Practical strategies for writing the thesis or dissertationA workshop based significantly on what I’ve learned from the master, Dorothy Duff Brown(http://www.asgs.org/ConsDetl.html#DDBrown)

The plan: Beginning the writing processStructuring the thesis or dissertationOrganizing the material realities of the

writing processTime managementKnowing when to stop writingWriting clearly for an academic audienceCommunicating with advisors and

committeesSetting up support structures for writing

Attitudes toward your writingWriting as a very personal, frequently

vulnerable thing.At the same time, a very public thing,

and in this case something that must be evaluated.

So: striking a balance between writing sincerely and resisting taking feedback as a comment on you as a person.

Relocating the writing outside you - and, thus, as something that can be worked on.

Writing mindfully, with moderation.

Some graphs : Hypomania.

(Boice, Advice for New Faculty Members 171

Some graphs : Binging.

(Boice, Advice for New Faculty Members 172

Some graphs : Creativity.

(Boice, Advice for New Faculty Members 173

Some graphs : Depression.

(Boice, Advice for New Faculty Members 174

Taking a view:See the thesis or dissertation as:

A whole Manageable A serious work, but also an

experiment Something that you are doing, but

that does not encompass everything that you are.

Something you can make decisions about now, not later (title, length, number of chapters, etc)

Beginning the writing process

Hold your writing in mind while you do research.

Read, perform labs, etc, with a view toward how the work you’re doing will fit into your thesis or dissertation.

Take notes that include your opinion/ thoughts: what you’re thinking “for now” about your findings: have a charge.

Use the tone in these notes that you will use in the thesis/dissertation itself: Calm, reasonable, measured, ample, not cryptic.

Structuring the thesis or dissertationCome up with a working title. Right

now. Try out a cognitive map of the

dissertationHow many pages will this be?How many chapters will you include?Formulate a Table of Contents (not

an outline)What are the institutional guidelines

for formatting? (put the MS in this format soon)

Organizing the material realities of the writing processYou must back up your files.

Really. Otherwise, some suggested tactics: the binder mock-up of the whole

manuscript. the box marked “archive” develop a system for knowing when

you’ve responded to comments go ahead and print drafts out. regard the computer as a tool for

production, not organization.

Time management

Since you will not get everything done, consider what has to be done. Not everything is as important as everything else.

Managing guilt, more than time.80/20 ruleAim for concentrated, productive,

short time in writing

Further time management

1. Planning ahead2. 45 minute units3. Project weeks4. Stop time for any given day5. When your week starts6. Taking a day off, as

entitlement not reward

“Brief, Daily Sessions”

(Boice, Advice for New Faculty Members 144)

Knowing when to stop or pauseIs your procrastination telling

you something important about form or missing content?

Check in with self, faculty: given clear goals for a given piece of writing, how close are you to meeting them?

“In this piece of writing, I hope to show __________”

Writing clearly for an academic audience

Academic writing as genre, tool: something to master and use. Not the “best” kind of writing.

Discipline-specific! Learn what makes sense in your genre, and write to that.

Through-line: does each part of the writing speak to your overall purpose?

Would a reader be able to say what you mean to do at each point in the piece?

Pre-writing, writing, revisionFreewritingNotecardingColour-coding and re-mappingNot too tight, not too looseRespond to feedback and also

hold your groundUnderstand revision and pre-

writing as just as significant as writing.

Communicating with advisors and committees

Faculty feedback = valuable commodity. Brief them well.

The memo cover-letter: always include, on paper: Dear Dr. _________ Here is “…” (V. specific: # pages, what

they do, what stage of draft they are at, where they fit into the whole project.)

What its core argument is. Specific guidelines for feedback you

want. If this is the end: Ask “Is this something

you can sign off on?” explicitly.

Setting up support structures for writing

Prepare your friends/ lovers/ family/ spouse/ children for your writing process

Structure your material and psychic realities according to what actually works for you.

Consider forming a small, manageable, functional, trustworthy writing group.

Submit work to conferences and journals, at whatever stage you’re at - singly or in collaboration with a more senior scholar.

Useful booksAnnie Lamott Bird by birdRobert Boice Advice for New Faculty

MembersNatalie Goldberg Writing Down the BonesJohn Douillard Body, Mind, and SportBecker, Howard S. with a chapter by

Pamela Richards. Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article

Bolker, Joan. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day: A Guide to Starting, Revising, and Finishing Your Doctoral Thesis.

Some useful links http://www.english.ucsb.edu/grad/2nd-exam-

resources/dissertation_links.asp http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/grrd/

workshops/docs/070316_DissRoundtable_Article.pdf

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/dissertation.html

http://www.msu.edu/user/gradschl/all/gpsurvive.pdf

http://dissertationdiva.typepad.com/ http://www-leland.stanford.edu/group/econ/

resources/links.html