The line of argument is the most important part of any academic research. This is called a "thesis" (though the term is often confused with the dissertation). It is a proposition that you put forward and can defend; or may be a set of interlocking propositions.
Writing is thinking and recording, and is a psychological exercise. You learn by writing, and should thus think of writing as a process rather than the last step in completing the dissertation.
Saving writing for the last minute is a mistake that we all make; we end up writing when our minds are tired. We should give writing greater priority. Also do not save the conclusion for the end; write it at the beginning, and revise it later.
Exploratory writing is a technique where we allow ourselves complete freedom in writing up ideas. This helps the thinking process and allows us to be creative.
For PhD students, Nick suggests keeping a journal to record your thesis ideas, and to keep writing down ideas continually.
Some questions to ask about your writing:
--Is it engaging for the reader?
--Does it invite a response, or dialog?
--Does it have aesthetic merit?
Nick's talk reminded me of another book on writing that I like, Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/Writing-Down-Bones-Freeing-Writer/dp/1590302613
Here's her web page with her other books:
http://www.nataliegoldberg.com/books.html