Planning, drafting, re-writing and editing a PhD thesis is a huge undertaking – one that is usually spread over 3 or 4 years if you are a full-time researcher. How can you best manage this situation so that you can feel that you are making some kind of progress? Specific questions to consider include:
When do I write?
Where do I write?
How do I write?
All of these can contribute towards establishing a regular writing routine. If you don’t plan and schedule different writing tasks, they are less likely to happen. But how can you find a routine that works for you and fits in with in other routines (work, social, family)?
An interesting starting point might be this highly recommended website:
http://dailyroutines.typepad.com/
Professional writers do seem to have more or less fixed routines for reading and writing that work for them. Some prefer to write in the middle of the night; others at 6 a.m. Some have a designated room in which they work with their writing tools all in the correct and familiar place. Some writers prefer to start writing in longhand or through scribbled notes; others are able to work directly with a blank PC screen. What would your own preferences be to achieve maximum productivity?
This discussion will be continued in greater detail in later posts. If you have any comments or would like to share your own experience, please do so.
the phd writer 