Research is a conversation. Every scholar must become a professional writer. But how do we learn these things? Most graduate school programs do not include a writing course and books on how to write are read even less than other types of books. Is good writing maybe all either genetics or just experience? Or does it depend on how we approach research, either phenomena- or theory-driven? We think both things matter – but there are also some practical steps people can take to get their writing going and maintain the flow of writing. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .