just a check-in

[howsmyenglish]

Isn't it funny that I started this journal hoping it would help me with my fiction writing, but so far it has helped me with my dissertation, which I actually wanted to avoid mentioning? I never expected to not only get to know some other people who are struggling with their dissertations here, but also to get help from all you lovely people I don't really know (yet?). This is just... to say thanks. You're helping me. Even just the fact that you're reading this is helping.

Here's the latest report: after I wrote the "start writing already" post, I have indeed been writing. It doesn't go smoothly: the different chapters are quite different and go with more or less trouble. Also, I was not able to adhere to the two-weeks-for-each-chapter thing, because the second week that was scheduled for the first chapter got lost in exam-checking-and-grading. But the good news is: the general idea of writing one chapter for some time, then dropping it and moving on to the next, seems to be working out fine. I'm quite satisfied with the two weeks I spent with the first chapter. The second chapter is far behind (but it had to be - I didn't have an outline for it yet), but it's OK: I'm almost done picking all the examples I need. Once I'm in Germany, I won't be able to do thinking work, but I will have some time to just absentmindedly type, so I'll use it to type and translate all the examples for chapter two. Aaand... in two or three days I'll switch to chapter three. It's not outlined, too, but I like it much more than the others, so I hope it will go nicely.

Hope you're all doing good.

Comments

[corvidology]

Sometimes it really is just about beating inertia to get started.

[howsmyenglish]

Yeah.

[grayswandir]

Hah, I'm jealous of your plan (and your success so far). I should probably try to do something similar.

I'm glad to have met you here, as I think it probably really is helpful, when trying to write a dissertation, to have some contact with other people who are in a similar situation. :)

[howsmyenglish]

Hah, I'm jealous
Don't be! I'm older than you and I'm sure I've been struggling with it for much more time. You'll get there!

It really is helpful. For me, it turned out that the mere mention of the diss, just a few words about it's existence were already helpful. The first step is to acknowledge that you have a problem, right? ;)

[grayswandir]

The first step is to acknowledge that you have a problem, right? ;)

Hah, yes. XD

[kat_lair]

Happy to hear your dissertation writing is going good. Breaking things down to small, quickly achievable tasks (like write 500 words, like notes from this one article), worked for me :)

[howsmyenglish]

Thank you! It does help, even though sometimes the whole thing still manages to overwhelm me.