writing process
-
Finding Your Writing Place
If you do not trust yourself to stay on task, go to a public place where people can see you so you won’t not do what you set out to do, which is WRITE. Quiet places can include libraries, offices, and cafes (during non-peak times). Sometimes, when the weather is nice, sitting outside in a…
-
Recovering from Setbacks
Your computer will fail at some point while you’re writing your dissertation. Your schedule will collapse on top of you despite your best intentions. You will receive unexpected and sometimes negative feedback on your work. While you cannot control the world around you, you can control how you react to setbacks and other emergencies that…
-
Always Have a Backup!
Who hasn’t been here? You’ve been dissertating for hours, productively making your way through a chapter, presenting your evidence, crafting your arguments, and generally achieving the ideal of dissertation writing. Without warning, the power in your apartment goes out and your computer screen turns black. You let your laptop’s battery run down or you’re working…
-
The Conservation of Momentum
In physics, the momentum of a system is said to remain constant so long as there are no outside forces acting on that system. The same law applies in writing – a dissertation, an article, or any other project. Once we begin writing, we can speed through; we’re on a roll, steadily making our way…
-
Use Your Software’s Formatting and Editing Tools
One of the most important things that dissertation, article, and book writers can do for themselves is to present their hard-earned texts in a professional manner. Sloppy presentation of an otherwise powerful text is like going to a formal wedding in yoga pants. No one cares what’s on the inside when the outside is inappropriate.…
-
Proofread by Reading Aloud
After you’ve written a draft, it is a good idea to proofread. If you read your text aloud, you will HEAR what does not sound right. If you trip over what you’re reading, chances are it needs to be revised. Additionally, by reading aloud, you are more likely to see grammar and spelling errors.
-
Cruising Social Media Isn’t Going to Help You Finish Your Project
Facebook. Instagram. Pinterest. Face Time. Skype. Linked In. Web browsing. Email. Instant messaging. Google Hangouts. Game of Thrones. Solitaire. Every possible way to put off a task can be found on the Web. For most of us, these handy distractions are fully available and calling our names from the computer or mobile device on which…
-
Maintaining Work/Life Balance
When you made the decision to attend Graduate School to pursue an advanced degree, you surely knew that you were taking on an enormous task. Still, you may have been unprepared for the sheer amount of work required and the number of competing interests pulling you in opposite directions. It’s easy to look at other…