Academic Writing Amplified

Why your emotions feel so overwhelming at work (and what's actually driving them) If you've ever had a disproportionate emotional reaction to something at work—like an email, a decision, or a setback—this episode will help you understand why. You'll see how quickly thoughts and emotions interact, and why that speed makes it feel like you're "just reacting." A simple framework to stop spiraling and start responding This episode introduces a practical coaching model that helps you separate what happened from what you're thinking about it. That distinction alone can reduce overwhelm—and give you back a sense of control in situations that usually feel triggering. How to move from emotional paralysis to meaningful action When strong emotions hit, many academics freeze, avoid, or spiral. This episode shows you how to trace your emotions back to the thoughts causing them—and how shifting those thoughts can unlock more productive, intentional action. Why "just getting over it" doesn't work (and what to do instead) If you've tried to push down emotions or power through them, you already know it doesn't work. This episode reframes emotional processing as a skill—and gives you a concrete way to actually process emotions so they don't keep resurfacing. A practical journaling tool to apply immediately to your writing life You'll walk away with a simple, repeatable exercise you can use anytime you feel stuck, reactive, or overwhelmed. Whether it's about writing, teaching, or academic politics, this tool helps you shift from reactivity to intentionality. About the Self-Coaching for Academics Series This special podcast series is a practical introduction to self-coaching—designed specifically for academics. Across these episodes, you'll learn how to examine your thinking, untangle emotional reactions, and make clearer, more aligned decisions about your writing and career. Instead of more productivity hacks, you'll gain tools to shift beliefs, reduce false urgency, and build real confidence from the inside out. If you're ready to think differently about your academic life, start with this series. Links & Resources Mentioned Navigate Program / Summer Intensive: https://scholarsvoice.org/navigate Email list ("In the Pipeline" newsletter): https://scholarsvoice.org Coaching model referenced: The Life Coach School (Brooke Castillo)  

The hidden stories shaping your academic career  You might think your habits, stress, and writing patterns are just "how things are." This episode will show you how they're actually driven by invisible narratives you absorbed in grad school—and once you see them, you can start to change them. Why academia trains you into scarcity (and how that affects your writing) If you've ever felt like there's never enough time—or never enough money—this episode explains why that feeling is so persistent. You'll see how academia normalizes scarcity thinking and how that mindset quietly shapes your decisions, productivity, and even your willingness to invest in your own growth. The burnout cycle you didn't choose—but might still be living This episode connects the dots between grad school culture and long-term burnout. If you struggle to rest without guilt or feel like you should always be working, you'll recognize exactly where that came from—and why it's not actually serving you anymore. A powerful reframe that could change how you approach time and money What if there was enough time? What if resources weren't as limited as you've been taught? This episode invites you into a bold (and slightly uncomfortable) experiment: trying on an abundance mindset and seeing what shifts in your behavior and decisions. A practical exercise to rewrite your academic identity You won't just leave with insights—you'll leave with something to do. Cathy walks you through a concrete exercise to identify your inherited narratives and actively rewrite them into ones that support your writing, your career, and your well-being. About the Self-Coaching for Academics Series This special podcast series is a practical introduction to self-coaching—designed specifically for academics. Across these episodes, you'll learn how to examine your thinking, untangle emotional reactions, and make clearer, more aligned decisions about your writing and career. Instead of more productivity hacks, you'll gain tools to shift beliefs, reduce false urgency, and build real confidence from the inside out. If you're ready to think differently about your academic life, start with this series. Navigate Program Summer Intensive: https://scholarsvoice.org/navigate Email list ("In the Pipeline" newsletter): https://scholarsvoice.org Book mentioned: Making Time to Write by Cathy Mazak  

The real reason you're "procrastinating"  If you've ever told yourself you "just don't have time" to write, this episode will gently call you out—in the best way. You'll discover what's actually underneath procrastination and perfectionism (hint: it's emotional, not logistical), and why understanding that changes everything about how you approach your writing. A simple question that can instantly unlock stuck projects What if the thing keeping you stuck isn't the task—but the feeling you're trying to avoid? This episode gives you a deceptively simple question that can cut through resistance fast. Once you see it, you won't be able to unsee it—and it might be the key to finally opening that draft you've been avoiding. The mindset shift to move past fear If fear of rejection, failure, or judgment is slowing you down, this episode introduces a question that flips your perspective completely. You'll learn how to recognize when your "worst-case scenario" is already happening—and how that realization can free you to take action immediately. The hardest (and most important) question This episode ends with a question that sounds simple—but can be deeply confronting: What do I want? If you've been prioritizing everyone else's expectations over your own goals, this moment in the episode will hit. It's an invitation to reconnect with your own agency, desires, and direction. A practical tool you can use today—no coach required You don't need a coaching session to benefit from this episode. You'll walk away with three specific questions you can use immediately—whether you're stuck on a paper, avoiding a decision, or just feeling off track. These are tools you can return to again and again. About the Self-Coaching for Academics Series This special podcast series is a practical introduction to self-coaching—designed specifically for academics. Across these episodes, you'll learn how to examine your thinking, untangle emotional reactions, and make clearer, more aligned decisions about your writing and career. Instead of more productivity hacks, you'll gain tools to shift beliefs, reduce false urgency, and build real confidence from the inside out. If you're ready to think differently about your academic life, start with this series. Links & Resources Mentioned Navigate Program (and Intensive): https://scholarsvoice.org/navigate Email list signup ("In the Pipeline" newsletter): https://scholarsvoice.org Coach mentioned: Natalie Miller  

About the Self-Coaching for Academics Series This special podcast series is a practical introduction to self-coaching—designed specifically for academics. Across these episodes, you'll learn how to examine your thinking, untangle emotional reactions, and make clearer, more aligned decisions about your writing and career. Instead of more productivity hacks, you'll gain tools to shift beliefs, reduce false urgency, and build real confidence from the inside out. If you're ready to think differently about your academic life, start with this series. In this first episode of my Self-Coaching for Academics series, I unpack what coaching really is—and why it's different from teaching, mentoring, or consulting. If you've ever: Felt stuck in your writing but couldn't explain why Overcommitted and resented it later Second-guessed your own decisions Looked for the "right" answer outside yourself This episode will help you understand a different path forward. Coaching isn't about someone telling you what to do. It's about learning how to hear your own inner voice more clearly—and make decisions from alignment instead of fear or false urgency. You'll walk away understanding: How coaching is different from other things we do, like teaching and mentoring What self-coaching is—and how it can change the way you approach your academic career You can treat this series like a free course. If you've ever wanted more clarity, confidence, and peace in your academic life, start here. Links & Resources Mentioned in the Episode Scholars' Voice website: https://scholarsvoice.org In the Pipeline email newsletter: Sign up at the bottom of any page at https://scholarsvoice.org Navigate Program (Publish Your Backlog of Papers): https://scholarsvoice.org/navigate Kerry Ann Rockemore's Midlife Program (referenced as an example of structured reflective work)  

Many early-career academics believe that once they secure tenure, the pressure eases, writing gets easier, and work magically fits into a reasonable workday. In this episode, I explain why that belief doesn't hold up and how to take control of your career before a major milestone or promotion. Tenure is an impressive achievement. While it is a big step in your career, it doesn't automatically undo years of overwork, binge-and-bust work patterns, or unsustainable writing and publishing habits. That's why I invited Dr. Filomena Garcia to join me for a candid conversation about her experience as a mid-career academic and why she chose to join Navigate. Filomena and I discuss her journey navigating institutional change while parenting three young children, and her realization that "being mid-career" wasn't enough to give her the academic life she wanted. You'll hear how she used Navigate to gain new skills, publish stalled work, and take back control of her time, without relying on nights and weekends. If you're mid-career and realizing that "more experience" isn't the same as better systems, this episode will help you rethink what's possible. For full show notes visit scholarsvoice.org/podcast. We're receiving applications for our next cohort of Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap®. Check out the program details and start your application process here.   CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION: Our 12-week Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap® program helps tenure-track womxn and nonbinary professors to publish their backlog of papers so that their voice can have the impact they know is possible. Apply here! Cathy's book, Making Time to Write: How to Resist the Patriarchy and Take Control of Your Academic Career Through Writing is available in print! Learn how to build your career around your writing practice while shattering the myths of writing every day, accountability, and motivation, doing mindset work that's going to reshape your writing,and changing academic culture one womxn and nonbinary professor at a time. Get your print copy today or order it for a friend here! If you would like to hear more from Cathy for free, please subscribe to the weekly newsletter, In the Pipeline, at scholarsvoice.org. It's a newsletter that she personally writes that goes out once a week with writing and publication tips, strategies, inspiration, book reviews and more. CONNECT WITH ME:  LinkedIn Facebook YouTube

What happens when your research agenda is disrupted by forces completely outside your control?  In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Lauren Woodard, an assistant professor of anthropology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, for a thoughtful conversation about career pivots, research transitions, and writing through uncertainty. After a year marked by funding instability, forced pivots, and shifting academic priorities, this conversation feels especially timely. Lauren shares her experience overcoming major transitions in her career and inspired her to join Navigate. We talk candidly about what it looks like to continue writing and publishing during periods of disruption, how to manage book and article projects simultaneously, and how Navigate supported Lauren as she clarified her publication pipeline and planned her next season of academic work. We also explore how parenting, caregiving, and seasonality shape writing practices, particularly during the early career years. If 2026 feels like a year to intentionally reset your approach to writing, publishing, and career design, this episode is for you! For full show notes visit scholarsvoice.org/podcast. We're receiving applications for our next cohort of Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap®. Check out the program details and start your application process here.   CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION: Our 12-week Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap® program helps tenure-track womxn and nonbinary professors to publish their backlog of papers so that their voice can have the impact they know is possible. Apply here! Cathy's book, Making Time to Write: How to Resist the Patriarchy and Take Control of Your Academic Career Through Writing is available in print! Learn how to build your career around your writing practice while shattering the myths of writing every day, accountability, and motivation, doing mindset work that's going to reshape your writing,and changing academic culture one womxn and nonbinary professor at a time. Get your print copy today or order it for a friend here! If you would like to hear more from Cathy for free, please subscribe to the weekly newsletter, In the Pipeline, at scholarsvoice.org. It's a newsletter that she personally writes that goes out once a week with writing and publication tips, strategies, inspiration, book reviews and more.   CONNECT WITH ME:  LinkedIn Facebook YouTube

Are you committed to making 2026 an academic writing year?  In this episode, I share information on the upcoming Navigate cohort, my 12-week writing and publishing program for academics who are ready to finally move their backlog of papers toward submission, without burnout. If you've been telling yourself that you just need more time, more motivation, or fewer collaborators to publish consistently, this episode challenges those assumptions. I walk you through the single biggest mindset shift that unlocks publication progress, the most common mistakes academics make when trying to "fix" their writing problems, and what actually works instead. Then, I share how the tools and skills you will learn in Navigate provide a clearer framework for designing a more intentional academic career and sustainable writing practice. Learn how publication pipelines, decision-making, and sustainable writing practices fit together, especially for scholars juggling leadership roles, caregiving, and increasing demands on their time. Listen to discover how to stop reacting to your academic workload and start designing an academic career that supports your research, your mission, your writing, and your well-being. For full show notes visit scholarsvoice.org/podcast. We're receiving applications for our next cohort of Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap®. Check out the program details and start your application process here.   CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION: Our 12-week Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap® program helps tenure-track womxn and nonbinary professors to publish their backlog of papers so that their voice can have the impact they know is possible. Apply here! Cathy's book, Making Time to Write: How to Resist the Patriarchy and Take Control of Your Academic Career Through Writing is available in print! Learn how to build your career around your writing practice while shattering the myths of writing every day, accountability, and motivation, doing mindset work that's going to reshape your writing,and changing academic culture one womxn and nonbinary professor at a time. Get your print copy today or order it for a friend here! If you would like to hear more from Cathy for free, please subscribe to the weekly newsletter, In the Pipeline, at scholarsvoice.org. It's a newsletter that she personally writes that goes out once a week with writing and publication tips, strategies, inspiration, book reviews and more.   CONNECT WITH ME:  LinkedIn Facebook YouTube

What if 2026 wasn't the year you tried to do everything, but the year you finally did the thing that most aligns with your academic mission statement? In this episode, I'm officially inviting you to make 2026 your writing year. I've been planting this seed for a while now, especially as we collectively move through ongoing funding uncertainty and career volatility. Today, I want to slow down and really explain what I mean by a "writing year," why so many scholars are choosing this path right now, and how you can begin making this shift in a practical and sustainable way. I walk you through what a writing year looks like, how it can become a powerful decision-making framework, and how I'll be supporting scholars throughout 2026 with free workshops, coaching series, and a newly redesigned podcast format. I also share details about my Navigate program. If you're ready to lead your academic career with intention and make real progress on the academic papers that matter most, this episode is your starting point For full show notes visit scholarsvoice.org/podcast.   We're receiving applications for our next cohort of Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap®. Check out the program details and start your application process here.   CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION: Our 12-week Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap® program helps tenure-track womxn and nonbinary professors to publish their backlog of papers so that their voice can have the impact they know is possible. Apply here! Cathy's book, Making Time to Write: How to Resist the Patriarchy and Take Control of Your Academic Career Through Writing is available in print! Learn how to build your career around your writing practice while shattering the myths of writing every day, accountability, and motivation, doing mindset work that's going to reshape your writing,and changing academic culture one womxn and nonbinary professor at a time. Get your print copy today or order it for a friend here! If you would like to hear more from Cathy for free, please subscribe to the weekly newsletter, In the Pipeline, at scholarsvoice.org. It's a newsletter that she personally writes that goes out once a week with writing and publication tips, strategies, inspiration, book reviews and more.   CONNECT WITH ME:  LinkedIn Facebook YouTube

Today we're celebrating a milestone: Episode 300. Instead of doing a big party episode, I wanted to share a more grounded, honest reflection as we wrap up 2025, a year that has been one of the most professionally disruptive years for academics. This episode is all about wrapping up, embracing seasonality, and entering winter break with a mindset of restoration rather than burnout, guilt, or the urge to "catch up." If you've been feeling behind, overwhelmed, stretched thin, or like your writing has been pushed into the margins of your life, this is for you. I walk you through the metaphors and practices I use to design an intentional pause rather than defaulting into the binge-and-bust cycle that academia encourages. You'll also hear how I'm thinking about 2026, a sneak peek of my new approach to the podcast, and why restoration is an essential part of your writing system. For full show notes visit scholarsvoice.org/podcast. We're receiving applications for our next cohort of Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap®. Check out the program details and start your application process here.   CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION: Our 12-week Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap® program helps tenure-track womxn and nonbinary professors to publish their backlog of papers so that their voice can have the impact they know is possible. Apply here! Cathy's book, Making Time to Write: How to Resist the Patriarchy and Take Control of Your Academic Career Through Writing is available in print! Learn how to build your career around your writing practice while shattering the myths of writing every day, accountability, and motivation, doing mindset work that's going to reshape your writing,and changing academic culture one womxn and nonbinary professor at a time. Get your print copy today or order it for a friend here! If you would like to hear more from Cathy for free, please subscribe to the weekly newsletter, In the Pipeline, at scholarsvoice.org. It's a newsletter that she personally writes that goes out once a week with writing and publication tips, strategies, inspiration, book reviews and more.   CONNECT WITH ME:  LinkedIn Facebook YouTube  

2025 has been a year of funding uncertainty in academia, and I know many of you have been asking yourself how to keep your research moving forward when grant opportunities are unpredictable.  Today, I'm pulling back the curtain on a mini-lesson from my Round 2+ Navigate program: Scaling Research Through Writing. I make the case for why 2026 should be a writing year for you. I walk you through how writing and publishing help expand your research's reach, deepen collaborations, and even enhance your mentorship.  I also share practical strategies for working with grad students, post-docs, and early-career faculty to develop their writing skills, because when you teach writing, you multiply the impact of your research and your team. If you've been thinking about how to make your scholarly work matter more, this episode is full of ideas to help you scale your research program without waiting for grants to come through. Tune in to learn how to shift your mindset about academic writing and how to leverage it as a strategic tool for growth and influence in your field.  And don't miss Episode 300 next week, it's our special wrap-up for 2025! For full show notes visit scholarsvoice.org/podcast. We're receiving applications for our next cohort of Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap®. Check out the program details and start your application process here.   CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION: Our 12-week Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap® program helps tenure-track womxn and nonbinary professors to publish their backlog of papers so that their voice can have the impact they know is possible. Apply here! Cathy's book, Making Time to Write: How to Resist the Patriarchy and Take Control of Your Academic Career Through Writing is available in print! Learn how to build your career around your writing practice while shattering the myths of writing every day, accountability, and motivation, doing mindset work that's going to reshape your writing,and changing academic culture one womxn and nonbinary professor at a time. Get your print copy today or order it for a friend here! If you would like to hear more from Cathy for free, please subscribe to the weekly newsletter, In the Pipeline, at scholarsvoice.org. It's a newsletter that she personally writes that goes out once a week with writing and publication tips, strategies, inspiration, book reviews and more.   CONNECT WITH ME:  LinkedIn Facebook YouTube