Where #DevilDiss chapter on Shakespeare came from. Or how I inadvertently ended up with a canon chapter.

A friend today posted that she was going to start posting more about "process" of work, inspired by me. Aw shucks!

I've heard a lot about the "canon" chapter in dissertations. I did not start out having one. Rather, my chapter that addresses Shakespeare is an insert chapter- a chapter I only realized I needed after I'd gathered all my other close readings this summer.

It was only after completing all that work that I realized I had to address the fact that there are no devils in Shakespeare. So, my insert chapter which I've been calling 2B, but at some point need to call CH 3.

The picture above shows where the chapter started, as most things do with me, with doodlings in my writer's notebook.

It then got expanded into this, my presentation for ACMRS in February. This may get altered a bit as I've asked one of my committee members for notes if she has time between now and then.

I was taught, by the best mentor in the world, Will Banks, that if you start with your conference presentation, then YOUR argument is always at the forefront. A great "best practice" that I've always stuck to.

After the conference, once I've received feedback, I will then expand it into the dissertation chapter. Expanding the scholarship/literature review and situating my argument more.

So that's the most recent project, and keeping with the great advice by Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega to focus on projects that advance my career. In this case, focusing on projects that are #DevilDiss all the time the next year. This allows me to get my argument out there at a conference, and then use this same work for the dissertation.