My Unusual Writing Process

1. My Unusual Writing Process

2. OVERVIEW OF MYWRITING Ever since I was young I have always struggled with my reading and writing skills. It has taken me my whole life to develop the way I write and it is still no where near where I would like it to be. It takes me a good amount of time to actually put my mind into writing mode because it just a tedious task that I have to do for someone else. Hardly have I ever taken it upon myself to write for pleasure. When I finally get enough thought and momentum together to actually start writing a paper I always feel like I have a well organized plan but end result is never as good as I foresaw it to be and its really discouraging. I have tons of ideas when I write I don’t lack the creativity its just that I never know which is the right to choose. Writing should not be about length it should be about content but ever since I began writing not once have I not asked myself is this long enough which always puts me in an odd funk especially with literature papers because they are so broad I don’t know what thoughts are going to be in my best interest in terms of length and content.

3. HOW? • When writing in class I sit and gather my thoughts as quickly as I can and establish what the purpose of my writing is. I stay very concentrated but unfortunately the smallest things can grab my attention especially afar I have been sitting in one place for a long time. I become jittery and lose concentration so the faster I finish my work the better in a classroom and this correlates to the varying grades I receive on in class papers

4. HOW? • When I am able to work at home I feel like I can produce a much better final product than I can in the classroom because I have much more time to think and maybe research the topic I am writing about. Although I have more time at home I am always finding myself distracted for even more prolonged periods than I do in the class room this largely has to do with social media, TV, talking to my girlfriend, going to the gym, music. Also since I stared college I have been cooking my own meals which also takes time from my day I used to not worry about when I was living with my mom. But at the same time I feel these distractions allow me to take a needed break while writing and when I come back to the computer which is where I do all my school work my mind is clear and ready to produce new ideas.

5. HOW? • Unfortunately I usually do not re-write my papers unless instructed. This does not mean I do not revise my papers. I frequently catch myself reading my paper quietly aloud to make sure what I am saying not only makes sense on paper but verbally as well.

6. WHERE?? • Usually when I am working on writing something it is in my room at my desk and in my bed I like to move around so I don’t get too comfy while working. When I am working on something not as serious where I can still get my work done but also deal with my surrounding distractions I will work in our kitchen or in the family room and dabble in and out of typing and socializing with those around me and going on the computer here and there. I am an avid wakebaorder and I love going and checking up on all the videos people post on alliancewake.com as well as transworldwake just to keep up with what is going on in my sport.

7. WHERE?? • I also like to catch up on my other hobbies while I am brainstorming for ideas when writing. A lot of times I will get inspiration from memories just looking back through pictures that conjure feelings I can apply effectively to my work. Taking a step back and just thinking of something relaxing for example sitting in a tree stand in the woods. Mentally observing the beautiful nature around me can relieve stress I am feeling and allow me to just simply take a deep breath and realize everything is fine.

8. WHO?! • A lot of times especially after a more serious writing I let my grandmother read over my work she checks and makes sure everything is slowing correctly and is spelled right because I am awful at spelling. She was a high school teacher and ended up working for the school board of Hillsborough county so any criticism she has towards my writing is always greatly appreciated.

9. PRE WRITING When I begin my writing I first begin to organize my thoughts and think about the topic I have been assigned to write about. I consider what I know about the topic and what I know that I could prove to be relevant in my writing in support of the topic. Lastly I consider the research I am going to have to do in order to fill in the voids from my common knowledge.

10. INTRO Then comes the intro. This paragraph amongst all the others for me is hardest to write because I feel no matter how long I spend on creating a strong thesis statement I always find my self erasing or deleting what I have already written. But once I develop a thesis that I am comfortable to elaborate on I can finally put my pin to paper.

11. BODY PARAGRAPHS First I develop a transition sentence from the previous paragraph. This applies to all paragraphs in between the introduction and the conclusion because you want the information to seamlessly flow from one topic to the next. Then I develop a topic sentence to address what in being discussed to the audience. I then provide evidence to the audience supporting my claim in my topic sentence but on a much more profound level. Then I connect all of this information briefly to my thesis proving the relevance of the information.

12. ĆöŊĊŁŮƧÎŎή The conclusion to me is the easiest paragraph to write because you just simply restate everything you have already discussed. This is the least of my concerns when writing due to the little amount of effort and time it takes to wrap things up.

13. IMPROVEMENT This has to do with my lack of foresight and planning of my writing before I put my pen to paper. A solution I found to this problem was brought to my attention be Irene Clarks analysis of a developing students writing process like myself. Clark explains the linear model as a “reflection of what already… main ideas are in place.”(p. 8) This process allows the writer to discover creativity by knowing how to say what has been discovered rather than selecting what to say. This helped me because I tend to frequently find myself fixing specific words when I am working on a paper at home and after reading in class I realize how little this has to do with the overall point you are trying to address to your audience. Nancy Sommers revision strategies allowed me to recognize if I don’t focus on the writing as a whole and look over my work it will tend to be incomplete. Although my writing process has become much more developed over the years there is still a lot of room for improvement. I frequently find myself drawing blanks and not thinking clearly. I believe this has to do with what Mike Rose stated in his analysis of writers block when he mentioned that “students who experienced blocking… enhance the composing points.”(p. 390) Although I know that I need to clearly state my key points many times I find myself thinking these points are more lucid than they come out on paper.

14. IMPROVEMENT(continued) She also declared that “students view the revision process as a rewording activity”(p.384)this allowed me to realize the little improvement I was making to my papers. Not that I wont change something if instructed to do so but for example if I need to restructure a paragraph I will be very reluctant to do so just because I feel like what I already have down is goo enough but in reality in most cases I am lacking important information. Donald Murray’s two planning activities “stating the process goals and stating the rhetorical goals”(p.161) provided some insight on my revision process that could allow me to reach out to my audience in a more successful manner. Another thing I could personally improve on as a writer is respond to criticism in a better manner.

15. MY WRITING PROCESS WRAP UP • After taking the time to step back and analyze the way I write I realize what it essentially boils down to is having confidence when my pen hits the paper and from that point just maintain my concentration and that would allow me to not only be more efficient but also stay on track with my thoughts.

16. WORK SITED PAGE • Berkenkotter, Carol, and Donald M. Murray. JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/357403?uid=3739600>. • N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://www.flumc.info/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000058/005814.htm>. •  "A Quitter Never Wins And A Winner Never Quits | WomenOnTheFence.com."WomenOnTheFencecom RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://womenonthefence.com/2011/11/11/a-quitter-never-wins-and-a-winner-never-quits/>. • Rose, Mike. JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/356589?uid=3739600>. • Sommers, Nancy. JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/356588?uid=3739600>. • "This Isn't Me." The Missing Puzzle Piece. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://www.wattpad.com/4321321-this-isn't-me-the-missing-puzzle-piece>. • "What Causes ADHD? 12 Myths and Facts." - Health.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20441463,00.html>.