Thesis writing advice roundup: How to write a lot and get your PhD done
The perfect sentence vortex and how to avoid it Dr Katherine Firth, Research Degree Insiders
I absolutely love Katherine's advice in this post and have been applying it to my own writing practice. She advises those who struggle with writing to divide the process into four distinct phases: thinking, writing, editing, and polishing. People often waste time and productivity by repeating these phases for every sentence when they should complete them for sections of at least 500 words, making for a more effective, rewarding, and enjoyable writing process. The blog also highlights the importance of taking breaks between each phase and finding the right place and time to complete each one.
How to write 1,000 words a day (and not go batshit crazy) Professor Inger Mewburn, The Thesis Whisperer
Based on her own experience of writing a PhD thesis in three months, Inger provides a plan for writing 1000 words of substance for a thesis every day by spending less time at your desk, remembering the two-hour rule, starting in the middle, writing as fast as possible, and leaving what you've written to rest before revising. This blog post also contains possibly my favourite Thesis Whisperer quote of all time:
"just because Mr or Ms Bottom is paying a trip to Chair Town it does not always follow that productive work is being done" - Inger Mewburn
How I wrote a PhD thesis in 3 months Dr James Hayton, PhD. Academy
James shares nine tips for writing a PhD thesis in three months, including dealing with stress, slowing down, limiting available time, adapting and acting decisively, finishing research before writing, preparation, targets and consistency, routine, and applying ruthless standards to what is included. I particularly liked his tip of setting a daily minimum word target – 500 words - that was realistic and boosted his confidence as he consistently achieved it.
Writing a lot - starting the PhD, and finishing it Professor Pat Thompson, Patter
Pat encourages PhD students to write extensively to make sense of their thoughts and ideas. Writing for academic purposes should be understood as a process that involves a lot of rewriting - helpfully she reminds us that it is standard for journal articles and academic books to go through multiple rounds of revision. Doctoral students should develop a writing habit - or practice - not only as a means to the end of publishing and sharing their work but as a way of clarifying ideas and making sense of their research.
Write your way out Professor Rachel Cayley, Explorations of Style
In this blog Rachel explores the concept of writer's block in academic writing, arguing that most graduate writers who struggle with their writing are actually struggling with their thinking. She suggests using a new font to signal exploratory writing that is for personal benefit, writing out your concerns or uncertainties, followed by a follow-up sentence or passage that outlines how you plan to address the issue. The key message of the advice is to use writing as a means of addressing the issue rather than avoiding it - literally 'writing your way out' of a block.
That's a roundup of five of my favourite blog posts on how to write for a PhD quickly and efficiently, while also protecting your well-being. What's your favourite advice on writing more productively and getting the thesis done?
Image credit Amador Loureiro