My Sabbatical
I'm done with grading. And I have next semester off. Counting the summer, we're basically talking nine months before I have to teach again. Whew. Good thing. I need a break. Teaching is just not something you can do well when you are burned out.
(Technical detail: we don't actually have real sabbaticals around these parts, only competitive grants for one-semester leaves. Stupid system.)
Of course there is the writing... But no sense in worrying about that just yet. Gonna take it easy until the new year, just catching up on my reading.
Thing is, this stupid book project has been lying dormant for a long time. I had to put it aside when this mind-scrambling insomnia problem started up about eight years ago. In fact, I started this blog up to try to get myself in the habit of writing again.
So, anyway, just as a heads-up, I guess I'll start throttling back on the blog a bit as the scholarly writing picks up. Or so I hope.
I'm done with grading. And I have next semester off. Counting the summer, we're basically talking nine months before I have to teach again. Whew. Good thing. I need a break. Teaching is just not something you can do well when you are burned out.
(Technical detail: we don't actually have real sabbaticals around these parts, only competitive grants for one-semester leaves. Stupid system.)
Of course there is the writing... But no sense in worrying about that just yet. Gonna take it easy until the new year, just catching up on my reading.
Thing is, this stupid book project has been lying dormant for a long time. I had to put it aside when this mind-scrambling insomnia problem started up about eight years ago. In fact, I started this blog up to try to get myself in the habit of writing again.
So, anyway, just as a heads-up, I guess I'll start throttling back on the blog a bit as the scholarly writing picks up. Or so I hope.
posted by Winston Smith at
12:02 PM
3 Comments:
Good luck with the writing! At the very least update us on how you're doing.
My advice as I write on my own (at this point more to prove I can finish a book more than anything else) is that set aside time to put your butt in the chair and then DO IT.
Right now I'm getting up at 6:15 and writing before work. I get ~half an hour of writing in (some days better than others) but the point is I'm in the habit of writing.
Also, you probably don't want to open your e-mail or web browser. (That's the kiss of death for me.)
How effective is it? I'm at 45k words now. Are they good words? Who knows? But it's something.
Regardless, good luck, keep us posted, and stay away from the news if you want to keep your sanity. :)
Thanks for the advice and encouragement, MK!
I'm just coming off of my sabbatical and it was wonderful.
Three proposals written and submitted, and two papers accepted for publication with enough data for another two.
Of course, reality strikes next semester with two classes and a lab (for which I need to develop several more experiments).
But hey, the sabbatical was wonderful and I also found closing my office door was an excellent way to be productive...disconnecting the internet connection also worked.
Enjoy!
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