A Working Thesis

WORKING? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Okay, I need to write a paper. That means that I need to know exactly what I’m going to write about, right? Not necessarily. Sometimes it is even better to not worry about this since worrying will often lead to writer’s block. So relax! If you have a rough idea, that’s great. It can be rough, it can be messy, it can even be ugly and nonsensical (well, okay, maybe not nonsensical). The important thing is that you shouldn't be married to any one idea. This is why it is a “working” thesis. It will and should change as you write, but sometimes it is helpful to just have a place holder to trick yourself into thinking you have an introduction, so you can charge ahead and actually get those 5 pages written. It is far less painful to write a messy draft and go back and edit than it is to carefully produce 5 “perfect” pages in one draft.

A working thesis is like a road map, but remember that on a road trip sometime you find the coolest stuff when you take detours, but it is also good to have a map handy in case you get lost. Think of it this way, even if you have 5 crappy pages, hey, they are still 5 pages, which will always be less intimidating than staring at that blank computer screen. Just remember that these pages will need to be revised.