Thursday

Today's Goals

1. Write 1,025 words.
2. Complete historical context of South Africa in the 80s.

Writing Exercise to (Re)define Your Purpose

These exercises can help when you are feeling anxious or may become part of your writing ritual before you begin your writing practice each session.
1. Who am I? Why am I doing this?
The purpose is to put your dissertation in perspective with all your roles and parts of your life and to stay in touch with why you began this remarkable journey.
2. Identify Moments or Contexts That Specifically Make You Question Why You Are Doing This
Identify trigger.
What is it? Be specific.
What does it say? Be specific.
How does it feel? Where do I feel it in my body? Be specific.
What other messages to you get?
3. While I write, I want to be perceived as _____, ___________, ____________________.
I do not want to be perceived as _________, _____________, ______________.
4. What is the larger problem you are trying to solve through your writing?
What needs does your project meet?
What are some personal values underlying your writing?
5. I choose to write because I want _________________________
I choose to write because I value ____________________________

What Had Happened Was

Well, I didn't get to my goal. I wrote about 160 or so words today. I found some sources on Habermas's theory of communicative action and began adding that information to the introduction to build the theoretical underpinning of the chapter. I have to work this evening but will try to do some more writing today. If not, I do have the historical context of the 1980s to write up, which should be a relatively straightforward goal for tomorrow. I am still researching this information, so I do need to do some amount of reading to write-up that information. I probably need very little of this information at this moment. Whatever I include should be closely related to my reading of the text so it doesn't read simply as summary. The Habermas piece is slow-going, but I think it adds some depth to the chapter and to the reading of the short story I am working on.