The following are summaries of each chapter in my new book, How to Use Storytelling in Academic Writing: Engaging Readers and Navigating the Writing and Publishing Processes

Chapter 1

In this chapter I introduce the concept of storytelling. It explains why good writing is important to successfully publishing, the difference between writing and typing, and summarizes each chapter in the book, as well as the book’s structure.

Chapter 2

In this chapter I focus on applying the five-act storytelling structure from drama, captured in Freytag’s pyramid, to structuring your research story. I also discuss how characters, theme and storylines contribute to the storytelling structure of your academic writing, and the difference between plot-driven and situation-driven stories.

Chapter 3

In this chapter I describe storytelling tools. Storytelling tools complement story structure by moving the story from one act to the next, making characters three dimensional actors instead of cardboard cut-outs, creating tension and drama, and providing the reader with release. I focus on four storytelling tools that I think are especially appropriate for academic writing, and that are easy to incorporate: the human face, motion and pacing, showing and telling; and making your writing conversational.

Chapter 4

In this chapter I discuss the building blocks of stories: the purposes different words fulfill, how to order words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs and paragraphs into stories. I focus on clear writing (and the pathologies of clutter, burying the lead, sentence stuffing, pompous prose and mind reading), active writing, and the importance of sound, cadence and rhythm in your writing.

Chapter 5

In this chapter I explore how to effectively attract readers’ attention and set the hook so that they read the rest of your article. I first discuss what comprises an effective introduction, then discuss how to grab readers’ attention with interesting titles, and lure them in with succinct, informative abstracts.

Chapter 6

In this chapter I discuss the major components of the Theory and Hypotheses section and the most common challenges writers face: developing theoretical arguments, construct clarity, developing clear hypothesis statements, and structuring the section’s narrative in a logical and effective way.

Chapter 7

In this chapter I briefly review the four major types of validity that the Methods and Results sections address, and the tradeoffs facing all empirical research. I then discuss the purposes and challenges in writing the methods and results sections using the three Cs of completeness, clarity and credibility, and how they are generally structured.

Chapter 8

In this chapter I explain the Discussion section’s purposes, describe typical discussion section flaws (rehashing results, meandering, overreaching and superficial interpretations), offer a playbook for how to approach and make the most of the discussion section, how to write an effective conclusion, and provide some guidelines for how to effectively structure the Discussion.

Chapter 9 

In this chapter I focus on what’s different about writing effective qualitative empirical and theory articles, compared to quantitative empirical articles. I also discuss the differences between journal articles and book chapters. In doing so I highlight the differences between inductive and deductive research, and theory testing versus theory development. I emphasize the differences in storytelling structure, as well as differences in the different parts of the articles.

Chapter 10 

In this chapter I focus on the writing process. I identify the core activities of writing (writing, reading, drawing, thinking, talking and working with data) and lay out the four stages of the writing process, as I see them, using the process of creating a painting as an analogy (preparing the ground, blocking in the scene, adding detail, refining and focusing, and finishing and framing). I then discuss some of the practicalities of enhancing your writing productivity, focusing on deep work and writing rituals and routines.

Chapter 11

In this chapter I focus on the coauthoring process. I discuss the pros and cons of coauthors, different types of coauthoring collaborations, the mechanics of writing with coauthors, and the processes involved in inviting, working with, and dropping coauthors.

Chapter 12

In this chapter I explain how to navigate the journal review process. I discuss the importance of emotional control, two issues pertaining to your initial submission—choosing the journal to submit your manuscript to and learning from rejections—and how to handle invitations to revise and resubmit your work (revising the paper and writing the response letter), subsequent revisions, conditional acceptance, and the copy-editing process.

Chapter 13

In this chapter I focus on three documents we write for our own benefit that are related to research, and where we use storytelling to persuade others: grant proposals, research statements and cover letters. In describing how to write each document effectively, I focus on their audiences, purposes, tone, content and structure.

Chapter 14

In this chapter I discuss the practice of scholarly writing, and how to use deliberate practice to become better as a writer. I also offer my concluding thoughts on the pleasures of learning how to write well.