michael_nielsen

Doing everything solitary? Would be v difficult. Very easy to end up going in circles with oneself. Writing together (actually together in person not trading track changes) really helps me make progress

For me the “writing” is not the difficult part it’s figuring out what I want to say. Once I know that the writing-it-out is way easier. Still needs several rounds of editing to polish the text but that’s much easier at least for me.

Right, but that's exactly what's killing me! I know it's normal, but still. Say I'm asking A. By the end of draft. I realize that I didn't answer A, but answered some B. I go back and change A to B. Now C is missing in the middle. Etc. It takes forever, and feels.. wrong?

I know the phenomenon well! For me I had to change my mindset from: "if I read the right papers and think the right thoughts and plan the right plans, then I should be able to write the right paper, blammo, quick, there it is" .... to: 1/

"it's a process, I will need to fully write approach A to find out that approach B is better, then write that out, and oh I do need a bit of A after all but now C is needed too but can't integrate. Hmm start again let's try D & this is good, not bad, this is how to make progress"

Thanks! But do you set any limits for yourself? Or are you open to shuffling these ABC cubes around for as long as needed? I feel that this iterative process is great, but it's also a perfectionist's trap. I almost wish I had an excuse of a deadline. Not perfect? Too bad. Done!

Yes absolutely, perfection is the enemy of progress. At some point one has to commit to an approach, execute it as best as one can, and deliver in a timely fashion. Typically in a paper or a grant once we decide what it is we want to say, there are ~ 5-6 rounds of editing .../

and each round can be done if we are devoting continuous time to it, in a regular workday