writing, writing, writing again

I'm working on the first draft of my conceptual framework (aka - literature review) and I experienced the classic sequence of events. I avoid doing the writing for as long as I can, but once I start it's 'sort-of-ok' until, of course, I encounter the first of many stumbling blocks in the writing process. So at the moment, it's sort-of-ok! I know it's not going to be the version that makes it to the final thesis, but it's a start to that process. I spoke to someone who is working on her second thesis draft and her advice was 'don't put too much effort into it because at this stage you don't know where you're taking it and you might end up trashing large sections of work you were sweating over for weeks - the effort can come at a later stage when you are more clear of the direction you plan to take'. Good advice but in order to follow this advice, which is somewhat counter-intuitive to how I tend to work, I've really had to consciously stand back from my need to get everything right the first time. But with my deadline looming I've been forced by necessity to just go with the current version of the conceptual framework. So I'm just tying up loose-ends and making my current argument as articulate as I can. I'll have to wait for feedback and then see where it take me.

One thing that is rather prominent in my writing is it's South African flavour. I'm relying very strongly on SA researchers and scholars. Thinking about this today, as I quoted yet another SA researcher, I wondering if this was partly to make a very important point about the validity, relevance and credibility of SA research. Also I suspect that very few people here might have read the work and maybe this is another way to draw attention to and promote the depth and value of the insights presented in the work. And of course to very clearly signal my identity and allegiance. Selfishly though, I thought - well maybe I can also vicariously gain kudos through the work of my esteemed country men and women.