Hey all.. I hope work is going well, and enjoying the beautiful spring weather (robin)

Well, things aren't going so smoothly in the write-up department and I'm looking for some good examples for inspiration. Please share your stories about how you achieved that many words in so little time, how you came up with that brilliant idea in the last minute, how you discovered the trick of making the methodology make sense and screamed Eureka!.

Thanks a lot...

hi 404!!!
I dont have any fantastic write-up stories :-) but heres what I do sometimes when I am writing.
Sounds silly but it usually works, but only for SATURDAYs

When I need to write I turn on the telly (the annoying channel that shows all the silly youtube clips and music videos--gosh I don't even know what channel it is!!!). I let it run and then I sit and I do my writing---by afternoon I get lots done!!!

:-) satchi

oh your outfit has changed. I love it :-)

Thanks for the reply. So do you find yourself writing because of relaxation after watching some funny things, or because of annoyance (i.e. writing becomes a sanctuary from all that)?

thanks for the compliment :-) xxxx
I find it relaxing, when the telly is on--I can switch back and forth; when I am writing, when I look away from the computer (to the telly) and see something funny/stupid/annoying; and then go back to writing.

When I am alone (and writing), I like it either silent (no people talking) or noise (from the telly)
:-) :-) :-)

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Good tips Satchi. I'm into listening to film music scores at the moment. Its classical music, but not stuff that's very recognisable, so its something on in the background. At the mo I'm listening to the orchestral score from New Moon :$

Writing up is hard, lonely and drives me nuts. But, my tips for working and getting lots written are:
- http://mytomatoes.com/ - a 25 minute timer, you work for 25 mins (a tomato), then list what you've done, then have a 5 minute break. I power through loads of tomatoes every day.
- chat room at http://www.phinished.org. We use the tomato timer and we all work, then we chat for 5 minutes. There's normally people to chat to 24 hours a day. I do hours and hours and hours with the same people, online and we all work. Hugely motivating and productive.
- http://www.live365.com/ - free online music. I have ambient music on in the background. Also keeps me from getting too lonely.

Good luck!

sneaks I love music from movies too!! heres one of my favourites (by Ennio Moricone)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzh9qtTQs6k

oh yes and I just remembered how I got some brilliant ideas!!! If it happens, its usually FIRST thing in the morning when I wake up. Its like my body/brain working on it while I sleep at night.

Other times are when I'm doing something else; like cooking or walking or shopping! THey just pop up in my head.
Maybe you get it too :-)

satchi

At the moment I am really a bit stuck. The idea/breakthrough bit is just sitting the other side of the fence and won't get to my side. I know its there, I can almost grab it...but not quite. I promised myself i would get this next chapter sorted by this weekend - I've got other stuff I need to do, and so much reading its unreal. I had a good go at starting another chapter which has gone well...but it isn't the one I'm supposed to be getting on with. I need silence to work to start with, to get the framework done, but after that it doesn't really matter, except I can't work to music, it makes me laugh when these people say put on music in class as it helps students concentrate, not everyone it doesn't, and of course there is the argument that you should revise under exam conditions because otherwise you can't recall stuff so well.

Once I've done enough reading to know where I am going I usually start writing without worrying about quotes to back up statements. Then when I have a good bit done I use my notes to find the quotes I need to back up what I have said.

What I want to know is how to keep loads of books in my brain, I've just re-read an article i must have read a year ago and its as though I'm reading it for the first time :-(

Incidentally - I don't think methodology does make sense, (hangs head in shame here, having written her methodology chapter and had it approved) but the book by Clough and Nutbrown 'A student's guide to methodology' might help.

:-)

Thanks Satchi - looks good!

My style of writing is definitely thinking about what I reckon is going on, and then finding references to back that up, rather than reading references and then reporting them.

Thanks for these (up)

Well I'm due to submit my first full complete start to finish draft of my thesis to my supervisor on Monday....and over the last couple of weeks I've managed to re-do a substantial part of the analaysis for my main study (1 of 3) and write it's discussion. I never thought I was going to do it and had absolutley no idea what to write....and suddenly after a lot of late nights I had 3000 words. on the page.
Now its just the summary/conclusion chapter to do....and boy Im finding that hard. And only have the weekend left - eek!
Good luck to all those writing!

aww thank you so much for sharing that, very encouraging. Great to hear how you ended up producing those 3000 words. I hope the same will happen this weekend. Now that you know you can, hopefully it will be less stressful. Thanks, and good luck (up)

by the way, I was looking at this the other day, it might come handy (you probably already have it) http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/M.Sewell/faq/publishing-research/Bunt05.pdf

hi 404 thanks for the link :-)
satchi

Having been inspired by the prospect of my first BBQ of the year I decided to set myeslf the task of completing it by saturday afternoon! I got it done by 2pm, went to the BBQ, and of course felt obliged to celebrate and got exceptionally drunk and went out dancing. And as a complete bonus I woke up without a hangover!!
Good luck all those of you who are writing at the moment.... I know that I'm going to have some revisions etc so it's not over but at the mooment Im just enjoying the fact that I actually have a thesis written! :-)