You do not have to start writing a thesis from the very beginning. Indeed you don’t even have to start at the beginning of a chapter or even a sub-chapter. You should start from any point where the idea is at some level ready – even if you do not yet know how the finished text for that section will end up.
Most often the biggest obstacle to writing is managing, or more precisely, finding the time to write. How can you make sure you are giving yourself enough time to get the necessary writing done? Here are a few methods you could try out for yourself that might possibly work for you.
- Three times a week, right after breakfast, try typing for two hours straight.
- Reserve within a certain timeframe (for example a two-month period) one day a week where you do only thesis work.
- Every other writing day, focus on just one of your sources to see how well it relates to and fits with your own text and topic.
One way to write and manage time is to write with someone. According to a number of studies, group reports – such as dissertations – are on average written faster and more confidently than those worked on alone. This varies depending on the field of research of course, but in every case, research writing does rely on a certain degree of social interaction. So what, for you, could be the most natural ways to make your writing more socially interactive?
- Writing sessions or Skype sessions with a suitable partner, colleague or group?
- Agreeing with someone to send summaries to each other on a daily basis, with something along the lines of “today I managed to do so and so here…”?
- Organising writing sessions where you write your own texts alongside a friend and bounce ideas off one another when you are stuck etc.?
Other tips:
- Putting aside 15 minutes every morning for writing (in this way, text can be produced at a continuous and steady pace).
- Plan a couple of writing weekends in your calendar, and adjust your goals with them in mind.
- Make a writing schedule in your calendar and stick to it => you’ll notice you’ve made lots of progress!
- Practice writing with a timer for short or long (10-30 minute) periods of time when you focus exclusively on writing => result doesn’t need to be polished.
- Keep a diary of what you have written and how much – soon you will notice how much progress you have made!
- Think about where you write, because sometimes it helps to change location (cafe, pub, library etc.).
Remember that “reading is writing”! You cannot overestimate how important reading is to the overall research process.
You can find more about writing and writing exercises at www.tohtoritakuu.fi.
