Editing

Dealing with the Editor

ABD2: how do you quiet your editor? Jun 10, 2005 4:20:56 PM CDT
ABD1: Wish I knew.... Jun 10, 2005 4:21:11 PM CDT
ABD2: I tried "just writing" not looking back Jun 10, 2005 4:21:29 PM CDT
ABD1: During my masters I would switch modes Jun 10, 2005 4:21:34 PM CDT
ABD1: Goign from writing to makign pictures or something... Jun 10, 2005 4:21:46 PM CDT
ABD1: That hasn't been workign recently. Jun 10, 2005 4:21:59 PM CDT
ABD2: but I did look back and now I'm worried that I'll have to completely rewrite what I've already done if I don't listen to my editor now Jun 10, 2005 4:22:17 PM CDT
ABD1: How has the just writing worked for you? Jun 10, 2005 4:22:31 PM CDT
ABD2: but my editor stops me in my tracks Jun 10, 2005 4:22:37 PM CDT
ABD2: the just writing was working pretty well Jun 10, 2005 4:22:49 PM CDT
ABD2: but I realized the stuff I was forgetting and would have to be inserted Jun 10, 2005 4:23:15 PM CDT
ABD2: my just writing meant NOT going back Jun 10, 2005 4:23:33 PM CDT
ABD1: Yep - I know how that goes... Jun 10, 2005 4:23:43 PM CDT
ABD2: but as I said I got concerned about the editing Jun 10, 2005 4:23:54 PM CDT
ABD2: Its counter-productive both ways Jun 10, 2005 4:24:05 PM CDT
ABD1: The part I am struggling with keeps sending me back to my lit survey Jun 10, 2005 4:24:24 PM CDT
ABD1: SoI reread something... Jun 10, 2005 4:24:33 PM CDT
ABD2: me too! lit reviews suck! Jun 10, 2005 4:24:40 PM CDT
ABD1: And notice soemthing new Jun 10, 2005 4:24:43 PM CDT
ABD1: which inevitablly leads back to the library Jun 10, 2005 4:24:55 PM CDT
ABD1: and then to new parts being added to "finished" work Jun 10, 2005 4:25:12 PM CDT
ABD1: Sigh... Jun 10, 2005 4:25:15 PM CDT
ABD2: do we just put the books down and don't go back unless the advisors ask for it? Jun 10, 2005 4:25:25 PM CDT
ABD1: Mine was joking about that in our telecon yesterday... Jun 10, 2005 4:25:51 PM CDT
ABD2: I'm worried about the question, why isn't XX in here are you stupid or just lazy? Jun 10, 2005 4:25:59 PM CDT
ABD1: Me too.... Jun 10, 2005 4:26:12 PM CDT
ABD2: my editor shuts down my sense of adventure in my writing Jun 10, 2005 4:45:23 PM CDT
ABD1: Here's a question....do we write our PhDs for us - or for someone else? Jun 10, 2005 4:46:39 PM CDT
ABD2: i'vebeen writing for someone else Jun 10, 2005 4:46:58 PM CDT
ABD2: I'm thinking about trying to change that though, I want more adventure in my life Jun 10, 2005 4:47:19 PM CDT
ABD1: I think I have been writing for others too - perhaps that is why the editor is so loud in my head... Jun 10, 2005 4:47:48 PM CDT
ABD2: what if the two of us try this week to write for ourselves ONLY Jun 10, 2005 4:48:22 PM CDT
ABD2: I wonder how it would be different Jun 10, 2005 4:48:37 PM CDT
ABD1: I think that is a good idea...maybe if we are happy with our writing - the editor will go away... Jun 10, 2005 4:48:53 PM CDT

Rewriting Chapters

ABD2: That was going to be the next question I had - when do you stop? I have a chapter that is "finished" and has been for X months. But now as other chapters are approaching "finished" the first chapter feels amateurish. Part of me wants to write it over. Part of me screems "NO" Jul 1, 2005 4:50:37 PM CDT
ABD1: ok ABD2 i really relate to this Jul 1, 2005 4:51:11 PM CDT
ABD4: ABD2, I have the same problem but am going to try to resist in order to get it done. Jul 1, 2005 4:51:15 PM CDT
IE: It is very common to go back and rewruite early chapters--that's what i meant about rewriting the intro Jul 1, 2005 4:51:44 PM CDT
ABD1: yes but then it could theorhetically become an endless circle of rewriitng Jul 1, 2005 4:52:13 PM CDT
ABD1: when to STOP? Jul 1, 2005 4:52:21 PM CDT
ABD2: Part of me just keeps being revolted at the idea of redoing work... Jul 1, 2005 4:52:38 PM CDT
ABD5: i'm either lazy or cynical, I don't want to do 1 extra thing Jul 1, 2005 4:52:47 PM CDT
ABD1: no, it's like writing in layers Jul 1, 2005 4:52:58 PM CDT
ABD4: ABD1, I think we could go on for ever, there's always more to do so we just have to impose stopping. Jul 1, 2005 4:52:58 PM CDT
ABD2: Part of me says it will be better the next time... Jul 1, 2005 4:52:59 PM CDT
ABD2: The first part says "Perfectionist" Jul 1, 2005 4:53:11 PM CDT
ABD5: I will do what I think is a decent job and do what's needed for my advisors, that's it Jul 1, 2005 4:53:14 PM CDT
 

Revisions

ABD1: yeah, when you tell them "this is a draft, I'll clean up the formatting later, please focus on content" Jun 24, 2005 5:03:06 PM CDT
ABD1: what do they focus on? formatting, grammar..... Jun 24, 2005 5:03:19 PM CDT
ABD2: i need advice on how to cope with Jun 24, 2005 5:03:33 PM CDT
ABD3: I'm hoping content - although there are certainly some issues... Jun 24, 2005 5:03:36 PM CDT
ABD2: different revisions on the same draft Jun 24, 2005 5:03:53 PM CDT
ABD2: from different supervisors Jun 24, 2005 5:04:19 PM CDT
ABD1: could you try the next revisions both ways? See which one works better? Jun 24, 2005 5:04:39 PM CDT
ABD3: Well, when I get multiple revisions from different sources - Jun 24, 2005 5:04:43 PM CDT
ABD3: I start by taking a blank copy and copying their comments into that draft Jun 24, 2005 5:05:05 PM CDT
ABD1: it's extra work, but at least they can't complain you didn't give it a try Jun 24, 2005 5:05:12 PM CDT
ABD3: Now I have one draft to work off of. Jun 24, 2005 5:05:14 PM CDT
ABD3: If the comments are mutually exclusive Jun 24, 2005 5:05:27 PM CDT
ABD3: and I have seen that happen Jun 24, 2005 5:05:32 PM CDT
ABD2: ok so all prof revisions in the same draft Jun 24, 2005 5:05:37 PM CDT
ABD1: pick one and argue why it's the best course of action Jun 24, 2005 5:05:45 PM CDT
ABD3: I try to do something different from what they suggest Jun 24, 2005 5:05:47 PM CDT
ABD2: and watch for conflicts Jun 24, 2005 5:05:49 PM CDT
ABD3: and from what I have done. Jun 24, 2005 5:05:53 PM CDT
ABD2: oh really Jun 24, 2005 5:05:56 PM CDT
ABD2: that's good Jun 24, 2005 5:06:02 PM CDT
ABD2: what say you ABD1? Jun 24, 2005 5:06:11 PM CDT
ABD3: Yeah. I think they are both picking up that they don't like the section Jun 24, 2005 5:06:12 PM CDT
ABD3: They may offer a fix - but they just want somethign different Jun 24, 2005 5:06:36 PM CDT
ABD2: wow that's very introspective ABD3 Jun 24, 2005 5:06:55 PM CDT
ABD1: it's your document in the end, go with what you think will be the most productive and useful course of action, and be prepared to defend your decision, that's what I'd do Jun 24, 2005 5:07:05 PM CDT
ABD2: that's good too Jun 24, 2005 5:07:25 PM CDT
ABD3: Yeah - it doesn't always work - but it has more often than not. Jun 24, 2005 5:07:28 PM CDT
ABD1: easier said than done.... Jun 24, 2005 5:07:34 PM CDT
ABD2: alright Jun 24, 2005 5:07:37 PM CDT
ABD3: If someone comes back with "fix it this way" Jun 24, 2005 5:07:48 PM CDT
ABD2: good advice Jun 24, 2005 5:07:52 PM CDT
ABD3: I'll usually negotiate something that allows that with the more flexible of the two reviewers Jun 24, 2005 5:08:09 PM CDT
ABD1: At this stage, they have to expect us to stand up to them on some points, don't they? Jun 24, 2005 5:08:24 PM CDT
ABD1: I hope? Jun 24, 2005 5:08:31 PM CDT
ABD2: yes i hope too Jun 24, 2005 5:08:41 PM CDT