Week 20: Slow progress at a chapter change

Maximum number of words: 80,000
Words typed so far:38,006
Words typed this week: 1111
Words lost this week: 0
Total increase: 1111
Days I managed to write this week: 3

As you can see progress has been somewhat slower this week. There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly I was changing chapter and I had not had chance to plan it. Now don't get me wrong I do not stick to the plan, but I do like to have some idea where I was going. I also in the writing dealing with the description of perhaps one of the most difficult scenes to get right. The fact is this scene really happened and the only way to be fair on everyone involved is to try an portray it pretty much as it happened. However although very strong emotion is going on in the scene it is all below the surface. So I have to show it rather than tell it and I have to give people a respectful appearance. Everyone in the scene behaved with exceptional integrity. I am not breaking any confidences in portraying it but I still have a duty to be honest. I have never felt so inadequate as a writer.

Another thing is I have not been sure of the theoretical input into this chapter, I think it is coming clear and it is also perhaps becoming clearer therefore what I needed to put in the previous chapter. The stuff for this chapter is stuff on the nature of church as institution and community. Theory on emotional activity within an institution and group and also some stuff on congregational government. So I am slowly getting to know my thesis. I find I really do not know what I know until I write it and the task of writing it is the task of analysis. I am also trying a different approach to writing with first writing some of the scenes, then writing the description and finally writing into that the theoretical work.

Two other things slowed progress, I was also doing the final edits to my first real draft of my previous chapter on location and I had a migraine on Thursday which rumbled on in the background for the next two days. Not pleasant and meant I was really only functioning in the afternoon.

I think I am getting there with the planning, I also have a supervision this week and my supervisor will no doubt give me a kick start, he is very good at that. I know I need to loose words from the chapter but I want to hear his comments before I do.