
I also hate this format. It’s so boring. It’s boring to write and it’s also boring to read most of the time. I really enjoy unstructured but understandable and readable writing. Writing in the standard format feels very stifling for me. I feel like I’m boxing myself in. That generally leads to me feeling insecure about my writing. I haven’t figured how to meet the standard and feel good about what I’ve produced. Forreal forreal I don’t want to meet the standard. My inner voice always telling me, “Girllllll just do your own thing.” LOL. And I listen. Then I get feedback that makes my paper look like its bleeding. I haven’t quite figured out the solution for that one…
Another thing, the standard format is boring to read. It’s the same thing over and over again. I love writing where I feel like I can hear the author through their writing. There are so many articles I’ve read that literally all sound the same. Only thing changing slight is the content. And I do mean slightly. To be fair, there are papers I’ve read that go against the grain and I love and appreciate these works. These scholars have mastered how to communicate their research in a way that is fascinating, using their voice, and still meeting academic writing expectations.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a solution to offer. There are many people I know who are comfortable and enjoy the structure of academic writing. There are also several others that feel like me. I personally think a spectrum of writing formats could be mainstream in the academic space if we allow it. I mean it is a peer led industry…
