ABSTRACT
Most of English's tackiest cliches turned out to have a kernel of truth. This chapter looks at a few of the cliches that guide how the supervisors teach graduate students to write methodically. Writing schedules are a bulwark against the chaos. Research shows that professional writers typically write at the same times and same places. Academic writers should probably write daily, like professional writers do, but any times will work so long as they are consistent. People use all kinds of rules for setting writing priorities. Some people start with the oldest project first, a sort of 'first in, first out' rule; others start with the newest project, a sort of 'last in, first out' rule. Often students work exclusively on a single sole-authored project, such as a big thesis or dissertation that will end up as a book or monograph. Students need ongoing guidance and good role models to learn how to pull off big writing projects.
