By Dr. Noelle Sterne

Q: Why is writing—or even beginning—my dissertation so danged hard?

     — Chewing My Pencil

A: It’s undeniable: writing your dissertation is hard. All that time you devote to research is a worthy endeavor but, no matter how many brilliant analyses you’ve collected, at some point you know you’ve got to get to it. In my longtime dissertation coaching and editing practice, I’ve witnessed, cautioned, and counseled many dissertation writers on the difficulties of the actual writing. A new doctoral candidate who came from the corporate world confided, “I struggle daily with understanding the shift from business writing to writing as a researcher according to certain expectations and standards.”