My Writing Process

To write or not to write; to plan or not to plan? These are the questions that run through my head as I sit down to write anything, whether it's a blog post such as this, an essay, or even a research paper. In this post, I will address the way my writing process helps me put together a piece of writing, and the pros and cons of writing in such a way.

Enokson. "The Writing Process." 9/7/11 via flickr. Attribution License.

1. What type(s) of writer do you consider yourself to be?

Of the four types of writers discussed in section 3.2 of Student's Guide, I feel that I fall most into the category of the "sequential composer." Unlike heavy planners, I cannot plan ahead to the extent that revision is hardly necessary. However, unlike heavy revisers, I also cannot jump headfirst into a piece of writing without any plan at all. 

Much like the sequential composers, I often spend similar amounts of time planning, writing, and revising. Additionally, while I am writing, I find myself referring back to the previous paragraphs I've written and revising as I go. This allows me to divide up my time between each of the phases of writing roughly evenly.

2. Does your writing process include several of the above approaches? If so, which ones?

It is admittedly extremely difficult to confine myself to only one approach to writing. Sometimes I do resemble a heavy planner, going to extreme lengths to plan out every aspect of my paper. Other times, I feel that planning is going to get me nowhere, and I just have to start writing to see where it takes me. It really depends on the type of paper I am writing, and the mindset I have at that particular point in time.

I do feel that I most often use the sequential composer's strategy, in which I spend relatively equal amounts of time on each step of the writing process. I require some sort of plan or roadmap for my writing, but I also need to begin writing before those plans become too confusing to implement. Most often, I revise as I write, going back through previously written paragraphs to revise certain ideas, before moving on to the next part of the paper.

3. Does your writing process seem to be successful? What are the strengths and weaknesses of your approach?

Usually, my writing process is relatively successful. Spending roughly equal amounts of time on each step of the process allows me to plan, write, and revise in a well-balanced way. It also helps me make good use of my time, as I do not spend too much time on one step of the writing process over another. 

However, on the downside, my writing process is not always entirely consistent. Sometimes, I might feel that a paper requires more planning ahead of time, but that might cause me to spend less time on revisions. Other times, I might have a difficult time formulating any kind of plan, and I'll just start writing to see where it takes me. In this way, I often combine the strategies of different types of writers, and this inconsistency may prevent me from having a set strategy or approach to writing.

4. Do you think it might be beneficial for you to try a different approach? Why or why not?

To me, it seems like the approach of the sequential composer seems to be most balanced. I do not want to spend more time on any one part of the writing process; rather, I'd like to spend equal amounts of time on every part. 

At this point, even though I most closely associate myself with the sequential composer, I think it would be most beneficial for me to more closely follow the sequential composer's strategy. As I mentioned before, I am sometimes not consistent in my approach to writing, so I think I would benefit from an even more balanced approach to writing.


Reflection

Reading some of my classmates' posts really opened my eyes to other types of writing processes, and how those processes work for them.

• Namratha's post gave me more insight on heavy planning and procrastinating, which was honestly a combination of writing processes that I would have never thought to combine. However, it did make me realize that a lot of planning can sometimes lead to some procrastination, especially if you agonize over minor details, like she and I tend to do. This reminded me that I need to balance my writing so that I do plan things out, but not to the extent that I worry over the smallest of details.
• Chelsea's post gave me a better understanding of a writing process that seems to be very similar to my own. I really loved her idea about using outlines to write, as I often tend to stay away from them in the fear that they will only add to my confusion. It also helped me remember that it is important not to let my perfectionist attitude cause unnecessary stress during the writing process, as the smaller details are usually not as important as the bigger ideas in my writing.