Kate Stuart

Spooky events for this Halloween: I am absolutely officially a Dr!

(I mean, I was kind of almost officially a Dr after my viva months ago, but now corrections are in, the thing has been submitted to the online repository, and the award is now finalised today. Next stop: graduation and my funny hat!)

Adventures in self-publishing! Apparently I've managed to write a whole host of children's books without knowing it (or being paid for it). Now to try and figure out how to make
Amazon fix the issue... I don't have the kind of platform Jane Friedman does!
https://theguardian.com/books/2023/aug/09/amazon-removes-books-generated-by-ai-for-sale-under-authors-name

TL;DR: If anyone is following me on Amazon, my next planned release is Shifting Sands Book Two. While I do plan on creating children's fiction at some point, the books that have suddenly appeared on my profile are not mine. I cannot recommend buying them, nor take any credit for their creation.

So this is the GIF that comes up when I type in 'Dr Stuart' (everywhere but Facebook... Facebook gives me a footballer?). I can work with this!
Yesterday was my viva. From the little I can remember of it, it was a lovely experience and I really enjoyed chatting to my examiners and chair. I still haven't fully processed things yet — the big scary thing is done, but what do I do now? — but is it weird that I'm excited to work on my corrections?
TL;DR: Passed my viva yesterday. Bar some minor corrections to do before I can change official documents, I am Dr Kate Stuart!

Mock viva done! It'll be interesting to see how different it is from the real thing — chatting about my research with my supervisor, who I know and can joke around with, is likely to be a different experience than talking about my research with an expert in my field, a lecturer I've never met, and someone I consider my friend but who is acting as my internal examiner — but I feel like it went well. Turns out I do know what I'm talking about, even after not looking at my dissertation for three months!

For those unfamiliar with the PhD process in the UK, submitting the written dissertation is essentially only one part of getting your qualification. You also have to do a viva, or verbal defence. In my case, I'll be travelling down to Bangor next week to undertake this defence, discussing my research with an external examiner (expert in my field), an internal examiner (another academic, but not necessarily an expert in my field), and chair (overseeing proceedings). Basically, it's a chance for the examiners to confirm a) that this is my work, b) that it is an original contribution to knowledge, and c) to let me explain things further if needed. After they've asked me whatever questions they want to and we've discussed things, I'll leave the room and the examiners will decide on the outcome. Then they invite me back to let me know where I've landed:
Pass, no corrections,
Pass, minor corrections (some small things to fix, likely doable within three months),
and Pass, major corrections (some more to fic, likely doable within six months).
There are failing options, like resubmit, downgrade, or fail, but I'm hoping these aren't things I need to consider!

Hopefully the chat next week will be as nice as the one today and then I can finally be Dr Kate!

It's my mock viva tomorrow, where I'll get to do a bit of a practice run defending my dissertation ahead of the real thing next week. Given that I've spent the last week busy with birthdays, besties, and their pets, I guess it's how time to switch the PhD brain back on and remember what I wrote! I'm liking my little outdoor workstation though - getting to take advantage of the nice weather and hard work we put into the garden.

Found the most satisfying job application today that lays out the experience you input into a colour-coded timeline. Very pretty! Also, apparently I was running up to four different part-time jobs alongside my PhD at points (five in my masters). Not sure how that happened 😂

No wonder I'm a bit lost with what to do with myself while I wait for my viva!

It's always satisfying when you write out a presentation and find it is timed perfectly without editing. Does anyone else have similar things that they get weirdly smug about?

Things I did today: showered, had a meeting with my supervisors, collected a prescription, grabbed a celebratory ice cream from the shop, and, most importantly submitted my thesis. Now to find things to fill my time with while the beast is with my lovely examiners...

Has anyone else found that Word sometimes duplicates paragraphs mid-way through on long documents, or is this just a torturous trick the universe is playing on me to make sure I'm paying attention while doing final edits on my PhD? Overlong paragraphs are suspicious!

Time is super fast when you're trapped in a cycle of citations and editing! All of a sudden, it's almost time for a new wave of Shifting Sands. Around midnight tonight, we'll move from Nayoub, Aamarin, and Keiziro's perspectives to Kishon, Nahlena, and Keiziro (again). So, if you haven't read the current wave yet, here's your opportunity: https://katestuartauthor.com/shifting-sands-2/

And, as always, if you'd like to stay up-to-date with Shifting Sands and author/researcher me, or if you'd like to access Shifting Sands in your preferred file format, sign up for the newsletter. I ramble about research and writing and things that I enjoy. What's not to love?

Shifting Sands - Kate Stuart Here you will find the evolving and ever-changing Shifting Sands. The caption will open the book for you to read and a PDF version...

Monday day! Decided to reflect a bit on the ideas that came before Shifting Sands. What other stories could I write for an unstable e-book?

Un-Shifting Sands - Alternate Ideas for an Unstable E-book - Kate Stuart The end is near. I’m adding the finishing steps to my thesis. Soon it will be sent off and largely out of my hands...

Playing DnD online with friends and they questioned the sound of my laptop. I checked how many tabs I have open. Do you think 7 windows and 77 tabs might be a bit much? 😂
If anyone wondered what the end point of a PhD looks like, apparently its like this.

In editing, do you find you lose words or add them? I'm trying so hard to cut down my word count here — even culling whole paragraphs! — and yet there is still a slow, creeping rise in the numbers at the corner of my screen...

I have apparently discovered some kind of invisible black hole. Two weeks ago, I somehow lost my notebook without ever moving from my couch. No one else comes in here. Tidying and searching under/in the couch has not revealed it. It's gone. Why do the aliens want my notebook?! I need it back!

The thing about being on the final sprint of PhD is that I'm fine most of the time, running along, and then something jumps up screaming "THIS IS THE END! COMMIT TO YOUR CHOICES!" and it all becomes very real. Maybe this will help with my habitual inability to make decisions?

Another chapter overhaul done! Now to spend the weekend finishing up an abstract for a conference CFP, go through a job application, and re-read the next chapter to see what needs fixed. I can do this!

Happy New Year! The end is in sight for my PhD and that means I'm looking forward to more creative writing opportunities. In the meantime though, let's set some goals! What are you hoping to achieve this year?

Goal Setting 2023: Reviewing 2022 and Planning for 2023 - Kate Stuart Looking back over the goals set in 2022 and planning for Goal Setting 2023. It's not been the easiest year, but I'm looking forward to the future!

New wave of Shifting Sands here!

Shifting Sands - Kate Stuart Here you will find the evolving and ever-changing Shifting Sands. The caption will open the book for you to read and a PDF version...

One week until the next wave of Shifting Sands! So, here's a blog post rambling about the ways we stage our selves to manage impressions and an example of this colliding with my internal view of 'me'. Does this happen to anyone else?
https://katestuartauthor.com/staging-the-self-reflecting-on-the-things-which-represent-us/

TL;DR version: for some reason this photo of me on a camel in Morocco felt like the most authentic 'me' of all my photos. Switching from it to match the more professional vibe of other people on the same 'stage' felt weird and I had to think about why. What photo represents you?

Felt inspired to have a Monday day! I've been thinking a lot about the Death of the Author theory recently and the way it is being used in online discussions. Are we using DotA to unintentionally give authors a free pass on their behaviour?
https://katestuartauthor.com/death-of-the-author-has-its-use-changed/

A glimpse into the life of a PhD trying to finish:
I'm redrafting my dissertation chapters and apparently in doing so I'm really starting to lean into the autoethnographic vibes. I don't know how I feel about this... Hopefully my examiners will enjoy this wander to the north of Scotland at the beginning of my methodology chapter?

My mouth hurts from talking too much and smiling, but I think my guest lecture went well! Sharing research and hearing what other researchers are doing makes me so happy. A nice motivation boost as I continue to drown in the depths of innovation literature.

I managed 1500 words today! Given that this was my weekly output a couple of weeks ago, I'm feeling pretty proud of myself. Here's hoping the last two sections of my lit review will go faster 😭

I'm finally making progress in my PhD again! This does mean I'm heading into a section about Death of the Author... But after that I'll get to write about authors and technology. Maybe I'll finally finish rewriting this chapter?

Long time, no post! I'm back again with a Monday blog day, giving updates an life, research, and everything. How is it September already?

Updates September 2022: Life, Research, and Everything - Kate Stuart It's been a while since my last post, so here are some updates on research, authorship, and life in general. Also, featuring a very cute koala picture.

Why does questioning why an author is different from a writer feel vaguely like I'm Lewis Carroll talking about ravens and writing desks?

Falling down a research rabbit hole, as always. What is the difference between an author and a storyteller? I'd love to hear opinions!
This research is helping me set up the introduction to the critical portion of my PhD but, as I look more into it, I'm wondering if there might be a future research project here somewhere. It's also making me consider how I define myself as a creator...

Whoever thought up the idea of using a QR code to share bibliographies for conference presentations is a genius. I'm feeling very proud of myself for adding one to the presentation I'm giving soon. Anyone else had a good win today?

The next wave of Shifting Sands is here!
https://katestuartauthor.com/shifting-sands-2/

Monday day! I currently have a strange obsession with classroom set-up videos and it's got me thinking about front and backstage performances online. https://katestuartauthor.com/classroom-set-ups-offering-backstage-glimpses-through-online-performance/
(Also, if anyone has more video recommendations, yes please! Fuel the obsession!)

Classroom Set-ups: Offering 'Backstage' Glimpses Through Online Performance - Kate Stuart Watching teachers set-up classrooms on Youtube gives us a 'backstage' glimpse of their teaching lives, but it's also an online performance at the same time.

It's been a long time since I had to submit any kind of assignment. I forgot how stressful it can be. Especially when you realise you forgot to get someone's signature only 3 hours before the deadline!
How's everyone else's day going?

Monday blog day! Researching identity means I've thought a lot about how I present myself and demonstrating my love of books has been important for a long time. But what are we doing when we perform 'bookishness'?
https://katestuartauthor.com/bookish-performances-and-hierarchies/
(Pictures of cute book things welcome!)

Bookish Performances and Hierarchies - Kate Stuart Books are a great, subtle way to signal identity and build connections but they also provide cultural capital. Bookish identities are powerful .

I'm used to characters talking through me and finding that a planned scene went somewhere completely different. Which character is currently in control of my final dissertation discussion chapter?! Some great thoughts spilling out but holy heck this thing is gonna be chunky!

So apparently I accidently abandoned my while writing my latest PhD chapter. Oops! But I'm back wondering about author decisions and whether I should have written another Cinderella adaptation today. Might have to note down my ideas for it anyway 😂
https://katestuartauthor.com/author-decisions-adaptation/

My latest PhD chapter is officially longer than an undergraduate dissertation. I'm still not done. I hadn't intended for it to be this big but apparently there's a lot to say!

Monday day! The problem with researching identity is that you spend lots of time obsessing over who you are and who other people think you are. What's the weirdest thing you've found out someone thought about you?
https://katestuartauthor.com/me-myself-and-the-social-media-archive/

Me, Myself, and the Social Media Archive - Kate Stuart Our lives online mashes together who we were with who we are. Can this social media archive ever truly feel representative of who you are?

Setting goals in my latest to try and help my productivity. Was this just an excuse for me to procrastinate while making my bullet journal and Notion page look pretty? I guess we can judge it by the work I do tomorrow 🙈
https://katestuartauthor.com/goal-setting-reflecting-on-2021-and-planning-for-2022/

Goal Setting: Reflecting on 2021 and Planning for 2022 - Kate Stuart 2021 was not the year I planned, but reflecting on it helps me with the goal setting I need to do for 2022. Happy New Year!

The newest wave of Shifting Sands is here! I'm going to have to get used to the cover change again. https://katestuartauthor.com/shifting-sands-2/

Shifting Sands - Kate Stuart Here you will find the evolving and ever-changing Shifting Sands. The caption will open the book for you to read and a PDF version...

The next wave of Shifting Sands comes out tomorrow! While you're waiting, it feels like a good opportunity to reflect on some of the lessons I've learned as an author/researcher/living life this year. Blog time! https://bit.ly/3IUMOap

Lessons from 2021: Authorship, PhD Research, and Everything in Between - Kate Stuart Since it's almost a year since I self-published Shifting Sands, I figure it's time to reflect on some of the lessons I've learned in 2021.

If anyone wants to know what doing a PhD is like, this tweet sums it up perfectly! I've spent much of the past few months in the horrible stormy mood (because trying to juggle health, work and PhD sucks) but today I enjoyed the feeling of being blinded by my brilliance. Can I keep this up until Friday? Please!?
How is everyone else doing? Should I shift careers into something with less emotional flip-flopping?
https://twitter.com/kuangrf/status/1468587623799267336?s=20

Rebecca F. Kuang on Twitter “so far i would say the phd experience has been a lot like my writing career i am either weeping stormily on the floor or banging out words marveling at my own brilliance there is no in between”