The Dissertation Diary – Untitled With No Title In Sight

It’s been a month and a bit since I’ve posted about the dissertation. Most of that has been spent writing… Well, 50% of it has been spent on the dissertation compared to other uni work… Well, maybe of that 50%, 20% has been actually writing it and the rest has been researching… Well, maybe I mean procrastinating, playing SimCity and stuff.

But I digress.

I have actually completed the first draft, well most of it. I’m just under 7000 words into it (10000 being the target) and I’ve written some absolute crap. But that’s ok, I’m supposed to. At least I have the idea and I’m not even going anywhere near it during the Easter break. In fact my tutor now has it so I can be suitably demolished down to size ready for draft number two. If this has taught me anything, this experience, it’s that I really a shit for procrastinating.

To write, you need a routine. And when I last updated the DD, I had one. Now however that’s gone to shit a bit for various reasons, all of which are so painfully boring that they don’t even interest me. But none the less, gone to the wall they have. Now other written work needs to take a little priority jump ready for when I go back to uni (for the final time *sob*) so I’m a bit worried I will lose my way a bit. Hence why I’m actually still researching. Yes, still! You can never stop really. From my random thoughts, I have a book idea to concentrate on after this project is done and whilst collecting these thoughts, I’m reading and investigating the areas where my story is set. Thankfully, the good thing about having parents that accumulate random 80s-90s books on nature and science is that they have a bloody huge library of things that aren’t useful until they are useful.

Anyway, things to do:

  • Change the names (at the moment the character names aren’t their names. I just used them to get me typing so I didn’t spend ages deliberating their names. I’m pretty crap at names)
  • Find a title. Yup, I don’t even have a title. Which is beginning to worry me. I mean, it’s not the most important thing is it? It can’t be something wanky, but it can’t be overly simple either. Or spoil the story/plot or be laden with cliche. It’s a pickle.
  • Apply for Jobs. Actually this is priority number one before the Easter weekend hits. Guess what I should be doing now? Uh-huh.

And on that note of procrastinating, I need to increase the health coverage of my city, Sloppy Joe’s, in the region of Hairy Shopping… Don’t ask.

Word Count: 6,936

Currently Reading: Toni Morrison – A Mercy

Read: Nick Hornby – About A Boy, Bret Easton Ellis – American Psycho

Advertisement

Asking for the “sexy” vote. Chortle Student Comedy Award

Last week, I competed in the Chortle Student Comedy Award. Thank you to everyone who came, it was great fun. Unfortunately I didn’t win but that’s not where the story ends…
This week, I get the opportunity to progress through to the semi-final with a little help from you. Please visit the link below and vote for me (Sean Cleaver) in the second London Heat. Here’s a little clip so you know what you’re voting for!

Vote for SEAN CLEAVER in the Chortle Student Comedy Award People’s Vote!

 

You’re all sexy. Please spread the word, because you know how this internet begging thing works by now.

 

Sean