pat thomson

Patter is back

Patter has been missing in action since the end of August. A bad case of blogging burn-out you might ask? Well, yes that’s true. I have been writing this patter thing for twelve years and I did have some doubts about whether I had anything left to say. I was finding writing the blog much more of a chore than I wanted. It had ceased to be enjoyable. And it was something of a relief to just stop and not worry about what I was going to write next. However. I’m back. And it’s not that it’s a new year. Although that is a convenient coincidence. 

The thing is that there was something else going on besides long-time blogging. And it was to do with the sh**tshow that was academic social media and the rise and rise of people offering writing advice. Bad writing advice. Writing advice that sounded like it might be useful but was lacking in explanation and/or in any kind of nuance. The more I saw infographics and posts which reduced quite complicated writing questions to simple but rigid steps, and the more I saw people talking about writing  ‘rules’, ‘tips’ ‘formulae’ and ‘templates’, the less I wanted to be part of any group that wrote about academic writing . So I just quietly withdrew while I tried to work out what I could, and should do. 

A lot of the bad academic writing advice I was and am concerned about is associated with selling workshops and resources (more infographics and templates). Some of it also seems to be a lot about ego. Not much of this stuff ever refers to the research on academic writing or any of the serious scholarly work done about academic publication. 

Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t have anything against selling per se and you can still get invaluable support online.  And there are some really helpful writing workshops and coaching services available. But you do have to sort out which is the good stuff and which isn’t, who are the ethical people and who aren’t. For starters, beware of anything that offers one-best ‘rules’, ‘tips’ ‘formulae’ and ‘templates’ and doesn’t seem focused on developing your practice and understandings. Check out people’s CVs and if they don’t seem to have much, then be suspicious – take whatever might be offered as a free taster and check it out. And the old adage applies here – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 

However, it’s the marketing of really crappy writing stuff that I just can’t abide. It makes me particularly crabby because those who are selling poor advice prey on people who can’t rely on institutional support and/or people who don’t feel particularly confident about writing. There was and is a lot of this nasty stuff on the former bird platform which I and many others have now left. Those without institutional support deserve better than false promises and cheap tricks.

In order to re-orient myself to academic writing I’ve had to revisit the reasons I first started writing the blog. The blog came a good decade after I’d started working on academic writing. My very first conference presentation about academic writing was in 2000, with my good friend Barbara Kamler. The presentation was premised on the notion that most of the academic writing we read adheres to conventions, not hard and fast rules. We said then that conventions can be changed and some of them really ought to be. Nevertheless, it is helpful to understand the conventions. But while there are lots of useful exercises that you can do to orient yourself to these writing conventions, they  can also be a trap.  Rigidly following writing conventions generally leads to dull and dead prose.  Trying to sound clever simply by following a few pre-determined steps doesn’t really produce good work. Barbara and I were, and are, adamant that sitting down to read paper after paper all written in exactly the same way is a dank and dismal scholarly groundhog day.  

This is what I am about. Then and now. Understanding the conventions and also trying to bend them. Above all, writing in ways that are engaging. as well as persuasive and well-evidenced. I’m also still interested in providing strategies and resources that people can adapt and use as they see fit. So with this mind, I’m coming back to the blog with some renewed focus. 

I’m giving the blog a little facelift and you’ll see some further small changes over the next few weeks. And I’ve got a little list of things to write about for the foreseeable. Starting next week, I’m going back to talking about writing from your PhD. I hope you will find something useful in what’s on offer in 2025.

Photo by Robert Clark on Unsplash

28 comments

  3. It’s great to have you back. Excited about the plans you have for forthcoming blogs. I’m at the final edit stage of my thesis and should be ready for submission in a week or two, perfect timing for your new blogs. Happy 2025 🤗

    Like

    Reply

  6. I remain deeply grateful for all the advice, support and motivation you gave me while I completed my PhD. I recommended you to every subsequent student I’ve had. You are the Nanny McPhee of supervisors. The person you never knew you needed until you don’t. Lovely to see you return. Happy 2025 already.

    Like

    Reply

  9. Great to see you back, you got me through my PhD and helped me most importantly, understand what I was doing and the work of each element. Now, a PhD supervisor I refer my students to this blog often and revisit to help me to help them. Continued gratitude for all your work in thus blog and I look forward to reading the new posts.

    Like

    Reply

  12. Dear Pat,
    I was pleased to read your recent blog and your confirmation that you will continue to contribute to education. For many years now I have been an enthusiastic reader of your blogs and have gained from them.
    In January I am making a plenary presentation at the Asian Pacific Medical Education Conference ( APMEC 2025 ) in Singapore. The theme I was asked to address is Holistic Health Care and Sustainability. This will be my 21st APMEC Plenary and I was looking for a new education idea. The answer I found in your blog on possibility thinking and I have built my presentation round this. Thank you for your inspiration,
    Ronald M Harden

    Professor Ronald M Harden
    OBE MD FRCP (GLAS.) FRCS (ED.) FRCPC
    Professor (Emeritus) Medical Education, University of Dundee, UK
    Editor Medical Teacher
    +44 7468561048

    Like

    Reply

  13. Welcome back Pat! It’s been so nice to have your companionship on my PhD journey and I am sure thousands would say the same. The thing about adhering to conventions that maybe should be changed is one that I think about a lot – my instinct is that I want to see academic writing becoming more creative and personal-positional but I also worry about whether this is ‘acceptable’ (by one’s unknown examiners) in a PhD thesis.

    Like

    Reply

  14. Dear Pat

    I am very happy to read that Patter is back! Yay! Thank you!

    I usually check my emails and read the paper over breakfast and I nearly spilt my tea when I saw your email in my inbox this morning!

    I am in the second year of a full time funded PhD at UoN, and a friend from SoE recommended your blog, and I’ve been reading it carefully. English is my second language – my primary and secondary school experiences of education in the UK were sparse (my father did not believe it was necessary for me) and now as a mature student I feel like I am forever trying to catch up. When I look around at the bright, shiny young people who are doing PhD’s alongside me, I sometimes feel ‘if only my education had had a smooth and steady start’. However, I am determined to do well and make the most of this amazing opportunity.

    I look forwards to reading more of your posts over the next year (am still reading through the previous ones as well). I wish you good health, peace and happiness for 2025. Zareeda

    Like

    Reply

  15. Thank you – I missed you. I have learned so much from you, and am grateful to be able to continue reading your valuable blog.

    Like

    Reply

  18. Love that I read this today, I have completed my PhD and have been sitting with…. why is it so hard to start writing from it! So … on the edge of my seat and will get myself ready … to be ready 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  19. Lovely to “hear” you again. Welcome back; and warmest good wishes for the New Year. Your work and your writing has challenged and developed my thinking – and my teaching!

    Thank you, Colin

    Like

    Reply

  21. Dear Patter,

    Thank you for being back! I noticed you had gone silent for a few months and was wondering what was going on. Taking a break was probably a good idea and I am looking forward to reading you again.

    Best wishes for the New Year!

    Luisa

    Like

    Reply

  23. Dear Pat, I regard you as one of the best writers on writing. You are authentic, thoughtful and wise. I always learn something from you. Happy New Year! Phillipa

    Like

    Reply

  24. Taking a break from any long term project to reflect upon and review its value and purpose, for its audience but especially for you as author, and to think about it in terms of personal satisfaction and sustainability is a very wise thing to do.
    I can assure you that your frank and practical posts and archive are useful and valued by readers and look forward to more patter in the coming months.

    Like

    Reply

  25. Thank you for being back. Your blog has been interesting, inspirational and useful. Happy new year and greetings from Estonia.

    Like

    Reply

  26. Dear Pat,

    Didn’t know you stopped blogging since August. Extremely pleased and content about your return.

    We met at SUSEES 2024 in Lisbon and learning from you directly in a classroom was my major motivation to attend SUSEES. Please continue spreading your academic writing knowledge and skills to those in need. I am to publish from my PhD this year so your blog is my academic therapy.

    Happy New Year,

    Assel

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment