Friday 9 December 2011

Back to the dissertation

With all the excitement of competitions and the fourth edit of the book, I began to forget I'm supposed to hand in a 15-20k creative piece and a 4k rationale for my dissertation. I was going to hand it in at the end of September, but I reluctantly decided to defer for a year while my back got better. I feel confident, now, about the creative piece but the rationale has me stymied. I've only done two rationales before with mixed results (both, at least, passed). I wrestled with writing the two strands and interweaving them to make the book - maybe I could write about that? I don't know... I wish I was more clued up about literature and books and all the theory of writing rather than just the craft of writing. To this end, I've decided to take AA100, the arts foundation course, with the Open University. Maybe it will give me more idea of how to analyse books, even my own writing. So often I do something but couldn't tell you why, exactly, although I do consider the psychology and process of reading.

Meanwhile, the new study has just got a big book case for all my research and textbooks. Thank you, boys!

3 comments:

  1. Like those bookcases, Reb. Oh the glorious rationale! How glad I am to have thee behind me. Anyway, Reb, I feel your pain. 4,000 words (without deviation, repetition or hesitation) to say 'Look, I just wanted to write it, so I did.' :)

    "I wish I was more clued up about literature and books and all the theory of writing..." Me too! Should we have done some of that during the MA do you think? I feel cheated that I never once got the chance to use the word 'hermeneutics'.

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  2. Thank you Boz, that's exactly how I feel about the rationale! Hope you get your dissertation back soon, and the grade you wanted. Do let me know! PS I now have to use the word hermeneutics in the rationale, or if not, in the novel!

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  3. I look up 'hermeneutics' on a regular basis. Because I have never had to use it anywhere, I never remember what it means!!

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