3rd Year Workshop

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.title[
# 3rd Year Workshop
]
.subtitle[
## Start writing
]
.author[
### Ian McCarthy, Emory University
]
.date[
### Economics PhD Professionalism Workshop
]

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# Getting started

When should you start writing?

1. You have an idea and given it some real thought
2. Your "scaffolding" is built
3. Your data are organized and nearly ready

--
**Write your introduction!**

---
# First draft intro

.pull-left[
This introduction is NOT:
- Final
- Particularly well-informed
- Accurate
]

.pull-right[
This introduction IS:
- What you **want** to do
- What you **think** is the contribution
- How you'd **like** to proceed
]

--
What would your paper look like if everything works out perfectly? This is the "aspirational introduction" as per Shapiro's [four steps to writing an applied paper](https://www.brown.edu/Research/Shapiro/pdfs/foursteps.pdf)

---
# Using the first draft intro

This should become your guide to the paper

- What analyses are you going to run?
- What summary statistics/figures tell a good story?
- What other work has already been done?
- What are the weakest parts of your project/analysis?

---
# Make time

- You have to make time to do it!
- Some strategies to consider:
  - Block at least one hour in the mornings to write
  - Set specific goals (write the data section, add robustness check, etc.)
  - Organize writing sessions or retreats

--
Staring at the screen for 15 minutes without writing? Take a break and come back to it.

---
# Main point

- No one writes perfectly in the first draft
- Most of what you write will change
- Think of writing very early drafts as a more informed and organized brainstorming session