Academic writing often falters not from lack of ideas but from difficulties of expression, structure, and clarity. Tara Brabazon (2024) offers a series of twenty interventions designed to move beyond abstract discussions of literacy and into immediate practice. At the core of these proposals lies the conviction that writing is a craft, not a mystical art: a mechanical process that can be improved through deliberate attention and repetition. The first principle is immersion in reading. Vocabulary, rhythm and analytical insight are built by exposure to scholarly work; the great writer is inevitably a great reader. Yet reading alone is insufficient: daily writing is essential, stripped of perfectionism and fear of judgement. In this sense, Brabazon emphasises momentum over hesitation, arguing that words on the page matter more than waiting for inspiration. A second cluster of recommendations addresses organisation. Heavy use of headings provides an early architecture for arguments, later refined as drafts evolve. Similarly, transitions between paragraphs must be written, not assumed; weak connectors such as “however” or “on the other hand” are only temporary scaffolds. Editing is understood as a process of subtraction, where baggy sentences are cut and long drafts are reduced to clarity. Reading work aloud becomes a diagnostic tool for rhythm, syntax, and coherence. Equally important is the active use of references. Instead of passive citation, references are described as a gift—an invitation to extend arguments rather than merely attach authority. Each paraphrase or quotation should be followed by interpretation, ensuring that the writer’s voice remains central. This insistence aligns with the broader goal of signalling originality, the one non-negotiable quality of doctoral research. Brabazon also situates writing within professional identity. To write is to be an academic: it is labour, not pastime. Establishing routines—journaling, daily paragraphs, timed writing sessions—anchors writing in life rather than fitting it around distractions. Feedback, however bruising, must be stripped of emotion and used as iterative improvement. Underlying all twenty strategies is a pedagogy of deliberate practice: identifying weaknesses, focusing intensively on them, and transforming them into strengths. Whether transitions, concision, or significance, the key is conscious repetition until technique becomes second nature. In this view, writing improves not by accident but through craft, discipline, and sustained engagement.
