This is the final post in the series of Lessons I've Learned Writing My PhD Thesis. In my previous posts, you can find: a) Discipline is the only tool you need, b) PhD thesis vs first novel, c) Routines matter, d) Multitasking is the devil.
Writing a PhD thesis is one of the hardest things I have done in my life. It's fair to say I found it even harder than writing my first novel. However, being a writer my whole life helped me push through because even though I may not have written such an extensive piece of research before, I definitely knew I could write something that long. The most difficult thing about writing, however, is not the writing itself but all the editing that comes afterwards. There are countless rounds of revisions and editing before the final polishing and proofreading, and very often, they can be draining.
When the feedback I got was harsh and discouraging, I managed to push through because I knew that the first draft sucks. Hell, the second and third drafts might suck as well. The thing is, I knew what it takes to be able to create a good manuscript and knowing that and having been there before made the idea of pushing through, moving forward and persisting easier. And in some cases, it made it enjoyable. There is nothing more satisfying to me than watching my work come together and turn into something someone might be delighted to read. I still have a long summer ahead of me and a long road to the final manuscript, but I can't wait to see how it turns out.
I can say with confidence that, after all these months of making progress in my thesis, I was the happiest I have ever been in my life. However, I must admit that many things helped me feel content, like my timely scholarship that ended the constant worrying about the money left in my bank account. Careerwise, working on my thesis for months on end was a dream for me.
If you've been following me for some time now, you know I have always dreamed of becoming a full-time writer. I dreamed and dreamed and took baby steps towards this dream. Even now, when I think of myself in the future, I can't picture myself doing anything other than writing books. Weirdly enough, writing my PhD was the closest thing to being a full-time writer I've experienced so far. I was writing my research and not fiction, but I was literally being paid to write full-time.
And maybe this is me romanticizing my life, but in the end, it comes down to this: half a dream is better than no dream.
And now that I know what it feels like to be writing all day every day for months and to see my manuscript develop, I have one more reason to strive to write for a living. I know the chances of becoming a full-time fiction writer are slim, but what's the other option? Not to try?
I hope you enjoyed these last posts, even if they were not like my usual ones. If you haven't subscribed to my world of words yet, please do so here and get notified every time a new post comes out. It's free for you and would mean the world to me. Thank You (:
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