Think of WAGs (Writing Accountability Groups) as a writing bootcamp for faculty members in academia. Writing is hard! But in academia, scholarship is the currency of the trade, the coin of the realm! So writing is your job, and you should do your job every day.
WAGs work! After 10 weeks of WAGs, participants report increased writing regularity (writing more frequently) and decreased writing session durations (writing for shorter periods). And that is a sustainable writing habit! WAGs help break-down common writing myths and barriers and get you into a routine of writing.
How it Works
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WAGs began when Kimberly Skarupski, PhD, MPH started gathering faculty to meet once a week in small groups with a clear goal of developing a process and habit of writing. WAGs makes scholarly writing automatic, mechanical and as routine as tying your shoes... there's nothing magical or mysterious about writing!
The positive, career-shifting results of WAGs brought strong attention to Kim’s work and the power of this experience. WAGs participants break bad writing habits, such as:
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Engaging in unplanned binge writing
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Letting the need for perfectionism thwart progress
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Constantly checking phone and succumbing to other distractions
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Working in unproductive environments and engaging in unproductive multitasking
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Lack of preparation
And WAGs participants support each other to permanently end scholarly writing myths, such as I need to feel inspired and motivated to write, I have no time to write, etc.​ WAGs participants build their scholarly writing habits the same way you’d train at a gym, play a sport, or master a musical instrument.
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Ways You Can Start WAGGING
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Read Kim’s new book called WAG Your Work: Writing Accountability Groups Bootcamp for Increasing Scholarly Productivity. It brings you the essence of the WAGs experience and all the practical steps needed to develop consistent writing habits. Learn more.
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Begin a WAGs program at your institution! Want to learn how to start a WAGs? Get in touch with Dr. Skarupski and ask her!
Kimberly A. Skarupski, PhD, MPH
Johns Hopkins Medicine