Trying to get a thesis written over Christmas/Summer

[HotI]

My Masters thesis is due at the end of Jan 2009. Apparently my brain has forgotten how to write, and gets excited about bright shiny things (anything that is not my thesis).

If you have been there, please share your wisdom on how to get through this last step.

If you just have a moment, and have some positive vibes you can send, i would love them too.

Thanks, i am ready to write again (working on my positive affirmations)

kate

[Catastrophic]

some positiive vibes comming ur way!
when i have assignments wat works for me is reading what i have wrote n going for a nice walk alone n usually come home with lots in my head! to write hehehe

[Kmn]

Every day you must write something. A paragraph, a figure, but a something.
If you have figures work out how you want them formatted and so on NOW - because mindless figure reformatting is a much more useful form of procrastination than shiny things.
Same for bibliographies and so on.

Make a committment to give someone a certain amount by a certain time - I'm happy to proof read and nag for you!

I had to resort to writing my thesis in a food court at a shopping centre - there were lots of distractions, but none of them were interesting for any length of time, so writing actually happened.

Delete all icons for solitaire games and other wrascally things. Delete/hide any non-academic bookmarks.

Good luck!

[briggsy's girl]

disconnect access to fun sites (like BB) and only allow yourself on when you've achieved a certain amount each day - if you don't achieve, you don't get the relaxation

set goals and stick to them

[AnyDream]

Set yourself a number of words per day and START WRITING! It doesn't matter if it's not the best writing ever, just getting down something anything is much better than staring at white space on the screen. Then go back and refine and re-write a couple of hours or a couple of days later if you need to.

It can help to do a bare bone draft where you just have quotes etc or key points jotted down (separated by blank lines) and then just go through (in either a linear or non-linear fashion) and join them together. This has got me through more than one difficult chapter in the past!

Good luck! And if you think you are going to need an extension, ask early and provide a good reason!

[HotI]

Thanks to all of you. Your tips (and vibes) have actually produced some good writing. I think i just needed to get in the right head space.

I have cut my time on the internet for non-uni stuff. If i get really bad, i know i can turn the modem off at the wall, so it is not so easy to just start wandering. But (apart from this update), i am committed til my next chapter is done.

I like the tip of procrastinating by doing references/tables/formatting. I find that just lets my brain turn off for a bit, and then the words flow better when i get back to writing. I have used this before, but had forgotten so thanks for the reminder.

And the trick to start writing, keep writing, and write every day is so simple but one i keep forgetting. I tend to think, oh just read one more paper and i will have all the info ready to go. Sometimes, i can write and it just all feels right. On the days that it doesn't feel right, i just need to keep going.

It can help to do a bare bone draft where you just have quotes etc or key points jotted down (separated by blank lines) and then just go through (in either a linear or non-linear fashion) and join them together. This has got me through more than one difficult chapter in the past!

I am trying a similar plan at the moment (and it seems to be working) where i write my argument and will add in the refs/quotes later. i know which ones i my want to use, but sometimes by getting the paper or my notes on the paper to make sure i have it right, i tend to get distracted and lose my 'flow'.

thanks again, (back to it!)

kate

[AnyDream]

And my other big tip is make sure you write down all your citations NOW as you use them! It's an impossibly big task to go back later and fill in the gaps in your references.

ETA- God I sound like a knowitall. Sorry. Haven't written a thesis at all, but I've done a bit of nonfiction writing, similar thing but on a different scale completely!

[Mrs P]

Hey Kate
Just wanted to give you some encouragement from someone who has been through it and survived! My PhD thesis was accepted this week, nearly 4 months after I submitted it

The internet can be a bad distraction - for me I kept on internet shopping which was also very bad - I have the world's largest collection of mineral eyeshadows bought from about 8 different US companies (thankfully when the $ was stronger!) but I'm not sure why I need 78 different eyeshadows when I barely wear it? Anyway it made me happy to get pretty coloured packets in the mail (kinda like shiny things!).

I say:
- work when you are in the right mood, and if you just can't write anything, take a break
- take some time out for yourself during the week, don't punish yourself because you haven't finished your thesis (I did too much punishing, it's not healthy)
- try to get some exercise, even just going for a 20 min walk - sun and fresh air are good for you!
- take it one chapter at a time, write all your headings for the chapter then go through and start to write stuff underneath, even just dot points, then flesh it out
- don't panic - you WILL finish

Goodluck!!

PS Clearly I didn't read all the responses as Marydean and I seem to be on the same wavelength ha ha