February 19, 2008
- Two quick fun ways to write one sentence.
Do you ever think the dissertation process is too serious? I do. And I also know that, sometimes, it’s much harder because you can’t bring yourself to write the first sentence.
I found two fun resources which might help you write that first sentence.
November 28, 2007
- The Three-Pass Process for Writing Efficiently
I’m often asked how it is that I’m able to write content so quickly. After all, I support several blogs, several newsletters, and I create products very regularly. So, while I like to write, I know that doesn’t mean everyone else likes to. So, I’d like to share with you what I call the three-pass process for writing efficiently.
The three-pass process depends on a couple of assumptions. One is that you actually know you want to write about or you know what you need to say. The second assumption is that you are willing to draft and let it be imperfect, and the third is that you’re willing to go back and revise anything that you write or create, again at a later time. So, the way the three-pass process works is like this.
September 17, 2007
- All Writing Starts With Your Thesis
One of the reasons most dissertators find it difficult to write is because they have not clarified their project’s thesis. If you’ve ever heard me speak or ever worked with me personally, you know how I always say that the dissertation is, mostly, a persuasive paper. You must write to persuade your reader (and committee) that you know what you’re talking about and that you should be awarded your degree.
April 6, 2007
- Get it Right After It’s Written
It’s sometimes more fun to plan to do something than to actually do it.
No. I don’t mean fun things like lunch with your friends or reading a good book or watching a movie. Those things are always fun to do. What I am talking about is planning to do the dissertation can sometimes be more fun than actually doing it.
That’s not surprising; the dissertation process is filled with planning and thinking and grand concepts and large scale ideas. Most graduate students love that part. ‘You mean *I* could contribute to the literature in an important way? and *I* could be lauded and recognized? That sounds great!’
February 14, 2007
- Building Your Chapter Outline
I was emailing with one of the members of the dissertation coaching site today and he was asking about how to structure and build his chapter outline. I tend to believe that if one person is asking me a question, it reflects questions that other people may have, so I thought I’d focus on building your chapter outline for this post.
November 1, 2006
- How to Write the Dissertation
There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.
~~ Walter Wellesley “Red” Smith
I read this quote and immediately thought of you all. What kind of writing is more painful than dissertation writing? (None that I’ve found so far!).
May 22, 2006
- Write even just a little something.
Drafting the dissertation can feel like one of the most tiresome and daunting tasks. You might have enjoyed the research, definitely enjoyed the conceptualization, but now you are faced with breaking down everything you just spent months pulling together. Breaking down, because you must break down your analytic synthesis in order to write. There will [...]
February 3, 2006
- If you know what you want to write… time it!
If you know what you want to write, and need a push to get started, consider writing to a timer. Set a timer for 5 minutes and write as fast as you can for the whole 5 minutes on your topic of choice. This can be a useful way to quickly draft ideas without getting [...]
October 28, 2005
- Feeling lost? Back up.
In the dissertation writing, it’s sometimes easy to write whatever comes to mind, only to find that you’ve written a bunch of pages which don’t really belong in this chapter. What should you do? First, save these pages (they might make a handy article or be useful for another part of the project) and then, [...]
September 13, 2005
- How to revise quickly.
One area that can derail dissertation writers is that of making revisions. First, as I’ve previously mentioned, you can not write and revise at the same time. You should always try to draft as much as you can, as quickly as you can- FIRST. Then, I always suggest that you turn the draft in for [...]
September 8, 2005
- Expect to layer your writing.
Layering your writing means that you may first write a section, and then, over time, you will layer on more meaning, more description and, ultimately, will refine your initial paragraphs. This is totally expectable and will help you create a polished final piece. The problem arises, though, when you expect yourself to write all the [...]
August 11, 2005
- The more you write, the better you write.
It’s important to remember that the more often you write, the better you will write. I’ve re-learned this concept recently, as I have begun writing for more publications on a more frequent basis. Where, before, I used to labor over the writing- it was like starting up a slightly rusty machine- I now notice that [...]
June 29, 2005
- Writing the Introduction.
I suggest that all ABD’s write their introductions last (or close to it). A good way to think about it is this: After you’ve written all your substantive chapters, then I would read the whole dissertation and figure out what information you’d need to include before the first chapter to provide the reader enough background [...]
May 19, 2005
- Focus on drafting first.
Your main task in writing the dissertation is to write the dissertation. This means you should focus on drafting new writing first before spending time in editing or revising. It can be helpful to allow yourself to write freely, without self criticism or self censorship, knowing that your writing will go through several revisions before [...]
April 13, 2005
- Draft as quickly as you can.
When you’re writing, focus on drafting as quickly as you can. Write out all your ideas, first, and then go back later to revise, refine, and strengthen them. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to produce sophisticated analyses in the first pass. It’s better to draft the writing, first, and then go back over it and [...]
March 15, 2005
- Don’t spend too much time rereading.
A trap that many dissertation writers seem to fall into is to start off a writing session by re-reading what they wrote. I think that reading back a paragraph or two makes sense and can help you get back into the rhythm and flow of your writing. What doesn’t make sense is to spend your [...]
March 4, 2005
- Plan your writing endpoint- first.
When you want to write a section of the dissertation, I recommend planning out what you are going to say. Some people do this in the form of an outline, some are more visual and use mindmapping or storyboarding- but you need to know where you plan to go (so you can know when you [...]
February 28, 2005
- Write to answer a question.
Most ABD’s find it difficult to "get into" their writing. They know they want to write, and may even know what they want to express- but they have trouble getting started. One good technique is to make a list of 12-15 questions that your chapter will address or answer. It’s important to make these questions [...]
February 1, 2005
- When the writing well runs dry…
There may be times in the dissertation process where you feel like you’ve written everything you know… and you still have three more chapters to go. When this happens, I think of it as the "writing well running dry." The bad news is that it can be uncomfortable and anxiety provoking. The good news is [...]
January 27, 2005
- Write in short bursts.
If writing is difficult for you, it might be because you’re allowing yourself too much time to do it. More time does not always equal a better product. If you are avoiding writing or can’t seem to get into it, try writing in short bursts. Set a time for 5 minutes and write for the [...]