#5 Four Writing Methods: Planning is Everything

Planning is everything.

Plan 1: Each week must have a purpose and a series of mini deadlines.

Do not allow the time to fly-by without a specific plan for that period. You must allocate some tasks to be completed each week. Then allocate them to each day. By creating deadlines and sticking to them you will drive forward the project and accomplish far more than drifting along. It seems obvious but many students (and researchers) just open their laptop and see what happens….

There will be mundane tasks and errands to do - they need doing but are not as important as identifying the main PhD or research tasks. Prioritise the tasks so that you do the reading, writing, and research first. Then the practical and pragmatic less important errands can be done.

Plan 2: Record progress with a weekly tracker

Use a calendar and insert a number for each week, starting at 1 in week 1 of your PhD or research project. This is a means of measuring how many weeks you have spent the task. If the aim is to complete the PhD in 150 weeks (or however long you have) you’ll have a persistent reminder and be forced to confront the hours you’ve given to the job. Assuming your thesis is 100,000 words long you will need to write on average 666 words per week, or 133 words per working day. Every day.

It is very achievable when you think about it like this. The difficulty, of course, is being consistent.

Consistency is everything when doing a PhD. Ensuring you know where you are along the route is crucial. You cannot afford to wait until year 3 before you start writing up.

Plan 3: Every day must include a period of writing.

This can be rough and ready. It can be journaling. It can be writing notes on a paper you’ve just read. It can be ideas and speculations. It can be a letter to yourself. It really doesn’t matter. The main thing is that you set aside a period of time every working day devoted to the craft of writing, and ideally including a period on the paper / dissertation / project you’re currently working on

Aim for 500 words per day.

Write fast. Edit slow later on.

Once you start the ideas will come. Learning to write well is one of the major benefits of doing a PhD. Don’t waste this opportunity.

Your future will likely depend on writing (reports, papers, emails, grant applications, books - nearly everything we do has an element of writing and despite the power of AI it cannot replace or be an adequate substitute for our own thoughts and ideas….)

Plan 4: Be accountable

Make a deal with a friend - if you fail to write 500 words per day (or whatever amount you think achievable) you have to pay them £50 and cook them dinner. They’ll be sure to check up on your progress. You’ll also be sure to achieve the task.

I know other scholars who meet up with a small writing group each week. They begin by reflecting on the past week and how they got on. Sometimes they exchange texts and drafts to help each other. They sometimes agree to turn off their phones and to sit together in silence for 2-3 hours to write. Think about setting up a similar group. Writing can be a lonely pursuit, so the chance to meet up with others for a few hours a week is a great way to encourage, support, and remain accountable.

Being accountable to another person is a great way to stay on track and to motivate you to perform. When you’re accountable and add a penalty you’re even more likely to achieve the target. It works.