musings

I've been doing a lot of musing lately.  And lots of reading.  Reading and musing (especially musing about the reading), are essential to the PhD writing process in the Social Sciences, along with copious amounts of writing. It is this writing I am having trouble with.  

Now don't get me wrong.  If you ask me to produce a long and densely worded academic essay I have no problem.  I've even got the referencing down pat.  It's a different sort of writing I need to do.  The kind of writing that is about putting those musings onto paper (ok, screen) as a means of clarifying ideas, and of expressing and sharing those ideas before they become locked into academese.  Most academics in my field keep journals to record their thinking and to develop their writing. I've tried.  I have a journal I kept last year that has a grand total of 44 entries (including notes from a 2-month field trip).  I know I need to develop this practise, and I have so many 'musings' that should be being recorded, but I just haven't been doing it.

Which is where this blog comes in.  It is not a research log, or journal for that matter, but a prompt.  I don't plan to write long boring posts on my research or minute day-by-day accounts of my progress, but I hope the regular discipline (peer pressure?) of having a blog with a 'publish this' button will be a motivator for me to sit down and type.  

I don't plan to write a dry old academic blog. My strong social justice streak, fascination with world events, interest in (and plans for) travel and possibly odd sense of humour should all make regular contributions to this blog.  As will the most important part of my life- my family, husband 'El Maciso' and 3-year old daughter 'Chichi'.

So welcome along for the ride.  There should be plenty to muse about.