Hello

Does anyone know of any strategies to make writing fun??

I just imagined that if I type, my music will continue playing, and if I stop typing, the music will stop. That might motivate me, but I don't think there is any such a device!

I do actually like writing once I get into it (I prefer the refining part rather than the initial draft part).

Any tips?

Just found this:
Am thinking of trying the lego brick idea! Just thought I'd share for people starting or in the middle of writing up!

Not sure what you mean by fun,

But I normally first write something down knowing its going to be crap, and that the real writing starts with rewriting.

It’s a bit like this: I dont feel daunted the first time because I expect it to be bad. Then the second time I go back to it I say to myself ‘does this make sense, can I argue against what I wrote here?’

So the game is trying to find faults with the things I wrote before. I am kind of criticising myself. I find it funny that my past self could be so wrong. “What was I thinking!’.

Thats my game.

Nothing beats being genuinely interested in and believing in what you are writing.
I always try to write with the principle of "right first time" in mind. For me, the idea of having to heavily edit a 270 page thesis is a nightmare.
I start with a series of headings and sub headings, progressing until each section requires only a few pages of text. That gives me the overall structure. Anything which requires a structural overhaul would give me sleepless nights. After the first draft, I expect to only then require a few days or a week or two perhaps on minor revisions. Occasionally a 3rd revision of very minor touch of an hour or two is required if something has been missed. All of my published papers required no more than this before submitting to the journal. My thesis required a 3rd draft as described above. My first draft took about 4 months to write 270 odd pages and another 4 weeks of relatively small changes before submitting. For me, that attitude of "right first time" meant everything was relatively pain free (with one exception). Mind you, I genuinely enjoyed writing it. I hated doing the revisions.

One thing I like to do is to imagine I am actually saying the words to a room of students.
I found that helped me to clarify my writing when describing difficult concepts because I could imagine the students asking questions.

Thanks both. I've laid the writing down as I've had to return to some data analysis but I'll be picking up the pen again soon and will revisit this thread.

[quote]Quote From Mattfabb:
Not sure what you mean by fun,

But I normally first write something down knowing its going to be crap, and that the real writing starts with rewriting.

It’s a bit like this: I dont feel daunted the first time because I expect it to be bad. Then the second time I go back to it I say to myself ‘does this make sense, can I argue against what I wrote here?’

--

Hah! I do the same. Writing can be hard even when you really enjoy a topic. I tend to think about it for a bit i.e. procrastinate but in my head I'm telling myself "I'm thinking". Then I write down all my thoughts which has content and a point (I don't start writing until in my head I am clear) but what I write first time sounds like something out of this earth - that bad!

Then my best friend becomes Microsoft Word's Review > Track Changes ON
I pretend I am checking someone else's work and start correcting the whole thing - do a couple of rounds until it's decent enough to show to someone for a second opinion.
(I love track changes, it makes me think I'm correcting someone else's work and I become a ninja productive writer when the focus is 'apparently' no longer on me!) :-D

Good luck!

Ooh think I like the track changes idea. :-)

I had the stupid idea that I'd start writing up early, first lit review and then methods... Have those done by the end of year one.

I have procrastinated so much and failed to write anything decent, that this week I had "Write 200 words on questionnaire methods" on my todo list! Pleased to say I ticked it off :-)