My MA dissertation is due on Tuesday and its no good! Any re writing tips?

[KnuckFows]

Still need to write another 2000 words to hit my word count, should be ok as chunk of that is introduction and conclusion.

I know my subject area well (have read very widely) but just can't write properly. It is so frustrating. I do not know why this is but as soon as I try to articulate my ideas, my brain is a complete blank and I can barely string a sentence together. So the writing is really poor.

This means that my chapters need a solid rewrite this weekend. I am fairly happy with the points I'm making, its just the writing is awful, vague and unclear and has no flow, and that will not get a passing grade. The whole things reads more like a chatty discussion (with good citations, however) than a structured and sophisticated academic piece.

I just don't know how to fix this. I'm chanting a mantra to myself of point, evidence, explain and link, but cannot seem to enforce it on the drivel spilling out into my dissertation.

How can I try to structure it properly?

I think it’s a case of looking at your arcs of argument: overall, chapter by chapter, point by point. Are you covering each point separately, connecting them together with relevant cross-referencing where appropriate and then linking to the overall argument by summarising?

Consider it thus: You're actually having a pretty good problem. In my dissertation days I was able to write fluidly but hadn't read as widely and cited as much as I should have done. So well done on that front at least.

I'd say just write it all out so you have something of a working document. Once all written go back paragraph by paragraph with a story arc in mind of what you describe: 'point, evidence, explain and link'. That way, hopefully, all the info is there - it now becomes a matter of editing.

Do a plan - like a chapter plan for a book - go online there are lots.
Draw a grid - chapters one - 10 say.
Give each ‘chapter ‘ a title. Next box acrosssay what happens in a couple of lines. Next box along ( same chapter line) why it happens. Next box along ‘leads to’ -
Next chapter 2, chapter 3z
Once you have that completed use it as a template to restructure your essay.
It will a least make sense structure wise and help you to make sure relevant. Info is there.
Make sure whatever your point/argument was in chapter 1 is back in the final chapter and concluded.
You have time to do this. Good luck!

Do you have someone who can read over to highlight where it makes sense and where they get lost?? I used to do this for my GF who was a brilliant practical medic but struggled to get it on paper( she was doing a degree in her 40s) well as she hadn’t a lot of formal schooling.
Even though I didn’t know the subject matter at all - public health stuff- I was able to see what she was trying to say and re-write it for her to make it coherent/better.

Read it out aloud, record yourself and listen back, get someone else to listen to it. If it doesnt flow when you read it out change it verbally, keep recording and edit from the recording once you are happy with it. Bit of a faff but hearing it helps to identify errors for me.

Agree that reading it allowed helps as you can hear where an argument tapers off without a conclusion. If at any point your reader goes? So what? Or and? You’ve left a bit out!

Sorry if I'm rude but I don't understand why did you decide to do an MA in the first place? Academia is not for everybody, especially for people who "can't string a sentence together". I know this is totally unhelpful in your current situation. However, you did ask it in the AIBU and my verdict is that UABU for asking five days before you need to submit your thesis how to structure it.

I voted YANBU
But, your dissertation sounds like a collection of random points. Shuffling and rewriting will not change that.

You need an overall argument or umbrella point that all the other points support. Think, what is the one key take away from your dissertation?

I find it very useful to summarise each of my paragraphs in a single sentence, put all the sentences together and then rearrange as necessary to make my argument. You may find you then have to edit some (many in my case!) paragraphs so that they are more focussed but you’ll have a solid idea of where you can move material.

I find it almost impossible to write until I’m very clear on both what I want to say and how I want to say it.

When pushed for time, it can help to really focus on the first and last sentences of each paragraph, chapter intros and conclusions and your general introduction and conclusion. These do an awful lot of work in an essay. Tidying them up can give a sense of order. Good luck! I feel your pain.

Previous advice of getting someone else to to read it and reading it aloud is also excellent.

Another one saying read it out loud to spot the major grammatical errors. Or better still get someone else to read it out loud for you. Cut out the waffle (especially in your introduction and conclusion). Cut out the repetition. And if there is anything left when you have done this make sure the sequence is logical so there is a coherent argument.

Excellent tips and advice, thanks to you all who helped. Reading aloud is a good idea, I think I'll do that with a cup of tea and see what jumps out at me.

I made the poll by mistake, am rather tired

But, your dissertation sounds like a collection of random points. Shuffling and rewriting will not change that.

You need an overall argument or umbrella point that all the other points support. Think, what is the one key take away from your dissertation?

Oh I do have an overall argument, yes. My chapters break this down, what I have tried to do is examine the overall argument. When I say it's rambling, it's more that I have got bogged down in explaining the contexts of the points that I'm making, in trying to explain why I think X or Y point is important.

My topic works with two different academic fields, so have to fit the pieces together carefully.

Sorry if I'm rude but I don't understand why did you decide to do an MA in the first place?

Yeah I'm asking myself the same question today!

In all seriousness, because I really loved what I was studying and really enjoyed the whole course, and did quite well. It will be a shame if I don't pass the dissertation but hey ho I still will get a postgraduate certificate.

My DS had a similar problem One very simple technique he used was to highlight(with a pen or on Word) each paragraph or point - so ...point in one colour, evidence in another etc. It really helps to highlight if you have all the necessary elements, in the right order and balanced.
He would also sometimes write what he wanted to say in bullet points to get everything down, then work it up into sentences.

Overall however, you need to have a clear and detailed plan for each section to direct your thoughts and writing.
Good luck.

Second recording and listening back. Do it paragraph by paragraph but make sure you take breaks. It’ll take a while but is worth it? What is the subject? I’m pretty bored at the mo so am happy to take a look at some sections to see if I can help?

Just want to tell you good luck - ignore the haters - you wouldn't have got as far as the dissertation stage if you weren't good at this. Just relax, do what you can xxx

I feel your pain ( but basically re-wrote mine in the last 10days before it was due)

Can you get someone else to read it? my mum bless her didnt have a clue what i was writing about but just read and marked out the bits where I went off ...maybe the reading it outloud is a quicker way of doing that.....

I was basicall y unhappy with my conclusions - so had a long bath , slept on it then sorted my end/recommendations and worked back from that so a reverse process chart...
Once the flow was right in my head I could structure the rest and my writing got better . I say I junked 8000 words......
I did reuse some bits but did actually write most from new..... lots of diet coke and cigarettes (not to be recommended diet )

Whatever you do make sure you have saved it as is before tinkering so worst case you have something to submit!

I have a clear and detailed plan, I know exactly what each point is. Then I read it all and stare at it and think wtf is any of this relevant at all!

On a train so can't do the reading aloud right now but started saying it out loud (just from memory) as I was getting ready at home and even that actually seemed to help me feel a bit clearer about the whole thing.

Not sure that makes sense, maybe im totally deluded and desperately clutching at straws

Stepping away from it DOES really help too. Now I think the actually writing isn't as bad as I thought, it's more about the flow and structure from point to point to point. that definitely needs a lot of work so a sizeable task but maybe not as awful as when I was rather panicked.

Step away and do something different. Anything that will completely distract you. I know it's only five days til it's due but bear with me, okay? When you go back to it I want you to print it off one and a half spaced and cross of your name on the front and put someone else's there. Then you read it it through and you mark it like a lecturer would.

It can be really hard to read things through objectively. I found pretending it was a random student (I did some marking pre MSc) really helped me.

I know that sounds wierd but it might help you to sort out what you have. The things you don't have yet you can add after. Your intro and conclusion shouldn't be more than ten percent of the word count maximum anyway and should basically say the same thing, intro explaining what you're going to say, conclusion what you did say.

Have a clear paragraph at the beginning of each chapter summarising what happened in the previous chapter and explaining what will happen in the coming chapter. The final paragraph should be a summary of the chapter. In essence this means each chapter can read well in a stand alone situation. It will also link each chapter to one another.

Internally to each chapter have a clear structure of what you are trying to articulate. I always found that the citations often worked in a particular order that told a story, then write around them.

As it’s an MA I assume you have undertaken some primary research. One chapter should clearly consider your methodology. Mine was about perceptions of something visual. So I explained how perceptions came about what influenced them and thus how they could be changed. This in turn helped to explain my primary research. I also used some marketing theory even though it was a humanities based MA.

Do read aloud, record t is even better. Also work on one chapter then set it aside and come back to it a few hours later otherwise you become word blind to errors!

Good luck, I left mine to the last minute and it was hell it I survived and got a good grade.