How to Write Your Journal Article or Dissertation Faster: Take the No-Banana-Edits Challenge
DO YOU NEED A WRITING GAME CHANGER? Are you writing every day but not making any progress? Are you rewriting one chapter or section and not making progress on the rest of your dissertation or journal article? Try the No-Banana-Edits Challenge to invigorate your writing.
Banana edits are the changes we make to our writing that do not change the substance of it. We make these edits when we move words and sentences around without adding any new information or expanding our ideas. Banana edits are not deliberate, thoughtful edits. Often, we find ourselves making banana edits without realizing it.
Banana Edits Reduce Our Productivity
Banana edits are a superior form of procrastination because they look like “work.” We can make banana edits all day long and end the day feeling two things: 1) like we worked really hard, and 2) like we made absolutely no progress. Making no progress, despite how hard we work, is frustrating.
Sometimes we spend time on banana edits to avoid working on a difficult section of text. We might use banana edits to avoid thinking through what we want to say or how we want to say it.
The goal of this challenge is to use our time wisely by writing and editing deliberately.
A Benefit of the N0-Banana-Edits Challenge
One benefit of this challenge is that we stop over-editing our work. When we make banana edits, we tend to focus on the parts of text that we know best. We often over-edit these sections, and sometimes we edit out contextual details that are important to our writing.
As we write the difficult sections, we identify where we need more information; we create a better graph; or we schedule a meeting with our research supervisor or a colleague to confirm our decisions. Every action we take and decision we make helps us extinguish our hesitations and insecurities.
Finishing a difficult section and, eventually, the entire manuscript increases our confidence as academic writers. The challenge is to write and edit deliberately so that we meet deadlines and finish manuscripts faster.
Ready to Take the No-Banana Edits Challenge?
During this challenge, make deliberate decisions about when to write and when to edit. The challenge goal is to avoid mindless editing.
Begin by determining how long you want to avoid making banana edits. Start by setting a goal like one of these:
ID: Cover of The No-Banana-Edits Challenge & Writing Log
I will write without making banana edits for one week/two weeks/a month.
I will not edit until I finish this section or chapter or article.
I will not edit until I revise this section or chapter or article.
Learn more about how to identify banana edits and record your challenge progress using the No-Banana-Edits Challenge Writing Log. This writing log is a writing notebook, not a laboratory notebook. Record notes about the work of writing such as your progress, questions, notes about information you need to find, or even your personal feelings on days that go well and on the days that don’t. Look for trends, habits, and practices—good and those that need improving—that you have developed. Work to becoming a more efficient writer.
Digital Download: Ready to learn more?
The No-Banana-Edits Challenge Writing Log describes different types of banana edits and provides space for recording notes about your writing.
Digital Download (Free)
If you like the digital download, you can order a bound version.
6x9 Printed Notebook - Amazon ($6.99)
Happy Writing!
