One thing that is bothering me about writing my dissertation–especially the proposal–is the lack of voice it has. There are such formal constraints on this document that it’s hard for me to speak through them. As I’ve been revising sections of it, I’m dismayed by the sound of some of it. Some of it sounds so dry. I’ve tried to write that out by being more specific, using shorter words, but then it sounds too informal. Ugh. I’m trying desperately to find my voice in this thing. In chapter 2, which I’ve mostly drafted, I like my voice in there. Of course, that chapter is about what I know best, the technology behind blogs, networks, social aspects of the blogosphere. I think I’m not going to worry about the proposal too much. It’s just something that I need to get through. Though I may use bits of it in the dissertation itself, I won’t be using it as is. I’m going to continue thinking about my voice as I write the dissertation. I really don’t want to lose it.