That Dreaded Word: Dissertation.

For those that haven't yet found their way to my 'About Me' page, I currently study 'Creative and Professional Writing' at the University of Nottingham. (Though, admittedly, you may be confused over my posts on my travel blog about being in Australia - I'm currently on exchange... but that's another story). I'm roughly 3/4 way through my second year, and am now starting to turn my attention onto the dreaded third year dissertation. We have to hand in a final project proposal by the 12th May - so it's about time I start narrowing down my ideas!

What is a final project?

Well, look at it this way:

First Year: 120 credits. Worth 0% of final grade.

Second Year: 120 credits. Worth 30% of final grade.

Third Year. 120 credits. Worth 70% of final grade.

My final project is 60 credits of third year. 60. 

This works out to mean that this ONE project is worth 35% of my three-year degree. 

Which brings me to the first step in this momentous project… what on earth should I do?

It’s the idea that I can literally do anything I choose that makes the decision so hard. 

My childish self screams ‘everything!’, whilst my academic self studies ‘what would get the best grade’… all whilst my creative self is arguing for ‘pretty colours and made-up words’.

Which brings me here.

The first logical step was to create a brainstorm (or mind map, if you prefer) to help me narrow down my ideas. This was really useful, as in my ideological dreamer’s world I would see myself creating a writing festival and documenting it for my dissertation – however, in the realistic world, I highly doubt I would be able to do this single-handedly… let alone whilst at the other side of the world.

I felt like I needed to ask myself two questions:

What have I enjoyed throughout the course?

and

What do I want to achieve through this project?

These questions led to a rather compact brainstorm, as you can see below, and helped me to form several ideas that I could continue with.

I’ve also got to keep in mind that this project will last over a year, so it’s got to keep me interested. I’m really trying my hardest to gain a First – so it’s got to be interesting, appealing and preferably unique. 

Additionally, I want to achieve something from it – I want to be able to finish the year and be able to see how this project has/will impact my writing career.

I’d love to write a summary, first three chapters of a novel and a list of agencies I’ve sent the manuscript to… but I’m not sure if that will be good enough to gain a First.

I’d love to write a screenplay, and enter it into competitions – but is it worth anything to my final project if I don’t hear anything back? Would my final project be seen as a wasted year in something that, eventually, failed?

Part of me feels that Australia should play a huge part in the disseration: I'm the first one on my course to make the move. It would definitely be unique and might give my work an edge. But where do I go with that? A 'How To' book for exchange students? Stories inspired by the outback? How the writing industry is different?

One idea, which I really love and ticks all the boxes of things I hope to achieve, is to create a collection of short stories. However, the occupants of children’s hospital wards would create these short stories – and I’d write them down and edit. This would mean that I would have short one-on-one creative plotting with the children/interested adults and this would bring in my experience with working with children. 

The book could have illustrations by those in the hospital who are bed-bound, doodles from nurses, or family members who have time on their hands. 

If I could get an agency/publishing house interested, then the proceeds could help fundraise for the children’s ward/creative program for people in hospital. If not, then I could look at ebooks and self-publishing and the ways in which we could sell the books, such as kindle.

Additionally, I could make the most of living near hospitals in both Nottingham and Newcastle, by running this writing scheme in my local Australian hospital as well as my Nottingham one when I return home. The proceeds could be split between the two hospitals.

Doing that for my dissertation would show creative writing teaching skills, editing, writing, managing a project and looking into publishing. I’d think that something like that would be challenging, entertaining, a valued experience and would hopefully gain a good grade.

Perhaps I’m being too idealistic: I really like that idea, but I’m just not sure how feasible it is.

But, that’s what this process is all about, right? It’s about sifting through all your ideas – from the mundane to the impossible – and finding one that strikes a cord with you.