This week, I made some progress by continuing to write and piece together different sections of the story. One thing that’s been on my mind is where to incorporate my sister’s experience of the accident into the story. I was thinking of maybe making it a possible introduction to the memoir? I’m hopeful that it’ll fit in seamlessly, but I trust that it will come together in time. I also had the idea of including a letter to my sister at the end of the memoir. I haven’t written it yet, but it seems like an interesting way to conclude. I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this!
After last week’s class discussion on thesis organization, I realized I could refine my process a bit more. I had everything saved in a Google Doc within a single folder, but I decided to take it further. I spent some time reorganizing and creating sub-folders within the main folder that houses my entire thesis project. Now, each section has its own dedicated space, from notes, research, the thesis itself, chapter titles, pictures, etc…making it easier to manage and track my progress. It’s a simple adjustment, but it’s already made my workflow much more efficient.
I also use my phone for reminders, setting alerts for tasks like writing/editing, research, or revisiting a section. Having these reminders pop up keeps me accountable and ensures I don’t overlook anything important. Between my digital organization and the phone reminders, I’ve found a system that really helps me stay on top of things and make steady progress.
For my literature review, I’ve found two more research articles through Kean’s database that I think will be helpful for my thesis. I’m excited about our next class and upcoming research presentation at the Library next week. It’ll be a great, much-needed, refresher for me on how to navigate resources more efficiently and find what I need faster.
In addition to the articles I’m gathering for my literature review, which focus on the trauma aspect of a cervical injury, I also want to explore themes of healing and self-discovery. I’ve done some research through the database, but I haven’t come across anything particularly useful for that part of my thesis. So, I started looking into books on trauma and self-healing, and I found Transforming Trauma by Dr. James Gordon. In his decades of firsthand experience, Gordon emphasizes that trauma is something we’ll all encounter at some point, but he also believes we all have the capacity to heal ourselves. He talks about how, despite the devastation trauma can cause, it can also open us up to deeper understanding, greater purpose, and even more love. I think this perspective will be really valuable for the healing component of my thesis.
