Reassure me!

[ComeOnBeANoOne]

Hello, new on this and only in fact a student for another 7 weeks or so... BUT... 7000 words in four weeks!!!

Reassure me with your own tales of astonishing last-minute essay writing feats!

sets alarm for 6.15 to pick up DD in morning. Weeps gently into coffee

I don't know about reassuring you - I can make you feel quite smug - and give you a sense of having lots of time to write 7000

I have to write 3000 words - TODAY

I am just going to do an hour now and then reward time coffee and biscuit - then another hour - will then go for quick walk (just 20 mins or so - fresh air and exercise keeps brain going). I will then repeat the coffee and biscuit routine regularly throughout the day. I have to pick children up at 330 but then they have gymnastics so I will take my laptop and there is a room where parents sit and chat while waiting. I will ignore those parents and do a bit of work.

Home for feeding time - baths - bed. They will be in bed early tonight - I am aiming for stories and tucked in by 8. I will then begin the night shift and will continue until it is finished. I will have more coffee and biscuits - well I will probably have moved onto cake by then.

It has to be handed in tomorrow morning because I have to work in the afternoon.

It can be done.

Now then - do you feel better??

Of course it can be done. Start by thinking about what it is you want to say. That's the important bit: get that right and the words will follow. It doesn't help to think of the word count as a bucket you have to keep filling up.

letsgetreadytorumble has good advice about working in short bursts. I am using a kitchen timer today set for 25 minutes. Absolutely commit to work for that long at a time - no checking emails, no making tea. Then get up and do something else for a bit and then repeat. It really helps.

I have been reading 'Bird by Bird' by Ann Lamott. It's a book about writing, mostly aimed at fiction writers but there's lots that's useful for students too. She talks about using a one inch picture frame (in your head) to peer really closely at something small and then work out from there. She also advises you to write a shitty first draft and not care about how shitty it is - you can go back and improve it later. I am plugging away at mine and feeling quite encouraged. Good luck!

letsgetreadytorumble wow you have put my problems into perspective. I hope you're on track, I can only imagine the day you've had!

dotty2 thank you for the tips! I have always been the type who refused to do work unless I had a couple of hours to focus, but perhaps now it's finally time to change tack, especially as having DD (2) is currently not sleeping great when I have her (recent separation). If nothing else, I no longer feel like I'm suffering alone