Many academics (myself, included) write both nonfiction (generally in the form of scholarly articles requiring research) and also fiction, poetry, and other creative works (that may still require research, but not necessarily ready access to the sources being used.) I have been asked on occasion, “what’s the difference between your scholarly and creative writing processes?” I think the answer to that question can best be summed up in two photographs:
Nonfiction/ scholarly / research Work-in-Progress
Fiction / creative Work-in-Progress
How about you? What does your works-in-progress desk typically look like?
Melissa Ridley Elmes 