outline, outline, outline
Sociologist Jessica Calarco offers an example outline for qualitative work
Embrace Failure
“I always consider the entire process about failure, and I think that’s the reason why more people don’t write.”
-Ta-Nehisi Coates
