Hi to anybody willing to listen,
I am coming to the end of my 4th year of my PhD and there is not end in sight. I have taken so many wrong turns and though I have my PhD quite well mapped out, I am really struggling to write it up. I am currently writing my theory chapter for the 3rd time. Since I have changed direction I am pretty much starting this chapter from scratch. I am, however having chronic writers block and having already taken 2 weeks off, it is not lifting. I am considering for the first time in 4 years of quitting. But if I leave I have few options and nothing to show for my 4 years. I am in my 30s and married. My wife has a crap job, and I have little experience outside academia. Does anybody have any advice?

Stick with it! You're closer to the end than you are the start.

With regards to the writing, have you been splitting things into smaller sections? I find it's much easier to write a small section of a chapter and then move onto the next than attempt the entire chapter in one go. It also means at the end of the day you can say to yourself. "I've finished sections 1.1 - 1.5 today!"

Hi strugglingstu. Firstly, are you doing this part time or full time? HAve you done enough work already that would be worthy enough of a PhD without struggling through this part? What has your supervisor said about your work, are they supportive?

Hi strugglingstu, about your writer's block. Don't take time off because of it. Just sit down for even 15 minutes a day and write, whatever, it doesn't matter if you will have to come back to it because it's no good. Sit for 15 minutes the first day, write, then leave it. If you feel like it later that day go back to it, but don't spend more than 30 minutes on what you previously wrote. The second day sit down for 20 minutes first, third day for 25 etc. etc. It's much better to write something, rather than just taking 2 weeks off, cos then you will feel like that you haven't done anything for 2 weeks and will make you much more nervous.

Hi Struggler

Keep going, it's true you're closer to the end than the beginning. Honestly, writing up is the worst part of the PhD (few people tell you that) - it's like the last 10% of your time equates to 50% of the work and 90% of your perseverance. The writer below is correct too - best way to overcome writers block is to just write anything (the ideas will come out by themselves). Set yourself timed writing activities - and don't stop writing and try not to overthink the writing during that time. I used the alarm on my mobile phone for the timed activities and 9/10 this got me going again. Also - try, if you can, to write forward... towards a full draft and only then come back to rewriting chapters (believe me, my work changed direction majorly twice and I understand how that feels)... in the end I just had to tell myself - don't get it 'right', get it done... having just completed the first draft - the result of 2-3 months of 'getting it done' (at the start of which I already had 5 chapters and 2 'unworked' ones and 2 unwritten ones... and having had good feedback from my reader and a viva date set - it can be done. I too felt like giving up several times over the last 6 months (in year 5 of a P-T PhD) but, like you, that feeling was balanced out by the amount of time I'd already spent on the darned thing - and I wasn't prepared to lose that effort. So glad I persevered now. My PhD was also social science. Here's a couple of poems for you:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=1826918

http://www.appleseeds.org/guest_couldntbedone.htm

Hi, I am applying for a phd in social sciences at roehampton in September, I mean right now, I am desparate to get accepted. But I think you should stick with your thought that speaks, " I have a few options and nothing to show for my 4 years". It is true, I think you should try and somehow find the strenght and/or support from your supervisors, head of department to finish it off. I know the job market is competetive after PhD as well, BUT you most probably will be able to find a guaranteed better job than your wife??? I mean most of your experience is in academia.

But I can't be sure and say I am right, it is jsut what my immediate instict was shouting while I was reading the end of your post :-)

jatinder