Blog

Kathleen Vacek 4/20/26 Kathleen Vacek 4/20/26

Revising for structure

For the same reasons some people dread cleaning out a closet or kitchen drawer, some writers dread revising for structure.

Kathleen Vacek 3/24/26 Kathleen Vacek 3/24/26

Know a pro: Indexer

Welcome back to my Know a Pro series, where I introduce you to helpful services and professionals who provide them. Today’s spotlight is indexing.

Kathleen Vacek 2/19/26 Kathleen Vacek 2/19/26

Are you a Planner, a Discoverer, or a Hybrid writer?

Which writing style is the most successful? The answer isn’t what you think.

Kathleen Vacek 1/20/26 Kathleen Vacek 1/20/26

Know a pro: Copyeditor

Welcome to my Know a Pro series, where I introduce you to helpful services and professionals who provide them. Today’s spotlight is copyediting.

Kathleen Vacek 12/11/25 Kathleen Vacek 12/11/25

How do I figure out my argument?

Most of us don’t start drafting with the Core Argument clear in our minds. It emerges during the writing process.

Kathleen Vacek 11/19/25 Kathleen Vacek 11/19/25

Less stress and more fun

Finding organizational systems that work for you can reduce stress and open the door to more fun.

Kathleen Vacek 10/21/25 Kathleen Vacek 10/21/25

“I just need a plan.”

If planning and organizing aren’t getting you to your goals, it may be time to back up and tackle motivation.

Kathleen Vacek 9/17/25 Kathleen Vacek 9/17/25

Resource: The Grant Writing Guide

Let’s get your research funded. Let’s make this world a better place.

Kathleen Vacek 7/16/25 Kathleen Vacek 7/16/25

Guided exploration for living your best neurodivergent, academic life

Some prompts to help you uncover the strategies that help you work at your best—great for neurodivergent and neurotypical folks alike.

Kathleen Vacek 5/21/25 Kathleen Vacek 5/21/25

Resource: Write Like You Teach

I love this new book about how good teaching principles can guide public writing.

Kathleen Vacek 4/16/25 Kathleen Vacek 4/16/25

What are “social writing opportunities”? And what can they do for you?

If we are going to do this work of writing anyway, let’s make it as pleasurable as possible.

Kathleen Vacek 3/19/25 Kathleen Vacek 3/19/25

Connecting with your motivation in difficult times

If you are feeling disconnected from your “why,” here are some questions to journal about.

Kathleen Vacek 2/6/25 Kathleen Vacek 2/6/25

Resource: Black Feminist Writing

Black Feminist Writing is an academic writing guide that centers wellness in the writing process.

Kathleen Vacek 10/29/24 Kathleen Vacek 10/29/24

One of my favorite bits of wisdom

A classic TED talk to support you in your work.

Kathleen Vacek 9/25/24 Kathleen Vacek 9/25/24

Give your mind a name

Psychological flexibility is the capacity to recognize our thoughts without getting hooked into them.

Kathleen Vacek 7/17/24 Kathleen Vacek 7/17/24

To use or not to use? That is the question about gen AI

Some guidelines on using generative AI as a graduate student or scholar…if you choose to do so.

Kathleen Vacek 5/23/24 Kathleen Vacek 5/23/24

A primer for prepping for the tenure review

Kate Vacek and Letitia Henville offer tips for academics who've just landed their first tenure-track job about how to advance and succeed.

Kathleen Vacek 4/29/24 Kathleen Vacek 4/29/24

Gap Vs. Problem: What’s the difference?

I think people get confused between gap and problem because gaps are problematic—there’s something we don’t know that we want to know.

Kathleen Vacek 3/27/24 Kathleen Vacek 3/27/24

Organizing references into meaningful groups

If you can sort buttons, you can sort your reference library.

Kathleen Vacek 2/27/24 Kathleen Vacek 2/27/24

Kate’s Take: ChatGPT and Scholarly Writing

As we experiment with AI tools for scholarly writing, the academic community must consider the needs of its emerging members.