PhD writeup

kellyi3

Hi all,

I'm in the final stages of writing up my thesis and should be submitting by December but I seem to have hit the wall this week and can't seem to write anything. When I try to put pen to paper so to speak nothing happens.

Just wondered if anyone had this experience and if they had any advice on how to get over it?

Cheers.

ilovesmybrick

Yup, I'm just finished my write up and attempting to re-read and proof the thesis. I repeatedly hit days (and sometimes weeks) where I couldn't get anything on paper, especially when it came to the conclusion.

I went back to the advice I give undergrads when they ask for advice on how to start an essay. I got the white board out, wrote a brief heading for the chapter or section, then bullet pointed the main areas that needed to be addressed. I then went back and started filling in bits of information below the points until some shape began to emerge. It helped get me back into the swing of writing and whenever I hit a blank with a certain section I jumped over it and started on the next one. You'll be amazed at how quickly it builds up from there and if nothing else it gives you a road map to work from.

Unfortunately it's not much help when it comes down to re-drafting and re-reading!

kellyi3

ilovesmybrick wrote: »

Yup, I'm just finished my write up and attempting to re-read and proof the thesis. I repeatedly hit days (and sometimes weeks) where I couldn't get anything on paper, especially when it came to the conclusion.

I went back to the advice I give undergrads when they ask for advice on how to start an essay. I got the white board out, wrote a brief heading for the chapter or section, then bullet pointed the main areas that needed to be addressed. I then went back and started filling in bits of information below the points until some shape began to emerge. It helped get me back into the swing of writing and whenever I hit a blank with a certain section I jumped over it and started on the next one. You'll be amazed at how quickly it builds up from there and if nothing else it gives you a road map to work from.

Unfortunately it's not much help when it comes down to re-drafting and re-reading!

Thanks for the help, today was a good day and the writing went well. Started the chapter off on a bad foot and that knocked me off balance. Now its slowly coming together. Best of luck with the viva!

gutenberg

I'm also writing up, and Brick's advice is good. I also have a whiteboard, and also a big A3 sketchpad where I outline themes, and then fill details around it. Sometimes just getting anything down on the page, even if it's just bulletpoints, is helpful versus staring at an empty page/screen.

One piece of advice I got which I'm doing my best to act upon, is to get some exercise in during the week, it helps release tension. I like swimming, and it is quite soothing

kellyi3

gutenberg wrote: »

I'm also writing up, and Brick's advice is good. I also have a whiteboard, and also a big A3 sketchpad where I outline themes, and then fill details around it. Sometimes just getting anything down on the page, even if it's just bulletpoints, is helpful versus staring at an empty page/screen.

One piece of advice I got which I'm doing my best to act upon, is to get some exercise in during the week, it helps release tension. I like swimming, and it is quite soothing

Thankfully things have picked up in the last week, made an organisational era at the outset of the chapter but have turned it around. Good luck with the write up.