Ask the Dissertation Diva

When writing is like the end of a hot dog eating contest

2009-12-10T00:05:21-08:00

Dear Dissertation Diva,

You know that hot dog eating contest on Coney Island? Whenever I open the file of the final chapter of my dissertation, I feel like I've eaten 180 hot dogs. I can't stand to even see one more hot dog. The whole dissertation enterprise currently feels like a giant block. Writing is like excreting blood drop by drop. I'll just stare at the page and can't move forward. It has been like that for two weeks. I've gotten through writing block in the past, but as I get closer to the final deadline, I am deadeningly bored and tired from the process. It's like quicksand. How do I gather the superhuman strength to push out a dozen more pages of complete sentences?

Signed,

Mired and Tired

Dear Mired,

Are you sure you're not Sarah Bernhardt? This is 11th hour high drama! Excreting blood drop by drop? Gothic!

Please take my advice and take a break lest you get anemic from blood loss. A full day to frolic and have fun will not only replenish your iron reserves, but break the monotony of your pattern and shock your system back into writing. Imagine how precious a full day of writing really is when you have only a few weeks to go! A couple of hours of mindless holiday window shopping in the cold should click something on in your brain that says, "I am just a dozen pages and some breezy edits away from being Dr. Mired. I must re-energize for the final push."

Besides taking a daylong break: If you find yourself zoning out in front of the page or screen again, stand up, stretch, jump up and down, do jumping jacks -- physical activity will reboot your writing brain.

Dissertation Diva

Minnesota Graduate School writing resources

2009-11-16T12:38:12-08:00

A plethora of helpful dissertation writing resources from The Graduate School at University of Minnesota here -- including a link to Dissertation Diva's instant classic, "Practical Advice for Writing Your Dissertation, Book, or Article" (thanks!)

Stanford "Dissertation Success" workshop a success

2009-11-14T16:15:30-08:00

Thank you to all the brilliant Stanford PhD candidates who attended my workshop, "Dissertation Success: Practical and Holistic Strategies," yesterday. Amazing roomful of scientists and scholars. I am honored to work with you! Much gratitude to the Stanford University Women's Community Center for organizing this annual dissertation workshop for women-identified grad students. I am truly impressed by the range and innovative thinking of emerging scholarship.

I was happy to see participants in the four-hour workshop tapping away at their computer keyboards, writing up their dissertation arguments, freewriting on challenging questions coming up in their thinking, and sharing strategies for writing, life/work balance, committee management, and organization.

The best question I asked was: "Why are you writing this dissertation?" This simple yet profound query allowed participants to connect with their core passion for the topic, cutting through the daily grind.
Remember to take healthy breaks, connect with peers and colleagues, and keep going!

Dissertation Diva

AAUW Dissertation Fellowships

2009-09-30T14:11:07-07:00

Just wanted to share a resource: AAUW (formerly known as he American Association of University Women) offers Dissertation Fellowships.

From their website:

"Dissertation Fellowships are available to women who will complete their dissertation writing between April 15, 2011 and June 30, 2011. Degree conferral must be between April 1 and September 15, 2011. To qualify, applicants must have completed all course work, passed all required preliminary examinations, and received approval for their research proposal or plan by Nov. 15, 2009. Students holding any fellowship for writing a dissertation in the year prior to the AAUW fellowship year are not eligible. Open to applicants in all fields of study. Scholars engaged in science, technology, engineering and math and also researching gender issues are especially encouraged to apply."

Good luck!
Dissertation Diva

Stanford Workshop Nov. 13, 2009

2009-08-18T16:40:47-07:00

I will be presenting a workshop on practical and holistic strategies for dissertation success at the Stanford University Women's Community Center on Friday, Nov. 13, 2009. Open to Stanford women-identified graduate students. Please contact the Stanford WCC to register.

See event information on the Events and Workshops part of my main website here.

Diagnosis: A.R.S.

2009-07-27T15:07:14-07:00

Dear Dissertation Diva:

I dusted off my dissertation and made moves towards revising it into a book. An ancient email from an interested editor at a university press lurks stage left. I need to update my take on the current state of the field for the book's introduction in order to show where my argument fits. Problem is: Whenever I do JSTOR searches or try to update my bibliography, I break out in hives. Trying to situate my project in the 100s of new articles -- many in convoluted academicese that seems downright toxic to my confidence -- is overwhelming and demoralizing. Even making a list of the articles makes me think that my book is irrelevant, bizarre, or boring. Any thoughts?

Signed,

Anachronistic Annie

Dear A.A.:

You are suffering from A.R.S.: Academic Re-entry Shock. A.R.S. affects PhDs who take a break from their dissertation research in order to focus on new research, a full time job, or other reasons. When they dust off their dissertation a year or more later, the dust enters their respiratory tract, causing hives-like symptoms, including wheezing and a sense of dread brought on by JSTOR searches.

Antidote: Decompress in one of those chambers -- you know when people come back from deep-sea dives?

You can also homebrew Dissertation-to-Book Diva Anti-A.R.S. Spray (TM) using NYC or San Francisco tap water, organic peppermint or rosemary oil, and a sprig of mint from a community garden. Spritz it around your workspace to clear your aura from toxicity.

When you can approach updating your research once again, I suggest focusing on the major developments (books, authors) in your field and related fields, not every tiny article. Who are the Big Three in each field? Who is closest to your sensibility? Also, stay on track with your book's argument, contributions, and unique angle, while taking into account new developments.

Spritz! Spritz!

Dissertation Diva

Three Things You Can Do To Jumpstart Your Day's Writing

2009-03-17T12:36:33-07:00

1. Set a timer for 20 minutes.
2. Look over your previous writing for a few minutes to refresh your memory.
3. Freewrite about what you think you may want to write or think about until the timer rings.

Repeat with breaks, altering the small tasks you do in the allotted time.

When am I officially a PhD?

2008-10-30T14:11:45-07:00

Dear Dissertation Diva:

Am I a PhD after I successfully defend my dissertation or after I officially graduate? I might not make the deadline for this semester but want to know if I can use the title even if I don't graduate until a few months after my defense.

Signed,
Can't Wait 2 Gradu-8

Dear Can't Wait,

My understanding is that one is officially a PhD after the degree is awarded at the graduate school's commencement. (Disclaimer: I suggest you check with your university's dissertation office or graduate school administrative office for the exact policy for your situation.) After you pass the defense, you could write, for example, "PhD expected May, 2008" on your cv in the interm months. You could also add the date of your successful defense to your cv.

You might want to celebrate the successful defense of your dissertation and communicate that you will, very soon, be signing your name "Can't Wait, PhD", by sending out a lovely printed invitation to your PhD commencement.

Congratulations on your upcoming defense and degree!

Dissertation Diva

Practical Advice for Writing

2008-09-29T06:24:00-07:00

You have a stack of research materials, a nebulous yet promising topic, and a looming deadline. Now, how do you actually write?

In my work with graduate students, I am often asked for concrete strategies for writing. How to transform ideas into writing? How to finish that dissertation, book, or article? And how to stay motivated and sane during the writing process?

I have found that the best recipe for sustained intellectual productivity is a mix of structured writing practices, time management strategies, and holistic lifestyle support.

In the next eight posts, I will be sharing with you my top eight practical strategies for focused, sustained writing—ways to create the space and structure to shepherd unarticulated ideas into a cogently written argument. While targeted at the dissertation writer, this advice can be used by graduate students drafting their proposal, junior faculty members rewriting the dissertation into a book, and scholars working on articles. Regardless of the type of project, healthy writing strategies—as opposed to staying-up-all-night marathons—are crucial. My hope is that these strategies also help advisers to support their PhD students through the nuts and bolts of the writing process.

[The entire article appears as "Practical Advice for Writing Your Dissertation, Book, or Article" by Liena Vayzman, in Perspectives, the journal of the American Historical Association, accessible online.]

On Taking Intellectual Risks

2008-09-26T23:38:43-07:00

"..[A] young writer can't write a book without risking intellectual self-exposure. That risk, by the way, is one of the most important parts of being a writer, even a scholarly writer" says William Germano in From Dissertation to Book (University of Chicago Press, 2005). I agree. Furthermore, I'll add that your dissertation should take intellectual risks. In crafting your dissertation argument, take a definite stance.