Dissertation Proposal, Part 1

So, I am here in my office writing my dissertation proposal. (My computer is broken or I would never be here in Curtin Hall on a Saturday). This is draft number two. My first draft was just a description of the chapters. I wanted to start there because I thought that would be the hardest part. I am not sure if I was correct about that, but we will see.

Right now the problem I am having is with my level of specificity. These proposals, I am told, are to have "less detail, more overview." I should "step back in order to describe." Also, I do not need to "produce readings." (These quotes are all from Jane or at least my notes of what Jane has said). Of course, producing readings is what I am good at, and I seem to have a problem generalizing. How much detail is too much? And what level of generality is too general? What, I wonder, do my readers need to know in this context.

The hard thing is that I don't seem to know this. I will just have to play around until Jane says, "okay, this works." Though I would prefer, "Kate, this is so awesome I fell off my chair." (Without injury, of course).

The thing is, what Jane wants, and I know this from prior experience, is something clear that is also interesting and well-written. She likes it when I am bad, when I break rules, go outside what would seem to be acceptable. So, the difficult thing here is to make the writing of this annoying little piece of text elegant. How, I ask, though, can a dissertation proposal be elegantly written?