Hi, I'm hoping for some advice. For the last year I have been working with my old masters supervisor attempting to turn my thesis into an article. I work full time now as I graduated last year, this article is an extra I have taken on. It is not going well, as I am stressed at work, life is getting in the way and I have neither time nor motivation to carry on, I'm not even half way through yet and it's making me miserable. I don't want a career in academia, I was doing it just because I could. I feel terrible though because my supervisor has invested time in helping me with this and reading drafts etc. She agreed to help on condition she would be a second author. While for me it was a hobby, this is her profession, I don't want to let her down. It seems like it would be dreadfully selfish and discourteous to quit a working relationship just because I am fed up with it. I am sure she would never do that to me. Am I overestimating the importance of this decision, or should I follow through on my commitment? Advice/insight would be hugely welcome. With thanks x

Just tell her how you feel - she might then say she's happy to wait or she might ask if she can write it herself. It's better to be honest at this stage. I'm sure she will understand.

I would agree with TreeofLife. If she's a reasonable and professional person, she will be understanding, even if she is a bit peeved. You can't really control how she reacts though.

If you think you could possibly find the motivation in the future, might it be possible for you to take a short break from the work, and dedicate a chunk of time to redrafting later down the line? I ended up turning my masters thesis into a journal article eight years after completing it *but* I wasn't working a full-time job! I was studying full-time though in a totally different subject. I can understand that if you're not pursuing an academic career, there's far less motivation for you so don't feel bad if you want to abandon it altogether.

Good luck :)