This weekend I started doing research for a new article-length project. It's an idea that's been buzzing around in my head for a while, but I finally decided to get off my ass and write a conference paper proposal as a preliminary step.
And man, even getting to the place where I could write a persuasive 300-word abstract was hard. The project falls within my general field of study, but the primary text is in a genre I've never worked with and the research I need to do involves several disciplines in which I have no training. The process gave me renewed sympathy for my graduate students--and how hard it is, at the outset, even to find the right resources or know which questions to ask.
But of course, that's what makes it exhilarating, too: all this new knowledge! So much stuff to learn!
4 comments:
Cool! I love the excitement of new projects! (maybe I can procrastinate grading by starting some sort of new project too.) ;)
Delurking to say I am in a similar position. After finally completing the book based on my dissertation, I'm starting on a new project for the first time in years. I was shocked by how hard it was to write a few paragraphs for a grant. But it is also exciting to finally dive into something new. Good luck!
I'm sure you have already considered this, but just in case -- there may be librarians at your institution who would have useful suggestions as far as resources in unfamiliar disciplines go. Good luck and enjoy the new project! :)
I have a number of academic friends who are always like "ugh, conferences," as if they are the worst things ever. I never understood that attitude; I love conferences for several reasons, but one is that they are a great excuse/motivator to do new work. Writing an abstract kind of cold sucks, of course, but the idea of what it could be, where it could go, etc. is still pretty fun. And writing 10 pages feels doable--especially when you're around page 8 and can tell yourself that nobody's ever been disappointed when a conference paper is short! it's the "good god, is this argument stupid, bullshit, or completely made up?" stage that isn't so good...
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