Writing Beyond the Rules
Flexible Writing Practices for Researchers
90 minutes (standard) or 2 hours (extended, with additional reflection and applied exercises)
Many researchers receive highly structured advice about how research writing “should” be approached, planned and produced. While these approaches can be helpful for some, they do not always reflect the diverse ways that researchers think, work, process ideas and sustain momentum over time.
This workshop explores alternative and more flexible approaches to research writing that support creativity, sustainability and individual working rhythms. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on their own writing habits and assumptions, and to consider how different writing practices may better support their research process and intellectual work.
Topics explored include exploratory writing, research journalling, writing without rigid structures, using curiosity as a guide for inquiry, and developing supportive writing rituals and routines.
Through guided reflection and practical exercises, participants will develop a more personalised and sustainable approach to research writing that aligns with their research goals and their preferred ways of working, while also meeting the realities of academic life.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the session, participants will have learned:
- how conventional assumptions about research writing can influence and hinder writing habits and progress
- how to recognise and support their individual writing and working preferences
- alternative approaches to planning, structuring and developing research writing
- how to identify (new) writing practices and working patterns that best support their thinking and creativity