The ‘Set Up’ Method for Scientific Writing
Silver bars are organized in a wooden tray. A printing plate sits on top with bars arranged upside down, showing that each bar contains one word. Image by Willi Heidelbach from Pixabay
“The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next.” By-Line: Ernest Hemingway, pp. 216–217
Do you ever plan ahead for something, whether cooking dinner or a lab experiment, by laying all of your tools, ingredients, and instructions out ahead of time? That way, when you are ready to get started there’s no hunting for the things you need or worries that you’ve forgotten something.
As a bonus, having everything ready to go can also help prompt or encourage you to get started.
A favorite method of Earnest Hemingway, that’s essentially what the set-up method for drafting is all about.
How does the set up method work?
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Stop a writing session when things are going well.
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Leave a paragraph, sentence, or even word(!) unfinished.
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Next writing session, re-read where you left off.
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Start writing by finishing what you started.
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Stop while things are still going well.
Like an informal writing prompt, this process can help get your writing juices flowing with little effort, breaking the inertia that often keeps a writing session from getting started.
When should I use the set-up method?
The set-up method pairs well with timed writing sessions, like the breaks during a Pomodoro or the end of a longer block. Instead of feeling frustrated that you have to stop when things are going well, you can use the set-up method to ensure that your next block of writing time begins efficiently.
This method may work well for people who tend to work until they hit burnout, exhausting themselves so much that they require days before their next writing block. Stopping early leaves a bit of gas in the tank, or words in the brain, which enables you to restart more easily than if you left it empty.
While interesting, this method is a potentially tricky one to make work. People with ADHD (like myself) will likely have mixed results, depending on how well each project sticks in their brain between sessions.
What if I forget between writing sessions?
If you try out this method of drafting but find yourself forgetting where you wanted to go with your writing between sessions, try making some notes in the document before you close it. Either in bullets below where you’ve been working or in a comment off to the side, jot down a few essential points about what you wanted to cover next so that you have a reminder for next time.
See it at work
It helps when I know what to write the next day. Yesterday, I outlined arguments in bullet points—today, I just explained, cited evidence, added analysis, and voila! Much easier than days when I have to start from scratch. #AcWri #AcademicSky #writing
— Haleema Saadia (@haleemasaadia.bsky.social) Aug 25, 2024 at 1:59 AM
Resources
The introduction and full list of methods for writing the first manuscript draft.
Ada K. Hagan, Ph.D.
Owner, Lead Consultant
I am a microbiologist with a passion for making science accessible. I hope to use my background in communications and higher education to help make scientific concepts more easily understood and make the academy more inclusive to future scientists from all backgrounds.