DP&L Episode 223 - Complete that Dissertation
Defend, Publish & Lead Podcast
Release Date: 04/12/2025
Defend, Publish & Lead Podcast
In Episode 246 Christine Tulley, Defend, Publish & Lead President and Executive Writing Coach, shares three insights the Tuesday Toolbox writing initiative including: Academic writing benefits from formulas as starting points, writing sessions need single focuses beyond project selection (like argument clarity or sentence variety), and surprisingly, academic writers lack opportunities to regularly refresh their writing skills. Christine encourages listeners to actively seek ways to strengthen their craft through resources and continuous learning. Related Episodes Resources...
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This episode describes the critical importance of building adequate margin into academic schedules. After a week that went "off the rails" due to unexpected emergencies including children's health issues, emergency dental work, and even a mouse invasion, Christine Tulley, President and Executive Writing Coach at Defend, Publish & Lead, discovered that while she thought she had built sufficient 30-minute buffers into her daily schedule, she hadn't accounted for how tightly stacked her days were against each other. When one day explodes due to emergencies, there's insufficient margin in...
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This episode demonstrates the importance of creating realistic weekly templates rather than making assumptions about available writing time and compares before and after templates after first mapping an ideal week and then making real time adjustments based on the semester’s workload, demonstrating how templates require ongoing refinement based on actual workflow patterns rather than theoretical scheduling. Related Episodes: Previous episodes on 242 and 237 Resources Mentioned: Weekly template download - available in show notes for creating personalized schedules (save as...
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In this gentle re-entry strategy episode, DP&L President and Executive Writing Coach, Christine Tulley shares a low-pressure approach for returning to scholarly writing after extended breaks, particularly useful at the beginning of semesters when writers feel disconnected from their projects. Her “just look and notice” method involves reading through manuscripts without committing to write new content, simply observing structural issues, incomplete sections, or organizational problems, then using the comment function to leave targeted notes and generative questions that create...
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This episode provides practical strategies for systematic organization through visual systems (using color-coding in Canvas to distinguish primary sections from copies) and strategic time blocking for competing priorities (dedicating specific days to writing, grading, and administrative tasks). Christine Tulley, President and Executive Writing Coach of Defend, Publish & Lead, demonstrates creating sustainable rhythms during overload semesters by establishing non-negotiable time blocks: Mondays for writing (6-8 hours weekly), Tuesday/Thursday for grading and student responses, Wednesday...
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This episode emphasizes establishing scholarly writing habits during the first week of classes before semester demands overwhelm available time and energy. Acknowledging the natural tendency to prioritize immediate teaching concerns over scholarly writing, Christine Tulley, President and Executive Writing Coach, provides a strategic framework for habit formation through early commitment (establishing writing routines by week three when semester patterns solidify) and contextual project matching (aligning writing projects with realistic time constraints and energy levels). She advocates for...
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This episode introduces the innovative Tuesday Toolbox, a new weekly writing support initiative designed to provide academic writers with practical, immediately usable tools and strategies throughout the semester. Recognizing that faculty need consistent writing support but lack time for lengthy resources, the Tuesday Toolbox delivers 5-minute video lessons every Tuesday for 14 weeks each semester (fall starting August 25th, spring starting January 26th), covering writing techniques, productivity strategies, paragraph construction, methodology development, and revision approaches that writers...
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This episode addresses a challenging landscape of academic professional development funding in 2025, offering a priority-based framework for maximizing limited resources amid budget cuts and funding uncertainty. Christine’s systematic approach begins with the "number one priority test" (identifying resources you'd pay for personally), moves to immediate commitments like fall conference registrations and organizational memberships, then productivity tools and resources such as specialized software or methodology training, and concludes with strategic remainder spending on non-expiring...
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In this nuanced revision strategy episode, President and executive writing coach Christine Tulley addresses the complex decision-making process academics face when confronted with revision requests they cannot or will not complete. Drawing from extensive client experience and personal examples, she provides a systematic framework for evaluating revision feedback that honors both scholarly integrity and practical publishing realities, while acknowledging that sometimes walking away from a publication opportunity represents the most appropriate professional choice. Related Episodes: ...
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This episode presents a comprehensive four-component framework for setting meaningful academic writing goals for the new year. This includes conducting an annual productivity assessment to evaluate completed projects and realistic time allocation (Component 1), strategic schedule architecture that involves proactive calendar blocking and identifying optimal writing windows (Component 2), continuous learning integration through weekly exposure to writing development resources and techniques (Component 3), and holistic writing load management that considers all academic writing tasks including...
info_outlineIn this episode, President and executive writing coach Christine Tulley describes actions to take to complete a dissertation.
Resources
DP&L Resources
- Set your writing goals with us!. Try us out in a free consultation.
- Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
- Don’t forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net/
- New to TAA? Join for just $30 using discount code TAA70 for 70% off!!! Returning TAA members can use the coupon code TAADP10 for $10 off an annual membership. You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.