Of course we all know that it's best to be writing from the start. And, when you think about it, you have been doing so. You may have written a proposal, thesis outline, research design, records of what you've done, published articles, conference papers, seminars, progress reports and the like. But now is the time when writing becomes the dominant task. At this stage, as you are doubtless aware, you need to develop a picture of the thesis as a whole, to have a clear idea of the argument or unifying theme and how to structure it, as well as to understand the relevance and role of each part. This is often easier said than done. You could be avoiding writing altogether. You could find yourself having written five introductions to a chapter or to the thesis. You could constantly be changing the structure of the thesis or of a particular chapter. You could be finding it difficult to incorporate your published papers into the thesis. You could even be becoming obsessed with details such as what tense of the verb to use. Or you may be unhappy with the amount or quality of the feedback on your written work.

	Deciding on your structure.
	Seeing the plot emerge.
	Developing a picture of the thesis as a whole.
	Preparing an outline.
	Making sense of the literature.
	Making sense of the literature - final pass.
	Achieving unity in your thesis.
	Seeking, receiving and handling feedback.
	Strategies for getting the best feedback possible.
	Overcoming reluctance to seek feedback.
	Writing the literature review.
	Working on a section.
	Coping with your highs and lows.
	Dealing with isolation.
	Publishing papers.
	Attending to details.
	Writing an abstract.
	Revising and editing.
	Revision.
	Editing.
	Looking for the fit between your aims and your research design.
	Dealing with data.
	Referencing.