dissertation leftovers

Perhaps the most important long-term lesson I learned from writing the dissertation is that, to get any writing of any significance done, I have to write every day. This semester, I've been reading every day, and while that's good, I've constantly felt a vague free-floating anxiety about not writing.

During the last few months of the dissertation marathon, Paul-o and I went to Borders every single day from 9-12 and wrote. We gave each other shit if the other was late. We were accountable for being there, if only because Paul didn't want to hear me reprimand him and vice versa. It worked. We both finished. Okay, so we finished with not a minute to spare, but we both finished.

So. The minute I get back from Massachusetts, I'm starting up my new routine. Every day, 9-12, Latte Time. No excuses. Julie will probably join me some days, but I probably won't have the buddy system working for me as well this time. No matter. Write or die.

The problem with summer: it always seems longer than it is. A vast wasteland of free time. Goal: first day of fall semester, I want to be able to say that I got a lot of writing done. And mean it.