Acceptance to grad school should come with a copy of this book.

Single boils down the massive undertaking of the dissertation into a simple process that applies to both the humanities and social sciences. Pre-write effectively by taking interactive and citable notes, along with a strong skeleton of an outline. Stay on task by writing a little every day, and staying engaged with the problem so you don't need to cognitive warm back up. Stay enthusiastic by tracking progress, figuring out how research matters early on, and encouraging success. There's also good advice on picking committee members who'll help you succeed, and running writing groups of related students. Some of the thoughts on how to edit documents are a little old-fashioned, but not the idea that you have to find something that works for you.

One foot in front of the other, a few hundred words a day, and even the tallest mountain can be climbed.