This post is really about marking a point in time.  I have completed a First Draft of my Thesis.  I have worked tirelessly to think through structures, chapter ideas and the flow of my work.  I have been writing since early April and have now produced 57,000 words.  It has been difficult to make choices as to what should be included and what ideas, although interesting, do not fit in my chosen narrative.  The planner and perfectionist in me can see many flaws, and I already have a long “To Do List” of things I need to develop or enhance.  I tend towards pessimism and so am thinking about what hasn’t been done rather than about the achievement of getting the words down – even though they may not be the right ones or in the right order!

However, what I can appreciate is that I can now put the draft to one side until my meeting with my supervisors on 13 September, take a break and then throw myself into my practice.  I have planned to do around nine months of intensive work in my final year, alongside improving my thesis towards a Second Draft to be submitted in January 2023 and a Final Draft in May 2023.