Editing my thesis is hell. Every time I pick it up to do some more work there is a physical feeling of lethargy which needs to be overcome. Thankfully a quote of Albert Camus keeps me on track. He wrote this in his personal notebook on September 30, 1937
It is in order to shine sooner that authors refuse to rewrite. Despicable. Begin again.
Albert Camus (1947) photo: Henri Cartier-Bresson
This was not written for others but I see it as a message to himself- a reminder that the work must be done. So ok – I am not Camus but I realise that when such a great writer needed to remind himself of the work that needed to be done…I feel comforted and begin again.
The thesis is now 101 815 words long. This is spread over 270 pages. An updated draft can be found online here.