,
14 tweets,
4 min read
Read on Twitter
How are you writing your dissertation? How did you write yours? How do you write your books? This is my method (so far). Note: I’m a historian. #writing 1/
My approach consists of 4 separate stages: 1) gathering sources, 2) reading/analyzing the sources I have collected, 3) organizing the sources and making a top down writing outline, 4) writing. 2/
Some people do research and write one chapter, and then do the same process for another. Others do research while writing. I don’t adopt these approaches. 3/
In the 1st stage, I gather as much information (primary sources) as possible. And when I collect sources, I don’t even read them. I just gather, gather, and gather sources. 4/
After I feel I have collected most of the sources necessary for my project, I quit research and start reading and analyzing the sources. Normally I transcribe primary sources into word documents. In the meantime, I read secondary sources. This stage takes SO MUCH time. 5/
Then I organize all the sources I have analyzed and make a top down writing outline. It’s like a chart. The outline lists which primary and secondary sources I use and what analysis/argument I make in every single section of the ENTIRE book. 6/
The outline is a comprehensive one, covering from page 1 in the introduction to the very last page of the conclusion. Naturally, the outline is extremely detailed and very long. 7/
This is to say that I have COMPLETE ideas of what I’m going to write in my book BEFORE I start the actual writing. This is the most important point of the whole process, in my case. 8/
Some people may say they get new ideas, realizations, and inspirations as they write. Of course this happens to me as well, and I like those moments. But this process doesn’t change the essence of the outline I have established. 9/
After I create the complete outline, I finally start writing chapters. Writing comes to the final stage in my approach. 10/
When I was a graduate student, I hadn’t written a single word of my dissertation at the beginning of my 6th year. I started writing then, but completed a full draft (intro, 7 chapters, conclusion) by the end of the year, while teaching as a TA during both semesters. 11/
I spent the following summer and the fall of the 7th year revising the manuscript. A polished draft of the dissertation got ready for defense in February. While doing this, I wrote two articles, which were eventually published in @JournAmHist & @JournlAmEthHist 12/
@JournAmHist @JournlAmEthHist I essentially adopted the same approach when I revised the dissertation into a manuscript of #ExpellingthePoor: research, analysis, organization, and writing. 13/
@JournAmHist @JournlAmEthHist I know many people write their dissertations/books in different ways, but this approach has worked out well for me, at least so far. I’m currently working on my second book, and adopting this method again. How do you do your writing? 14/14
