This paper reconceptualises academic writing in HE in order to explore how the symbolic significance and practical importance of academic writing in higher education is a constant presence, despite remaining elusive and difficult to define and/or execute in practice. I apply Bourdieu's (1985) concept of 'habitus' and 'doxa' to take an 'otherwise look' at how academics gradually develop what I call a 'professional writing in higher education writing habitus' which both informs and constrains notions of professional identity in higher education. This 'professional higher education academic writing habitus' has multiple dimensions and is shaped by individuals' writing experiences both within academia (at graduate, postgraduate and post-doctoral level) and beyond. In the paper's conclusion, I argue that a greater awareness of the tacitness and complexity of practices around academic writing have clear implications for academics wishing to develop a more confident and innovative approach to their own development as academic writers.