This short book is based on the awareness that no PhD candidate has the time or inclination to read through a much larger work. It is designed to be easy to locate topics, and is the result of years of coaching PhD candidates in the social sciences, especially Politics and International Relations. The brief, direct chapters can be read individually as needed or the book can be read whole if time allows. Overall, this book is realistic in that it acknowledges there are good days and bad days, so in addition to the nuts-and-bolts of writing, it also covers what to do on days you don't want to write, on what you might do after a successful defence, and even how you might manage to move forward after having failed your defence. It is intended to be used in conjunction with instructions from your department, and is not at all meant to challenge sound advice. Most importantly, it aims to support you from start to finish.