How to Write a Book Around a Full-Time Job

[@gretabellagamba462]

Thank you so much for this, really. It means so much ❤

[@charlesayers7811]

Thank you for this! I absolutely needed to hear that!

[@Taskade]

Anything is possible! :) It’s not always that we need to do more but rather that we need to focus on less.

[@srabonide9]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Remember I emailed you? It's good to see you back a year now & that a little regular. ❤️❤️❤️ Love from India 🇮🇳

[@DrAnaWeidenauer]

you seem such a cool person! I am a psychiatrist and I am going to write a novel. wish me luck. because as Yoda said: do or do not. there is no try ✊🏻

[@RoshnaOmer94]

It's like you are directly telling me right my idea into a novel already!

[@Gnjsharma]

One thing that worries me about doing a PhD whilst dreaming of writing a novel is that they are two very different methods of writing. I worry that by continuing with a PhD, I may losing my creative writing skills and become more technical and academic in my writing as I continue with postgraduate academia. Did you have this difficulty and how did you balance the two writing styles?

[@uroojwaheed955]

Yes research is the enemy of creativity unless you have name in research world and can initiate your own ideas.

[@mnibis591]

You won’t lose your creative writing skills, trust me. When I wrote my thesis/papers, I really struggled with this and with all the cuts I got from my supervisor due to sentences not being ‘scientific enough’. I felt like I couldn’t express my opinion freely. It was a relief when I left academia. And it’s been a relief to be able to write with my own voice again.

[@Gnjsharma]

@@mnibis591 thanks for sharing your experience. Do you think it’s possible to balance the two writing styles or do you ultimately need to give up one for the other?

[@mnibis591]

@@Gnjsharma I definitely don’t think you have to give up one or the other. You’ll perhaps have to negotiate a little with your creative writer side when writing a scientific paper because usually it’s not only your name that’s going to be on it. For example, you should forget present participles, gerunds and the passive voice when writing a science paper. These are things I use extensively in my writing…but also as another example, for my thesis, I was a little less harsh on that creative side, because ultimately that was my creation and I felt like I should write it with my own voice! There are other types of scientific pieces - like opinion pieces - where this creative side may also be more welcomed…but ultimately you’ll have to come to terms with the fact that scientific writing should be as less dubious as possible, it should be as clear as possible particularly when making an argument, so you don’t let things too much to (mis)interpretation…I think there lies the difference between the two writing styles.

[@MariaM-fv4lc]

@@Gnjsharma Hi! I even think they can be mutually beneficial as the different styles open up different sides of you too, as a writer (academic or creative). I find that bth styles offer me different possibilities to express myself and I can always learn from both! Please don't give up on for the other!

[@jon8236]

It’s on my audible list 🙂

[@richardgale1287]

Hi, Dr Lucy. A quick beg for (very) occasional updates post-PhDiaries - specifically, how are your experiences doing a PhD still impacting your professional methods as both a scientist and an author as you get further away from the conclusion of your PhD?

[@harikumarv4658]

I can't wait to read through your secret precious project! Love it more that you've made a video talking about it. Shall definitely write you an email post reading.. Lots of love, you ..

[@uroojwaheed955]

I have been watching your videos for some time .I often share your examples with others .I am stay at home mother and doing PhD.Can you suggest me anything? have you had any friend with the similar circumstances?

[@onelove8062]

Writing no problem, money? Yikes