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Why this week exists
It’s Academic Writing Month. But will you get your writing done?
We are in the middle of the semester. You are probably busy with teaching and admin and juggling far too many things at once. And now everyone is telling you that November is Academic Writing Month and that you should focus on your writing.
Most AcWriMo challenges ask you to write every day for a whole month. When teaching and admin get in the way, and they will, you fall behind, and the challenge becomes one more thing you feel you have failed at.
Our approach
One focused week instead of a month-long challenge
At the EMERGE Scholars Collective, we do it differently. We come together for one focused week, with a few events you can choose from, depending on what fits your schedule. You also get free resources that help you whenever you feel ready.
Academic Writing Month should not feel like an extra burden on top of everything you are already doing. It should help you build a writing system that frees up time for your writing.
Why a system and not a habit? Habits can break. A busy week, a conference or a cold, and they stop. A system is what picks you up again, in busy times and in times when you have more space. That is why the week starts with my signature workshop on how to create a writing system.
The programme
Six free events, Monday 23 to Friday 27 November.
All times are CET (Vienna, Berlin, Paris). All events take place online in the EMERGE Café.
How to Establish a Writing System
Mon 23 November · 12:00 to 13:30 CET
We start the week with my signature workshop. You will learn how to build a writing system that keeps your projects moving, whether your week is packed or open.
Write-In
Tue 24 November · 10:00 to 11:30 CET
Experience the power of co-writing in a 90-minute write-in. If you do not make appointments for your writing, you will not write, because the empty pockets of time you are waiting for rarely come. Put this session in your calendar now, and bring the piece of writing you most need to move forward.
Book club on Atomic Habits by James Clear
Wed 25 November · 11:30 to 12:30 CET
Habits can be part of a larger writing system, once you know what a habit is and how to build one. That is what we will discuss. You can read the book beforehand, but you do not have to: I will explain the main takeaways during the session.
Writing buddy speed-matching and networking
Wed 25 November · 13:00 to 14:00 CET
Get to know other members of the EMERGE Café, our community of 400+ academics in the social sciences and humanities from across Europe and beyond. Academic work is often isolating, and academia is competitive enough already. This session is about finding people who work on similar things, introducing yourself and spending time in good company.
Write-In
Thu 26 November · 10:00 to 11:30 CET
Another 90 minutes of focused writing together. Come with a piece of work you really need to finish.
Ask Me Anything
Fri 27 November · 11:30 to 12:30 CET
We close the week with an open session where you can ask me anything about writing, publishing and your academic career. At the end, I will open Black Friday early access for everyone who wants to keep writing with my community in the months to come.
Free resources
Free resources to use whenever you are ready
When you register, you receive the Semester Reset Pack straight away: a practical pack to clarify your priorities, rebuild your writing rhythm and plan the rest of your semester.
Throughout November, I will also share more free resources from the EMERGE library, such as the How to Create Your Own One-Day Writing Retreat worksheet and the Submission Set for the final stretch towards submitting your writing.
About Melanie
Hi, I’m Dr Melanie Sindelar
I’m Dr Melanie Sindelar, founder of the EMERGE Scholars Collective. I am an academic writing and career coach for scholars in the social sciences and humanities, from PhD students to professors. I started coaching during my own PhD, when colleagues asked me how I was securing grants and getting published. Since then I have worked with anthropologists, historians, art historians, archaeologists, literature scholars and many others on articles, books, grant proposals and sustainable writing systems.
I am also an Assistant Professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology at Charles University in Prague.
There are so many brilliant scholars whose work deserves to be read. I want to help you write productively and get your work out into the world.
Academic writing and career coach
Social sciences and humanities
PhD · Assistant Professor
Charles University, Prague
10+ years
Coaching academic writers
Testimonials
What earlier participants say.
In their own words, from her programme feedback and Trustpilot.
The workshops gave me a comprehensive overview of the academic job markets in different European countries. They helped me to become clearer on what I want, and how I could get there.
A postdoc
Programme feedback, June 2026
Melanie is an excellent coach. Her workshops provide valuable writing skills and practical guidance. She is honest about both the challenges and the opportunities involved.
Izabella
Early-career researcher · Programme feedback, June 2026
I really enjoyed the monthly planning sessions, as they helped me to reflect on the past month and plan the next one. Before the programme I spent a lot of time writing without really achieving much. That has changed, I am now writing much more goal focused.
Michael
Austria · Trustpilot, June 2026
More reviews are published on Trustpilot, where EMERGE Scholars holds 4.5 out of 5.
Background
What is AcWriMo?
Academic Writing Month, or AcWriMo, takes place every November. It started in 2011 as an online writing challenge inspired by National Novel Writing Month. Today universities, writing groups and coaches around the world run their own AcWriMo events, and academics share their goals and progress under #AcWriMo.
Questions
Before you register.
Is AcWriMo Week really free?
Yes. All six events and the Semester Reset Pack are free. You only need to register with your email address.
Do I have to come to every event?
No. Choose the sessions that fit your week. Even one session is worth it.
Will the sessions be recorded?
The workshop and the input parts are recorded, and the replay is sent to everyone who registered. The write-ins and the times when the community works together are not recorded, so for those you do need to be there live.
Where do the events take place?
Online, in the EMERGE Café, our free community. When you register, you get access to the Café automatically, and you will find the joining links for each session there.
I am already a member of the EMERGE Café. Do I need to register?
Yes, please. Registering makes sure you receive the reminders, the Semester Reset Pack and the resources during the week.
Do I need to have read Atomic Habits?
During the book club session on Wed 25 November we are going to look at Atomic Habits by James Clear, which is about how to establish healthy habits, and we will discuss how that works for academic writing. No, you do not have to read the book. It is better if you do, but I will explain the main ideas during the session.
What should I bring to a write-in?
One piece of writing you want to move forward, such as an article, a chapter, a grant proposal or a revision. We start with a short goal-setting round, then write together, and finish with a short check-in.
Who is AcWriMo Week for?
For scholars in the social sciences and humanities at any career stage, from PhD students to professors, in Europe and beyond.
Which time zone are the sessions in?
All times are Central European Time (CET), the time zone of Vienna, Berlin and Paris.
Is this the same as the EMERGE co-writing sessions?
No. The AcWriMo write-ins are free, separate sessions for this week only. The regular co-writing sessions are part of the paid EMERGE memberships.
What happens after the week?
You stay in the EMERGE Café for free. On Friday, Melanie opens Black Friday early access for anyone who wants to keep writing with the community. There is no obligation to buy anything.
Register
One week. Real support. Your writing moving again.
Instead of a month of emails telling you how much or how little you have written, join me for one week, from 23 to 27 November, packed with action and practical advice to get you moving. It is never too late to turn your writing system around, and it is still possible to submit something this year. But you will need support to get there, and that is what this week is for.
Sign up today, join us for AcWriMo, and you will hear from me soon.
EMERGE Scholars Collective · AcWriMo, 23 to 27 November 2026 · free, online, all times CET.
