I've been thinking of a paper for some time now. last summer, I agreed to present the larger project in a seminar-style meeting. Well that meeting day 10 days from now. The project deals with a large research project. I had a single question that took time to find a partial answer. What I found were far more questions <smile>. The seminar paper should tell people how I started, where I am right now, and where I hope to go next. I know I can do this, but it feels a bit different to present something in progress rather than something completed. Part of it is together, but to really uncover a fuller understanding of why several new questions must be investigated. I shouldn't be surprised since science develops in this way -- we never find the full answer, but we find far better focused questions. And it takes years. I've been at this one since 2012 -- in earnest, at least. Don't get me wrong here. I find the process fascinating and can get very excited to talk about it. I'm at the point now where I must delve into readings from other scholars and individuals involved in the birth of this idea. Many areas need to be considered to develop a clearer picture. So -- I will work on the concepts of past, present and future work for the presentation, which should open discussions of the many topics yet to be tied together neatly.
I am not sure why I felt surprised when I began working on the presentation. There is a lot left to do and a lot completed. I suppose things felt a bit overwhelming, particularly with the deadline date looming large. I found it intriguing that a sense of frustration entered the equation this weekend. I'm sure others recognize my writing process as one where I ponder for a long time and then finally something comes tumbling out of my brain through my fingertips. Actually, frustration is the sign that I need to sequester myself and just write.I think that will happen in the next couple of days. I just have to start in order to determine how to tell the story. What are key elements and what could be left as embellishments in a discussion period? I love every little fact and discovery, yet I can't possibly convey years of thought in 30 minutes, right? <grin> Even when I understand my own process, I can miss the signs. The frustration sometimes leads me to just put the files away, when it should signal me to sit down and put all the parts together.
A song from several decades ago brought a smile today. The lyrics metaphorically explain the writing process in front of me. Vocals from a Vegas regular smoothly present the plan. Enjoy!
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