At the beginning of my PhD I have struggled to write about my research. There were so many things I wanted to say, but didn’t know how, what should go first, what second, and most importantly, where to start in general.
Also, trying to write only perfect sentences one after another was not easy for me. As soon as my writing started to flow I would have all these thoughts come flooding. They were related to the topic, but not necessary fitted at this exact moment of the text. To save them, I would have to note them on the side, which would distract and stress me out. I would have to constantly choose between writing quicker, and loosing all these good (or sometimes brilliant), but not exactly fitting thoughts.
Frankly, writing about my research was a nightmare until I was introduced to the process of writing in 3 distinctive stages. I do not remember who was running the workshop (sorry), but it was a workshop at the University of Otago for Masters and PhD students. This day has changed my approach to writing completely.
That day, I have finally realised that there is nothing wrong with me (at least in this department) and that this flow of thoughts accompanying writing is how human brain often works. Instead of fighting this flow I could finally embrace it.
If you have similar problem I had, let me help you by showing you the process I use for writing now. This writing process have 3 distinctive stages which will allow you to write with less stress and more creativity. Let’s go:
Stage 1. Writing for myself
In the first stage of your writing, you just want to capture your thoughts on the paper (or computer) as they come. You do not have to worry about producing perfect sentences. Neither should you correct your grammar or spelling mistakes. At this stage, even bullet points will do. You just want to put down all you want to write about plus all the additional thoughts your brain is generating. Leave a decision what is important, and will go into your article or chapter, for later.
I find this first stage very rewarding. Previously I would dread starting. Starting was overwhelming and scary. Now, I enjoy starting as it is easy and exciting. I produce quickly, and often surprise myself with some interesting associations. This stage was a game changer.
Note: I know one person who writes only perfect sentences one after another, so I realise that not every brain is so unorganised and distracted like mine.
Stage 2. Filling the gaps
As soon as all your thoughts are on the paper, you can start arranging them in proper sentences, paragraphs and sections. This stage is probably the longest, but because all the thoughts are already in front of you, it is not overwhelming at all. Instead, you have work on organising your thoughts into a coherent whole.
This is the time to think about the flow of ideas: what should go first and what should come later. How to say things clearer, what is missing, what you really try to say, are the questions you may ask at this stage. If you need to find an important reference for your argument, do it now. During this stage you try to produce a coherent piece of content. It does not have to be perfect thought, as it will slightly change in the next step.
Stage 3. Writing for the audience
In this stage, you are focusing on writing for the audience, but not for any audience, you write for the particular audience who will read this particular piece of writing. The audience could be your supervisors or collaborators, readers of a journal or research grant committee members. All these audiences are different and your writing should reflect that.
At this stage you want to rewrite your text from the perspective of your audience. You want to add all the explanations your audience would need to fully understand and appreciate your thoughts. You also want to examine the language you are using. The language you use will be increasingly important as your audience moves away from professional audience to a general public.
Summary
So here you go, 3 stages: writing for myself, filling the gaps, writing for the audience; Me, Gaps, Audience. MGA method. Totally made up name, but reads well, and if you like mnemonics it ma help: M for me, G for gaps, A for audience.
Adopting this method was transformative for my writing. If you struggle, please please give it a go. And, if you do try it, please let me know what was your experience.
Have you tried this method? What is your way of writing? Please comment below, so we can all learn from each other.