Week 5 - back in harness but the writing is getting harder

Maximum number of words: 80,000
Words typed so far: 11,015
Words typed this week: 2,134
Days I managed to write this week: 4

Well I am back in harness and added another two thousand words to the thesis. The four days of writing is a real achievement as I had a migraine on one possible day which meant I did not get any writing done and then a cold decided to appear towards the end of the week, so my writing then was through feeling slightly feverish yesterday.

I was glad when that I was past the initial cold stages by the end of the day, as I was also moving my conference talk from first draft to second (i.e. after my two very faithful proof readers had read through it). I also heard that the paper has been accepted and asked whether I want projection. I have decided to go against projection so will expect just to read it. There is enough change in pace and tone I think to get away with that. I could do a projection but that is I think time better spent preparing to read it. So next stage is for my supervisor to give his opinion.

However this weeks the writing is getting harder, its not that I don't know it, it is that I need to check I have my sources correct, check I have understood the issue and so forth. That said I am still on the methodology as I have a couple of hurdle that I need to surmount before I am free to present my results. So it is now dealing with who said what and when of methodology. I know how I want to present my results is legitimate, I know that I can present them that way, but it is experimental enough for me to have to clearly argue for the approach. The thing is that I am clear that although the two congregations I will present in my thesis are based very heavily on my field work, because through editing, because they are based on my experience which is coloured by many things and because of the need to present them in a way a reader can grasp (lived life in all its complexity does not come across well in text, therefore when presenting thing in text certain things are adapted to enable people to understand what is happening, otherwise it is just confusing).

Next weekend I also want to get out Ulverstanes' interviewees permission to record forms. So I need to check I have enough envelopes to send them out. Once I have done that I can start thinking about more indepth analysis of both interviews and fieldnotes.