The challenge
Make progress on a writing project before the summer ends! Join ADVANCE at UNM Director Julia Fulghum and Assistant Professor Lindsay Smith in a 2 Week Online Writing Challenge! Lindsay and Julia are both committing to write for a set amount of time every day for 14 days, starting August 1.
How will this work?
You pick a project and set your own “guidelines.”
How do I get started?
Make your own rules! Need to find the references for an article? Set aside time every day to do that. Need to work on a Revise and Resubmit? Go for it! Pick a project and an amount of time that works for you. We’ll provide the encouragement and virtual company.
Julia’s Rules:
- Julia is going to work on a book chapter (due in early September) for 30 minutes every day.
- Her 30 minutes have to be spent writing sections of the chapter rather than reading or looking for references, getting coffee or wandering around the room.
- Writing the 2 Week Writing Challenge blog won’t count!
Lindsay’s Rules:
- Lindsay will be working on revising an article for an invited special issue of a journal, due at the end of August. She thinks it will be an enormous relief to get the revisions out of the way before the semester starts.
- Her goal for the challenge is to spend 25 minutes each day on focused writing. To help get there, she’s going to try to follow these three rules:
- Working for 25 minutes in one sitting
- No internet, emails, google scholar searches, reading *just* one more article on the theory, reviewing the data *again* etc
- Explicitly asking for help in watching her kiddo for that time since she doesn’t have childcare for one week of the challenge.
Join us!
Share your goal and rules with us in the comments section at the bottom of the page. You may also participate through social media. Be sure to use #UNMwrites and tag us so we can see you! You may share your name or be anonymous.
2025 summer camp guide for UNM faculty and staff
Have work to do or just looking to give your kids a cool summer experience? Albuquerque has camps for everything from flamenco dancing to forest excursions. Check out our list of summer camps around the city. Registration for many camps starts early in the year and continues until camps are full.
AI in Research: What Faculty Need to Know Now
Computer Science Professor Melanie Moses, Research IT Manager Grace Faustino and Postdoctoral Fellow in Computer Science Humayra Tasnim led a discussion about the current state of AI in Research (as opposed to research on AI). They spoke about best practices when using existing tools, some of the potential pitfalls, and where things stand in […] Read More
UNM Faculty Lightning Lounge 02/19/2025
Hear from four University of New Mexico branch campus faculty members about their research in 7-minute presentations during this Lightning Lounge event. This month’s event featured faculty members from UNM’s branch campuses. The speakers were Andisheh Dadashi, an assistant professor of computer science, statistics and math at UNM-Valencia, whose talk was Evolutionary Basis of […] Read More
Success on the Promotion and Tenure Trail
This series of workshops is all about supporting you on your promotion and tenure journey! We bring in experts who have been through the process to share their tips and tricks. This semester, we’re offering one workshop to associate professors on promotion planning and two workshops on dossier preparation. One dossier prep workshop will be for […] Read More
Research Success Series
This series of workshops aims to help you make the most of finding, managing and excelling with your research grants. We partner with the UNM Faculty Research Development Office on these events. For spring 2025, we’re lucky to have Computer Science Professor Melanie Moses, Research IT Manager Grace Faustino and Computer Science Postdoctoral Fellow Humayra Tasnim […] Read More
Building and Balancing a Career you Enjoy
The “Career you Enjoy” series of workshops aims to help you embrace the things you love about your work and navigate through the challenges it brings. This spring, the first workshop in this series will guide you toward ways you can find solid footing during times of change. We’ve partnered with UNM Ombuds Heidi […] Read More
Registration open for spring faculty development workshops
Our lineup for faculty this semester includes workshops on finding stability in times of change and on navigating caregiving duties. We also will be co-hosting a workshop on AI in research and offering two sessions on dossier preparation. All faculty are invited to our events. Our calendar also lists other workshops of interest to faculty. […] Read More
Hannah Yohalem
Title with Advance at UNM: Leadership team member Your background in academia: Hannah Yohalem is the Assistant Director of Research Strategy and Programming for the Faculty Research Development Office (FRDO) at UNM. Before coming to UNM, Hannah was involved in the arts as the Co-Executive Director of the non-profit Vital Spaces, which provides affordable studio and […] Read More
Faculty Fanfare: Mohammad Motamed
UNM Associate Professor of Computational Mathematics Mohammad Motamed is co-leading two federal grants that he hopes will see quantum computing revolutionize fields like cryptography, optimization, and materials science. The grants from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy bring $500,000 to UNM, and are part of a larger interdisciplinary project involving collaborators […] Read More
Women in STEM Award Winner profile: Dr. Kathy Kambic
Landscape architecture professor studies contemporary issues of Rio Grande Key info: The project by UNM Associate Professor Kathy Kambic explores the connection between geophysical properties of the land, settlement patterns and contemporary issues facing the Rio Grande region. Quote: “Understanding living systems in the Rio Grande Valley or anywhere on the planet can help […] Read More
Faculty Fanfare: José Cerrato
UNM Engineering Professor José Cerrato will lead a $3.83 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Nursing Research to understand and mitigate the challenges that climate change poses to the health of New Mexicans. The grant funds the Climate and Health Allied Network for Geospatial and Environmental Science (CHANGES) Exploratory […] Read More
UNM faculty information and opportunities guide
Welcome to our faculty information and opportunities page, where we offer information on the upcoming semester, current faculty development opportunities, and other broadly applicable information for faculty. For information on UNM resources for faculty, visit our Faculty Resources Guide. To support your students, visit our Faculty Guide to Student Resources. If you are a new […] Read More
Protected: Student wellbeing and behavior
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Protected: Faculty wellbeing and health
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Teaching and learning resources
The UNM Center for Teaching and Learning Type of support offered: teaching feedback and resources, trainings, workshops For: faculty, GAs and TAs, students Faculty, GA and TA topics: best practices for teaching and academic classroom management, technical support Student topics: improving studying and writing skills, conversation groups, STEM tutoring At a glance: If you are […] Read More
Protected: Creating civil and supportive academic communities
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Dr. Anisha Shakya, Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Name: Dr. Anisha Shakya Title: Assistant Professor Department: Chemistry and Chemical Biology Describe your research in about 200 words. My research program seeks to understand how the multitude of biochemical processes occurring inside a cell are organized in absence of lipid membranes, and how the mis-regulation of such membraneless organization lead to […] Read More
Dr. Garrett Delavan, Language, Literacy and Sociocultural Studies
Name: Dr. Garrett Delavan Title: Assistant Professor Department: Language, Literacy and Sociocultural Studies Describe your research in about 200 words. Prior to earning his doctorate, Delavan spent 17 years in public schooling, the first eight of which were spent at Horizonte Instruction and Training Center, a diverse, urban, alternative high school in […] Read More
Federal Title IX updates include changes to discrimination reporting and training at UNM
A series of updates to Title IX regulations include several important changes for UNM faculty, students and staff. The new regulations in Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination, were approved by the U.S. Department of Education earlier this year, took effect Aug. 1, 2024. These new regulations better align with other federal […] Read More
Dr. Anne-Sabine Nicolas, Languages, Cultures and Literatures
Name: Dr. Anne-Sabine Nicolas Title: Visiting Lecturer III of French Department: Languages, Cultures and Literatures Describe your research in about 200 words. My academic research is grounded in my passion for post-colonial studies and multiculturalism. My study focuses on traditional and non-traditional forms of texts and theater in 20th/21st post-colonial French/ Francophone […] Read More
Dr. James Burns, Teacher Education, Educational Leadership and Policy
Name: Dr. James Burns Title: Associate Professor Department: Teacher Education, Educational Leadership and Policy Describe your research in about 200 words. My work is situated in the field of curriculum studies and theorizing. Having a background in political science, history, and philosophical inquiry, my research focus lies in masculinities studies, militarism, power, institutional violence, […] Read More
Dr. Sepideh Yasrebi, Teacher Education, Educational Leadership and Policy
Name: Dr. Sepideh Yasrebi Title: Assistant Professor Department: Teacher Education, Educational Leadership and Policy Describe your research in about 200 words. Across my scholarship and teaching, I study historically marginalized students’ (e.g., emergent bilinguals) lived experiences through the lens of narrative inquiry and culturally sustaining pedagogy to provide a more humanizing space […] Read More
Johannes Barfield, Honors College
Name: Johannes Barfield Title: Assistant Professor Department: Honors College Describe your research in about 200 words. I am a sample-based visual and sound artist working in collage, installation, video, photography, XR (extended reality), collage, and music. My artistic practice and research delve into childhood memories, joy, appropriation as a means of survival, […] Read More
July 27, 2017 @ 9:02 pm
Begin a new article to gain writing momentum before the semester starts The goal is to submit the article for review during fall semester
30 minutes per day of focused writing
30 minutes per day of looking for new references and reviewing popular media on the topic
July 31, 2017 @ 6:44 pm
Welcome Renia,
Thanks for joining. Looks like a great plan, and we understand your hope to finish before the semester starts!
Keep us posted,
The Advance team
July 27, 2017 @ 9:45 pm
I’m in! My challenge: I will work on an R&R, which requires that I incorporate a new set of literature with which I am not familiar. I will work 1 hour a day on this task excluding weekend since I will be camping. Since I have to first cover a fair amount of literature, for me ‘writing’ will include the lit search, reading, note-taking, and summarizing. By the second week, 30 minutes out of my hour will be spent on actual writing as I incorporate this new literature into my paper revision. When do we start?
July 31, 2017 @ 6:44 pm
Hi Marygold,
Sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you. Thanks for sharing your ideas on how you are organizing it. We start Aug. 1!
Enjoy the camping,
The Advance team
July 27, 2017 @ 10:40 pm
I’m in! I’m working on a proposal that will be submitted in mid-September and I MUST get a reasonable draft to co-PIs before I leave for vacation on Aug 9. I cannot have this hanging over my head while I’m supposed to be with family! My rules will be 37 min (I like odd numbers) every day of writing (not making figures, not reading articles). Thanks for the motivation!
July 31, 2017 @ 6:45 pm
Hi Anonymous,
We can relate to wanting to get reasonable drafts done for co-workers before school starts again. Keep us posted!
The Advance team
July 28, 2017 @ 1:46 pm
Julia, I am in. Going to devote 30 minutes a day come heck or high water to finally getting this massive AFRL proposal done and turned in. Hopefully it will provide a few million dollars a year to help fund UNM student research. We now have about 20 students working on a wide variety of different research but could always use funding for more of them.
Craig
July 31, 2017 @ 6:45 pm
Craig,
That’s a great goal!
Sounds like a good way to use your time to help students.
Thanks for joining,
Julia and the Advance team
July 28, 2017 @ 4:06 pm
I just put a 30 minute calendar alert at 10 AM every day for the two weeks! The resubmission should be done by the end!!!
July 31, 2017 @ 6:43 pm
Hi Amy,
We love the idea of setting alerts on your calendar. Thanks for sharing.
Look forward to hearing about your progress,
The Advance team
July 29, 2017 @ 2:38 pm
Im in! Although I have to modify the dates to only cover July 31, August 1,2, 7-11.
My goal is to finish (or come close to finishing) a chapter that is due in October(already started) and to begin work on an R&R that requires a little more data collection (which will be completed in late August, early September).
I plan to work a minimum of two uninterrupted hours per day on the chapter and about 1 hour per day on the R&R.
July 30, 2017 @ 4:41 pm
Hi Naomi,
We’re glad you can still join us!
Let us know how you make it through those uninterrupted hours of work! What keeps you focused?
Thanks for sharing,
The Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 8:42 pm
I started today and realized that there’s some data prep and analyses to do before I get back to the writing. It ALWAYS takes me longer than I anticipate. However, getting started is what it takes. Step by step and it’ll get done!
August 17, 2017 @ 4:08 pm
Hi Julia and Lindsay,
I’d like to thank you for creating this opportunity. I’m pleased to say that I’ve completed a full draft of my paper and I think it’s actually pretty close to being ready to submit. The writing challenge really helped me get started on this sooner than I would have otherwise, especially since the paper isn’t due until October. But I definitely needed to get this one off of my to-do list, as I have so many other things pending, including another paper due in October! This challenge helped me tackle the paper that I least wanted to write (I’m looking forward to the other one) and has helped me feel more ready to face the beginning of the semester. Thank you!!!
August 18, 2017 @ 12:06 pm
Thanks so much Naomi!
It’s so great to hear about what you were able to accomplish. Kudos!
We’ll keep you posted on the next one.
Julia and Lindsay
July 29, 2017 @ 4:54 pm
I need this so badly! I challenge myself to 30 min a day of solid writing. It must be spent generating new copy, not reading or revising!
By the end I hope to have the groundwork for a solid habit.
July 30, 2017 @ 4:43 pm
Hi Erin,
We think it’s a wonderful idea to aim for new habits!
Best of luck,
The Advance team
July 30, 2017 @ 2:13 pm
Thank you for creating this for us! I am going to start a long term writing project, so I will also spend 30 minutes a day reading and taking notes to outline the project and the work I want to do over the next year.
July 30, 2017 @ 4:47 pm
Hi Heidi,
We are happy to be of help. Keep us posted on your progress!
Here to support,
The Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 4:21 pm
1 hour a day of writing, for an article due in August. I have the research I need and have read the literature I’ll be working multiple times, but have a bad habit of continuing to find new research “just in case” and putting off the writing.
July 31, 2017 @ 6:05 pm
Hi Keri,
We agree that it is difficult to focus on just writing. We hope you find this challenge helpful!
Let us know how it goes,
The Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 6:13 pm
Thanks for the motivation! My goals:
Write 1 h each morning (10-11 AM) on a paper to be submitted within next 2 weeks.
Bonus goal: get that one submitted by 8/8, and begin draft of the next paper in the backlog.
July 31, 2017 @ 6:18 pm
Hi Andy,
We’re glad to have you on board! Keep us updated on your goals.
Best of luck,
The Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 7:25 pm
Finish my book manuscript! At the moment this is the only project I’m working on, so my entire working day will be devoted to this. I will spend at least 2 hours each day writing/revising, and at least 2 hours on non-writing work related to finishing the ms (updating citations, researching presses, etc).
August 2, 2017 @ 3:35 am
Hi Kendra,
Good luck! We hope having some virtual writing company helps you finish your book. Let us know.
Julia and the Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 8:06 pm
I’ll jump in on this as well. I will write a poem a day. So by the end of this I will have 14 poems.
August 2, 2017 @ 3:35 am
Hi Roanna,
Thank you for joining and for adding poetry to the collective writing efforts.
Julia and the Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 8:20 pm
I’m in! I am working on (or have been putting off working on) writing the introduction to a special issue I am co-editing. For the challenge, my goal is to work on writing and revising this introduction for 25 minutes each day.
Thanks for setting this up – it’s nice to work in company!
August 2, 2017 @ 3:36 am
Hi Emily,
We always have to write the introduction last, so we can sympathize with putting this off!
Some of the other participants will be struggling along with you.
Julia and the Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 8:46 pm
I’m in!
August 2, 2017 @ 3:36 am
Hi Jessica,
Welcome to the Challenge!
Julia and the Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 9:17 pm
Thank you for setting this up! I plan to spend 2 hours each day working on an R&R I’d like to have submitted this month.
August 2, 2017 @ 3:37 am
Hi Jami,
So many people think August is for R&R, meaning rest & relaxation. Thanks for working on your revisions with us!
Julia and the Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 10:25 pm
I’m in.
My goal is to write for at least 30 minutes, ideally every morning before heading in to the office. Next week is our busiest week so it’ll be tough! I’m writing an article that’s due Sept. 1, so this is great timing and encouragement.
Aeron
August 2, 2017 @ 3:38 am
Hi Aeron,
Glad you’re joining us! Julia is trying to work in the mornings before she goes in as well. Next week will be a challenge for her!
Julia and the Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 10:43 pm
At a minimum, I need to complete a co-authored paper on men’s roles and work-life balance policies in Japan for the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Aug 31-Sept 2). Since I have minimal child care in August and other things going on, including a camping trip Aug 9-13, my goal is to write at least TWO SENTENCES per day for my share of this paper during the writing challenge, including with paper and pen while camping!
August 2, 2017 @ 3:40 am
Hi Mala,
Thanks for participating while camping. Let us know if you make progress!
Julia and the Advance team
August 1, 2017 @ 12:11 am
30 minutes per day of focused writing on manuscript to submit by August 31.
August 2, 2017 @ 3:40 am
Hi Anonymous,
We’re glad you’re participating!
Julia and the Advance team
August 1, 2017 @ 12:14 am
Count me in as well. One hour a day on a new piece of short fiction. Thanks for the nudge!
August 2, 2017 @ 3:41 am
Hi Daniel,
It is great to add fiction to this effort. Glad you are writing with us!
Julia and the Advance team
August 1, 2017 @ 3:12 am
I’m really into this! I’m going to set a goal to work on my current short writing project for 30 minutes each day. I need to either be writing the piece itself, or working on plotting/characters.
August 2, 2017 @ 3:42 am
Hi Jenifer,
We’re glad you like this idea and are setting your own rules. Good luck with the plotting, scheming and writing.
Julia and the Advance team
August 1, 2017 @ 12:36 pm
What a wonderful program! My goal is to create a blog in which I work through archival research that I conducted during a fellowship this spring. Rules are: 1. Work with the data I have; additional research will come in the future. 2. Write for 30 minutes each day. 3. This is the hard one: No editing (that is, second-guessing) my prose during those 30 minutes.
August 2, 2017 @ 3:43 am
Hi Marissa,
We like your rule number 3. It was hard for Julia to not re-write the same paragraph over and over this morning, but it definitely would not have been a good use of her writing time.
Julia and the Advance team
August 1, 2017 @ 1:05 pm
I am going to follow Lindsay’s rules to write for one hour (10:30-11:30) each day August 1-8 (no internet, no governance!) to finish revising a chapter for submission. I will post a new schedule, new challenge, for August 13 forward. Let’s do this!
August 2, 2017 @ 3:43 am
Hi Liz,
Thanks for reminding people that it isn’t over once it’s over! We’re open to suggestions for other virtual and in-person writing accountability efforts.
Julia and the Advance team
August 1, 2017 @ 4:15 pm
I’m in! Writing was a passion to me for the longest time and one day it came to a halt.
My goal is to find my voice again.
My rules:
– Write nonstop for 30 minutes (end of workday)
– A combination of hand writing and typing
– No overthinking, allowing all ideas and thoughts to find its place on a blank page
By the end of the challenge I hope to find the flow I once had and turn it into an instrument of empowerment.
August 2, 2017 @ 3:44 am
Hi ANC,
Let us know if writing at the end of the work day works for you. Good luck getting back into a writing routine!
Julia and the Advance team
August 1, 2017 @ 6:06 pm
Goal: 25 minutes per day, including weekends, of work on a book chapter that is in progress but nowhere near complete. Which is unfortunate, as it was due to editors today.
Rules: (1) Writing time does not include reading, taking notes, looking things up. (2) Time will be kept with timer and can’t be paused. (3) Weekday writing time will take place before noon, in the office; Saturday writing time will take place at home, before kids wake up.
August 2, 2017 @ 3:45 am
Hi Maria,
Glad you are participating. Many people (including Julia!) find it hard to work on manuscripts once they are overdue. We are cheering for you!
Julia and the Advance team
August 1, 2017 @ 9:40 pm
I just put in my 20 minutes and commit to 20 minutes a day for the next 13 days. I’m starting research on a project that has been a glimmer in my eye for a year or so now. It’s an article on a small village in New Mexico: Villanueva. During the 20 minutes a day, I will work non-stop through internet research, emails and possibly phone calls to learn more about the village. Eventually, possibly during these 2 weeks, I will be going there for personal interviews as well.
August 2, 2017 @ 3:46 am
Hi Kyle,
Thanks for sharing your first update! We hope you make good, productive progress with this challenge.
The Advance team
August 2, 2017 @ 2:41 am
It is August 1st! Let the writing process begin … my goal is 30 minutes of anything productive … which may include actual writing, but also might also be gathering and reading articles (but not straying too far off topic). If I go over time, I will not be docked points.
Thanks for this challenge! 21 days to establish a new habit … may this one “take”!
August 2, 2017 @ 3:47 am
Hi Creative Commitment,
Yes, the first day has come! We hope you enjoy the challenge. Make sure to keep up with our daily updates, so we can share the struggle.
The Advance team
August 2, 2017 @ 3:32 am
Great idea! I commit to revising a manuscript and resubmitting it to a new journal during this time. My rules:
— Write two hours on Aug 9 (I’ll be out of town before then)
— Devote at least two hours to it on Aug 10, 14, and 15 or until the paper is back out the door!
August 2, 2017 @ 3:48 am
Hi Lisa,
Welcome to the challenge! We look forward to your updates.
The Advance team
August 4, 2017 @ 9:26 pm
I’m in, too! I will write for at least 30 minutes a day. It may be a poem or it may be a narrative or reflection about the day. I just want to get back in the habit of writing daily. I am starting a few days late as I was on vacation when this came through.
August 7, 2017 @ 1:09 pm
Welcome, Fazuzu!
We hope this challenge does help you to set new writing habits. And kudos for joining us right after your vacation!
Let us know how it goes.
The Advance team