Writing Workshop with Mary Davies-Turner

Writing a Dissertation ......... How to Begin.....

The Concept is the idea and the Context gives meaning to a concept in its Historical, Social, Cultural and Political sense. This is how our session began. Mary spoke about introducing the concept, and to then begin to develop the ideas. She discussed finding first the "Big Words" that relate to the concept, and to break them down so that you gain a better understanding of the theory. It is then much easier to define and understand how that theory relates to your own practice, and to gaining a clear insight into how that concept informs your practice and your writing

To begin a Dissertation it is a good idea to first think about your conclusion. What is it you want to find out? With a clear vision of your intent, it is much easier to then discuss is your dissertation how you want to structure your essay, and have a better understanding of how to develop that essay.

When thinking about Chapters, it is  a good idea to first think about what you want to convey within the chapter and how it will lead on the next chapter. Think "where am I going with this?"

If you find yourself getting lost when writing paragraphs within the chapters, thinking about your conclusion will return you to your focus.

At the end of the session, Mary invited us to write for ten minutes using "Free Writing Techniques" This proved to be an excellent system to free your mind. Writing with no thought of structure or ideas. I have used Automatic Writing in my work since I researched the Surrealists, Free Writing is the same.

Here is the content of my Free Writing exercise..... thinking about the theme of my dissertation Women Landscape Photographers .......

Why do men and women photograph the landscape in different styles? Male images are more technically defined, sharper and with more detail. Women are more inclined to make pictures that are more emotioal and eminate from a deeper place within. Sho how can i undertand this? What do I nned to research? Do i compare and conrast or do I concentrte m writing on how women see the world aroun them? What is important to them and to me? 
As a woman landscape photographer what is it about the land that draws me to it? is it the beatury, is the connection with a higher energy, is it the feeling of immense freedom tht accompanies and attaches tself to me when my feet are grounded on he earth? I love hw the sand is soft and gets into my toes, I love the firmness of the land beneath my feet, it helps me feel secure. The sky and land both change constantly and this resonates with me as I feel that I am also changing all the time.  
I feel a belonging to the land, the past is ever present and right there with me, as is the present and the future.
It is hard to explain how freedom takes its form wthn me and outside f me. The infinity of the horizon, the vast space theat encmpses me as a small person, a few atoms held together froming me and I am standing in the vast open spacd that is the earth in a universe in a galaxy. The huge dimensions are impossible to imagine but somehow when I walk on the land, I do feel this infinite space as being part of me and I of it.
My freedom is my imaginiation. I can imagine and visualise anything in this huge space arond me. The land looks alien when I study it, when I really look a dn see nothing . From nothing comes somethng. Par of the freedom is that I can look out at the horizon and know that I am of the world but here I dont haev to be part of anything except to know that I am a human being listening to the sounds of the earth and being .... just being.