In Episode 259, Christine Tulley, President and Executive Writing Coach of Defend Publish & Lead, addresses the common question of when to start writing after the holiday break, emphasizing the importance of making this decision ahead of time rather than letting it remain nebulous as the calendar year flips.

She shares her personal approach of designating January 5th as her first official day back to writing (separate from her first day of class), blocking out specific time slots in her calendar (9:00-11:30 AM on January 5th, 6th, and 7th for a total of seven and a half hours that week), and color-coding this time as brown to protect it from competing demands.

She recommends preparing for this first writing day by treating it like the first day of school—cleaning out your laptop bag, restocking essential supplies like hard drive connector cords and extra headphones, gathering any articles you'll need, and perhaps choosing a favorite coffee shop instead of the library. Christine emphasizes that setting up special elements for your first writing session can infuse it with new energy, mentions her holiday playlist of writing episodes, and concludes by offering a free Textbook and Academic Authors Association membership giveaway to the first person who emails her at [email protected] along with her coaching practice's ongoing holiday pricing special.

Resources Mentioned

• Holiday Playlist

DPL Resources

• HOLIDAY COACHING HOURS - All hours at lowest prices for the year
• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $25 using discount code DP25! You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

In Episode 258, Christine Tulley, President and Executive Writing Coach of Defend Publish & Lead, discusses the importance of planning ahead for summer 2026 writing opportunities and skill development, even though it's only December 2025, because many programs open registration in January. She recommends several writing retreats and institutes she's personally experienced or researched, including Bard College's Institute for Writing and Thinking (a five-day immersive summer program focused on writing and teaching), Writing in Depth Academic Writing Retreat (a productive long weekend in rural Ohio where she made significant progress on her book), Bowling Green State University's Summer Faculty Writing Retreat (strategically timed for late July before the fall semester ramps up), and Hollins University's Tinker Mountain winter retreat in February for those who can't wait until summer. She particularly highlights the new virtual Textbook and Academic Authors Institute as an affordable option for those who can't travel, emphasizing that skill development is important at every career stage, and concludes by mentioning her coaching practice's holiday special discount.

Writing Opportunities

• Bard College - Institute for Writing and Thinking (IWT)
• Hollins University - Virtual Winter Recharge (Feb 20-22, 2026)
• Bowling Green State University summer Faculty Writing Retreat (July 29-31, 2026)
• 2026 TAA Institute for Textbook & Academic Authors (Virtual, June 12-13, 2026)

Resources

• HOLIDAY COACHING HOURS - All hours at lowest prices for the year
• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $25 using discount code DP25! You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

Christine Tulley, President and Executive Writing Coach of Defend Publish & Lead, presents her annual holiday gift guide for writers. This year the list focuses on budget-friendly items all priced at $50 or less.

Here is her countdown of the Top 10 gift items for 2025 for writers or yourself:

10) Sardine Pens

9) Book - "Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors"

8) Writing Sweatshirt

7) Small Space Heater

6) Book - "Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout" by Cal Newport

5) Fences Desktop Organizing Software

4) Metal Mesh Desktop Organizer

3) Cloud Bliss Cushion

2) TAA Membership

1) DPL Gift certificate

• Episode 204: More December Writing Strategies (has all past Holiday Gift episodes)

Resources:

• HOLIDAY COACHING HOURS - All hours at lowest prices for the year
• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $25 using discount code DP25! You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

Christine Tulley, President and Executive Writing Coach, explores the concept of maintaining an "origin story" for academic writing projects in the context of surveillance, power dynamics, and emerging technologies—the theme of the 2025 Big Rhetorical Podcast Carnival. She examines how various stakeholders (universities, publishers, plagiarism detection software, AI tools, and tenure committees) have claims to or surveillance over faculty writing, raising questions about ownership and originality. Tulley offers four practical strategies for documenting the development of writing projects: maintaining dated drafts, using version control systems like GitHub, creating process documentation through blogs or social media, and sharing work-in-progress through conference presentations and public scholarship venues. She emphasizes the importance of tools like ORCID IDs for tracking authorship and highlights the Textbook and Academic Authors Association's upcoming webinar about claiming damages in the lawsuit against Anthropic for unauthorized use of academic work by AI tools, framing documentation of writing origins as both a protective measure and a meaningful way to capture the creative process.

Slides

The Big Rhetorical Podcast Past Carnival Episodes

• Episode 199: Civil and Collegial Scholarship
• Episode 138: AI and Scholarly Writing Support
• Episode 33: Scholarly Responsibility and Misinformation

Resources Mentioned:

• The Big Rhetorical Podcast
• Maintaining Writing Momentum in December (December 1st annual webinar)

Resources:

• HOLIDAY COACHING HOURS - All hours at lowest prices for the year
• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $25 using discount code DP25! You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

Christine Tulley, President and Executive Writing Coach, shares practical strategies for maximizing conference value while attending the POD (Professional and Organizational Development) conference in San Diego. Rather than focusing on pre-conference planning or post-conference follow-up, this episode addresses the often-overlooked middle phase: what to do once you're actually at the conference. She introduces a goal-setting framework to help academics be intentional about their conference experience, balancing networking, presentations, professional development, and personal priorities within tight time and budget constraints.

Slides

Episodes Mentioned:

• Episode 113: Four Actions to Take Once You Return Home from a Conference
• Episode 235 - Give Yourself a Conference Maintenance Day

Resources Mentioned:

• POD Network Conference (Professional and Organizational Development in Higher Education)
• Maintaining Writing Momentum in December (December 1st annual webinar)

Resources:

• HOLIDAY COACHING HOURS - All hours at lowest prices for the year
• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $25 using discount code DP25! You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

Christine Tulley, President and Executive Writing Coach, explores how to use Academic Writing Month (November) not to add more work, but to improve your writing habits and practices. She shares four strategic tweaks that can help academic writers become more satisfied with their work as the calendar year closes: finding one ideal writing day, creating a dream project list, taking stock of nine satisfaction areas, and taking advantage of free learning opportunities. Rather than pushing harder, these tweaks focus on reconnecting with what makes academic writing fulfilling.

Slides

Resources Mentioned:

• Bonus 2023 Academic Writing Month episode
• Maintaining Writing Momentum in December (Dec 1 from 12pm to 1pm EST)

Resources:

• HOLIDAY COACHING HOURS - All hours at lowest prices for the year
• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $25 using discount code DP25! You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

Christine Tulley, President and Executive Writing Coach, shares her experience using AI (Claude) to create a comprehensive writing plan for her upcoming book on sabbaticals, commissioned by Princeton University Press for their Skills for Scholars series. With a deadline of February 20th and only 18,000 of 65,000 words written, she demonstrates how AI can be a powerful project management tool for academic writers while maintaining ethical boundaries about what content to share with AI platforms.

Episodes Mentioned:

• Episode 164: Closing a Writing Session

Resources

• HOLIDAY COACHING HOURS - All hours at lowest prices for the year
• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $30 using discount code TAA70 for 70% off!!! Returning TAA members can use the coupon code TAADP10 for $10 off an annual membership. You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

Christine Tulley, President and Executive Writing Coach, discusses how academics can determine whether they have a viable publication idea by examining four key factors: first, whether you can execute the project with available resources including time, materials, and access to necessary data; second, whether the idea fits with a target journal or publication outlet and potentially a backup option; third, how the idea aligns with your scholarly positioning, expertise, and research agenda; and fourth, whether the idea has potential impact with an identifiable audience who would actually read and engage with the work. Tulley emphasizes that ideas should be tested through conversations with colleagues and conference presentations, and she provides practical examples from her own career transitions, noting that some ideas may be too small for full articles or too broad to execute effectively. She concludes by promoting her writing coaching services' holiday special for faculty who want help developing their publication ideas.

Slides Used

Resources

• HOLIDAY COACHING HOURS - All hours at lowest prices for the year
• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $30 using discount code TAA70 for 70% off!!! Returning TAA members can use the coupon code TAADP10 for $10 off an annual membership. You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

Christine Tulley, President and Executive Writing Coach, addresses the mounting pressures academic parents face as they juggle grading, writing deadlines, children's activities, caregiving responsibilities, and the approaching holiday season. She offers four practical strategies for managing overwhelming periods, including leaving margin in your schedule, connecting with other academic parents for support, and seeking guidance from those who have successfully navigated similar challenges. While acknowledging that opting out is always an option, this episode focuses on resources for those who want to stay in academia while maintaining their well-being.

Episodes Mentioned

• Episode 13 Writing at Home with Kids (during pandemic)
• Episode 229 Summer Planning
• Episode 245 Leaving Margin
• Episode 108 Your Writing Project Mix
• Episode 43 Five Steps to Effective Writing and Research Collaborations
• Episode 62 Reasons for Source Support
• Episode 122 Interview with Bec Evans of Written
• Episode 196 How I Used 4 Hours of Writing Time

Books Mentioned

• Productivity, Professionalism, and Parenting in Academia by Christine Tulley (Routledge)

Resources

• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $30 using discount code TAA70 for 70% off!!! Returning TAA members can use the coupon code TAADP10 for $10 off an annual membership. You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

Christine Tulley, President and Executive Writing Coach, counts down her favorite episodes in this 250th episode of the Defend, Publish & Lead podcast. Starting at number five, she highlights "Your Writing Project Mix" (Episode 108), which helps academic writers strategically plan which projects to tackle each semester. Number four covers "5 Steps for Effective Writing and Research Collaborations" (Episode 43), featuring advice on contingency planning when co-authors fall behind. Number three discusses "Reasons for Source Support" (Episode 62), based on the book "How Scholars Write," which explains the specific functions of scholarly citations. Number two features an interview with author Bec Evans about maintaining writing motivation (Episode 122). Her top pick is "How I Used 4 Hours of Writing Time" (Episode 196), a behind-the-scenes look at what actually happens during a scholarly writing session.

Slides from Episode

Episodes Mentioned

• Episode 108 - Your Writing Project Mix YouTube video | Apple Podcast
• Episode 43 - Five Steps to Effective Writing and Research Collaborations YouTube video | Apple Podcast
• Episode 62 - Reasons for Source Support YouTube video | Apple Podcast
• Episode 122 - Interview with Bec Evans -Written: How to Keep Writing YouTube video | Apple Podcast
• Episode 196 - How I Used 4 Hours of Writing TimeYouTube video | Apple Podcast

Books Mentioned

• Written: How to Keep Writing and Build a Habit That Lasts by Bec Evans & Chris Smith
• How Scholars Write by Aaron Ritzenberg and Sue Mendelsohn

Resources

• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $30 using discount code TAA70 for 70% off!!! Returning TAA members can use the coupon code TAADP10 for $10 off an annual membership. You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.