I see a light …

I worked 13 hours straight today writing, writing, writing, and editing, editing, editing. The literature review chapter (36 pages) is solid. Except for the stuff mentioned below, I don’t think I need to touch it again. The content of the original contribution section (36 pages) is all there, but a few spots need a little spiffing up and smoothing out. The main writing for the final chapter on “why this thesis is relevant” (22 pages) is all done and organized but still needs glue and re-editing to make sure I stay true to the gestalt of the piece and don’t get rabidly opinionated. The whole kit and kaboodle is down to 106 pages. (My bibliography section alone is 9 pages, which my self-important brain is rather proud of.) When I’m all done, it’ll be more like 95.

My task list is actually down to a granularity that it’s measurable. Other stuff that needs doin’ …
* Abstract. (Probably’ll take me an hour at the end.)
* Opening paragraph on accessible examples of ways that folks feel lonely. (Probably’ll take me an hour.)
* Synopsis of chapters. (I’m hoping this just falls out of my head when the time is right.)
* Beef up the stuff on the stability dimension of attribution theory. (Should take me an hour once I get my hands on the article I’m looking for.) Ye gods, that’s a boring section.
* Check some references (that’ll be an afternoon at the University of Colorado library)
* Take shower.
* Get out of house.

Having picked this thing up again after months of it collecting dust, I must admit that there are some sections that are so well-written and well-conceived that, while reading it, I had to stop and laugh out loud and declare, “My god, I’m brilliant!”

Of course, the reason I think it’s so funny is that I can’t believe this incredible thing came out of me nearly fully intact. It is exactly what I had hoped to write when it first came to me in 2003 but at the time I had no idea how to support the ideas. But apparently, somewhere inside me, the thing was already fully formed. So, on the partnership between will and grace, I’d say my 80% of the work was simply “showing up”. 🙂 So, if I may rephrase my exclamation: “My god, I’m so damn lucky!”