Layering your writing means that you may first write a section, and then, over time, you will layer on more meaning, more description and, ultimately, will refine your initial paragraphs. This is totally expectable and will help you create a polished final piece. The problem arises, though, when you expect yourself to write all the layers in the first pass- so you get derailed by perfectionism or procrastination. Or, worse, yet, get stuck in a cycle of moving between them. Your best tactic- always- is to try and draft as much of the dissertation as you can, as quickly as you can. Then, after the initial sections have been written, go back through them and add a layer of sophistication- move through the whole paper- and then return to add a 2nd layer. Most dissertations won’t require more than 2 layers. If you let go of the need to make it fully complete in the first writing phase, your dissertation drafting will proceed more smoothly and with less binge writing and binge avoidance.
