Start Anywhere
In terms of completing your list of dissertation tasks, it is not necessary to start at the beginning. In fact, believing that one starts the dissertation proposal by
writing his or her introduction and thesis and ends with the plan for analyses
will detain progress. Begin where you feel comfortable and fill in the gaps. You
will find that you gain momentum with the completion of each small task. Feeling
overwhelmed by any particular task is a sign that you have not broken it down
into small enough pieces.
Make consistent progress writing every day, even if only for a short period.
Set aside periods of time to write on a regular basis. Establish a firm
schedule. Train yourself to write in short blocks, for at least an hour a day.
All too often we insist that we need large blocks of time to write. Blocks of
time certainly help the writing process, but the ABD often lacks such resources.
For example, when I was writing the dissertation, I taught 5 classes as an
adjunct at 4 different schools; blocks of time were difficult to find, other
than over the weekend. Aside from pragmatics, writing at least a little every
day keeps the thesis topic fresh in your mind, leaving you open to new ideas and
interpretations. You may even find yourself thinking about it and making
conceptual progress as you complete mundane tasks such as driving to and from
school and work.
Use incentives to assist you in overcoming procrastination.
Writing requires consistent, well-organized effort and a system of self-imposed
incentives to overcome procrastination. What kind of incentives work? Although
it depends on the individual, a safe bet is time off from working. I found
vegetation time such as time spent playing computer games to be helpful as an
incentive to reinforce progress.
Methodically break through writer's block.
When it is difficult to write, talk through your ideas to anyone who will
listen, or just talk out loud to yourself. Write out your thoughts without
criticizing them. Take time to warm up, by writing to clear your thoughts. Get
the ideas out without scrutinizing each sentence; it is often easier to edit
than it is to write.
Work through your ideas by writing, THEN edit extensively. You will write many
drafts of each section of the dissertation; a first (second, or even third) draft
need not approach perfection. In addition, it is acceptable to use dashes to
mark when you cannot find the appropriate word to express your idea, but want to
go on; just remember to fill in the dashes later. The important thing is that
you develop a pattern of producing some output regularly that output can be
edited or even thrown out, but it is important to produce something.
Recognize and accept the fact that writing is a time consuming process. Don't rush yourself.
No draft will be perfect that first time around. Expect to go through several
drafts of each section of your dissertation. Once you feel comfortable with a
particular section, take time away from it. Ask others to read your writing and
consider their comments and criticisms with an open mind. After a few days or a
week, reread the section and edit again; you may be quite surprised by the
impact of a fresh perspective.
Writing the dissertation is much like running a marathon. The seemingly
insurmountable may be attained through a series of small goals and deadlines.
Accomplishing each small goal may provide additional momentum. Make consistent
progress each day, use incentives to assist you in attaining your goals, and
acknowledge that the dissertation will require time, hard work, and patience.
Finally, consider the words of Dag Hammarskjold: "Never measure the height
of a mountain, until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was."
