Back to writing the book

It has now been four working weeks since I completed chapter 2. The same number of weeks have passed since I wrote a single sentence in my manuscript. This interruption was not unplanned. But it turned out to be quite a bit longer than I intended. 

The reasons for this, however, are good, if not very good. I have been in Uppsala and made my debut as an external examiner of Pär Wikman’s interesting thesis Kulturgeografin tar plats i välfärdsstaten. In addition, my Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation application made it to the second round. In addition to this, supervision, editorial work, sick children, review comments and all those other things making up life have required my attention. 

Regardless of these reasons, however, a certain amount of concern has started to creep up on me. This is commonly the case when I don’t write on my main project at the time. I feel as if time is slipping through my fingers and that I’m not making any real progress. Even though I know at heart that I have made the right priorities. 

What complicates everything is that the near future is not exactly an empty page. As always, April and May are patchy. They are filled with public holidays. In addition, there are conferences, shorter writing assignments, various editorial assignments, student papers that are about to be completed… 

How did things turn out like this? Wasn’t this the year when I would entirely focus on writing my book? How did I prioritize things? Why did I say yes to doing all of this? 

The answer is because I wanted to. What energizes me as an academic is taking part in what’s happening around me. I need conversations, colleagues and seminars. The importance of a social and intellectual context, which I have discussed in a previous blog post, should not be taken lightly. I like being part of building a long-term research environment. And I want to be part of larger scholarly communities. Locally, nationally and internationally. This involves many different kinds of work and a frequently very shattered existence, but I think it’s worth it. 

The question, however, is whether my “type of academic” writes any books? Do they do so when they have small children at home? Well, this is what this year-long blogging and writing project is meant to answer. So far, I would say that I’m on the right track. But I don’t have oceans of buffer time. I wouldn’t mind if the kids stay healthy in the future. And that time in June. The time at this point seemingly so open and inviting. I should probably be vigilant about it. 

As for the fall. The fall so completely still and calm in January. Well, it too has begun to take on a different form. I have two edited volume projects I need to finish. A workshop to organize. A couple of conferences here, some new fun project there. And then I have promised to write… 

No, enough about that. Now is the time to start working on chapter 3. Nothing tends to be more reassuring than actually spending time writing on what matters the most. Maybe this time my writing will immediately flow like a charm? Two pages a day. Bam, bam, bam. 

We’ll see after lunch. When this morning’s editorial meeting is finished.

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