"How's Your Dissertation Coming?"

You. Alone with a pile of books. Rather than face the need to rewrite your literature review, you will do anything. Even wash, dry, fold and put away that moldering hamperful of laundry.

Events derail you from your intent to get your proposal written and get on with your research. Death in the family. Injury and illness. Extensive work travel. That nagging desire to have a life.

What gets that derailed train back on track? People. The kind who ask with a tough little lvoices, "So, how's the dissertation coming?" You need those relationships. You can't do this alone. Even if you are the product of mainstream, go-it-alone US culture. Sure. you are the one who has to sit down and write. Do the research and write. Analyze the data and write. Update the literature review and write. But all those people care. They want you to finish. Your professors want you to finish. You want you to finish. With all that support and energy pushing you forward, you will finish that dissertation!