Friday, January 11, 2013

Post #1: Your Writing Process

 Tell us about your writing process. Do you have one? Is there a certain place you like to be when you write, or specific tools/resources/snacks/good luck charms you need to have on hand? How do you generate ideas for things to write about? Do you write one draft and then edit, or edit as you go along, or not edit at all? Share some of your best and worst practices for writing. 


13 comments:

  1. My writing process is that where I write my thesis, then jot notes into my body paragraphs. I then jot ideas about my conclusion, then my introduction. I know it is a little backwards, but it works in my brain. I like to write in the quiet, which was my room before. Now that I have roommates, it is the library. While I'm writing I like to have a water bottle and something to munch on, whether it is m&ms, gold fish, or grapes, my fingers need to see something other than a pen and a keyboard. I usually come up with my ideas by making sections (intro, body1,conclusion, etc) and then going back and as soon as I think of something, jotting it down in that section. When I am done, there is usually enough to just start putting sentences together. Usually I edit as I go, then when I am done I edit my work as a whole, then I have someone else edit it, then I edit it one more time. Still, at least one sneaky mistake seems to make it out alive.
    My best work was a paper that I wrote in high school about my great grandmother. It is probably the only piece that I have kept. I remember being so proud of my imagery and the details that I used! My teacher said that she had never visualized an experience so well. My worst work was that paper that I forgot about, then wrote the night before. Even though I got a good grade on it, I just didn't feel that it was my best considering I was rushed. That being said, I have never procrastinated a paper since!

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  2. Well, when I write a paper, I kind of just dive in. After thinking about what I'm going to write about and consulting the rubric, I just start typing. Usually things just flow. If they don't, I get distracted and watch YouTube or Netflix... so not my best habit. Then, like Erin, I edit it, send it to my friend or sister to edit, and edit again.
    I think one of the reasons writing isn't my favorite is because a paper will never be perfect. With math, for example, there is always a right answer, but with writing, it is so open ended, and papers can always be improved upon. It can be tough for me to accept that sometimes a paper just has to be done, but I'm always relieved once a paper is turned in.

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  3. Before I start any kind of homework, I grab a snack and keep it by my side to munch on when I can’t think or whilst I am. Most often I am in a quiet room alone so I can hear myself think. Before I begin to write an essay I jot down all the possible arguments and points I can include. I also surf the web for at least twenty minutes to gain different perspectives and sometimes quotes. If I am completely stuck I will turn to a friend or family member. Once my ideas are generated, I come up with my thesis then list my ideas down in order of which I will discuss them. When that is done I begin to write. I am a very slow writer so I can never procrastinate writing an essay. I do edit as I write and have found I produce good quality work if I take my time then re-read it out loud a bunch of times. Most of the time, I ask someone else to read and edit it too.

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  4. My writing process usually depends on the material I have to work with. If there was a reading for the paper, then I read the reading. If I already read the reading, then I reread the reading. If there was no reading, then I think about or look at the topic of the paper. whenever I look at or think of the topic of the paper, it allows my brain to concentrate. I make sure that I close out other thoughts and distractions so I can completely concentrate on the topic. When I can concentrate on the topic, then I am able to recall and write down everything that I know about the topic. Sometimes I try listening to music while writing, which has had various outcomes. I usually find the most success when listening to instrumental music, while music with lyrics tends to be a distraction. Eating also causes a distraction because once I start eating it is hard to stop and all I think about is the food. When I am done writing a whole draft, I usually look over it again to see if I need to rephrase anything in a better way. If possible, I will also let a family member, usually my mom, read the paper and give me suggestions on how to make it better.
    My best papers have often been with recounting historical facts. I enjoy these because they are assessed on my memory and knowledge. The least enjoyable and successful papers for me are opinionated or persuasive essays when my opinions and arguments are assessed, sometimes negatively, when I believe that they are quite good. This is why writing has never been my favorite subject.

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  5. My experience with writing processes has been mostly with writing talks for church (of course I also wrote papers in high school, however I do not have fond memories of that, and they each followed the same general pattern). First off I have to be in a more secluded location, for I am very easily distracted and ridding myself of those distractions helps me to generate ideas. I then usually just have a simple brain storm session with myself and just jot out everything that I know about my subject in absolutely no order whatsoever, just get it all out on paper is my only objective. After I run my mind into the ground with my own ideas I then turn to other sources of information (when writing talks: the scriptures obviously. Or for papers: trustworthy internet sources/books on the subject), and jot out other ideas that come to me or quotes that phrase something much better than I ever could. After I have out all of the information I can get I stand back and look at what I have and attempt to put it into some kind of logical sequence so I'm not just jumping around from subject to subject. When it comes to talks I don't generally write it out in its entirety, just jot topics and subtopics and just let the words flow from my mouth. It is obviously different when it come to writing a paper, however it's still generally the same, I just start saying things in my head as if I was presenting it and start writing whatever comes. After I have written it all out I do a once over and reread it to do some editing, however I am not much of an editor so I generally keep my revisions down to only one or two and try not to go overboard looking for perfection.

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  6. First things first, I always grab some chocolate of some sort to be my comfort food when doing papers (preferably dark chocolate covered acai-blueberries YUM!). My favorite part of a paper is the beginning where I just start typing and see where it goes. I make lists of the examples of text or research I have, then I organize the info into paragraphs. Then i pick which paragraphs i like the best and start adding filler connecting ideas. But then after that comes the editing which is what I really hate, having to make it understandable to people other than myself. I almost always edit as I go along, but I really need to start editing my final drafts before handing them in.

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  7. I usualy start with reviewing my sources. I look at what they say, and how that fits into what I want to say. Then I'll write just the thesis, then I dive in and write the rest of the paper. (There's not really a method to that part. I just write it. While I'm writing, I'll reember a phrase from a source, and slap it in there.) Generally, I save the introduction for last.After I'm done, I'll look through it, take a break, and edit it again. If it's a really important paper, I'll give it to my mom to review, but I don't usually do that.

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  8. Whenever I have to write a paper, I generally like to sit down and just write it. I don't need any snack things, but I do like to turn on some music - generally movie soundtracks such as The Lord of the Rings. Before I begin writing, I don't normally write down a plan, but I think through what I want in the intro, in the body paragraphs, and in the conclusion. If its a research paper, I'll do enough research so that I have some information to work with. However, if I find that I need a specific piece, or type of information, I will go and find it while writing the paper. Just as I go off to do research while writing, I also need to take frequent breaks - averaging no more than five minutes each - just to give my brain a chance to think about something else for a little while (I suppose its because of my ADD...). If I find that I have hit a mental roadblock, I like to take a 15 or 20 minute bath. It is INCREDIBLE how conducive warm water is to thinking, and whenever I come out I feel more relaxed, and have often gotten past the block. When it comes to editing, I don't normally edit once I've finished the paper as I tend to edit as I go along, so there aren't any changes to be made when I finish. However, this is probably something that I should change, as I have found that I am not the most thorough of editors.

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  9. My writing process is usually pretty straight forward. Once I decide on the topic(if it's my choice), I than basically decide exactly the route I'm going to take on that topic. I'll pick a few arguments or opinions that I feel are the strongest, form a thesis, and begin writing from the top. More often than not, I edit and research as I go. I like to surf the web and find facts or other people's strong opinions that support mine. After I finish up what I feel like is a pretty decent paper, well constructed, strong points, etc, I'll go back over it inevitably change several things. To wrap it up, I'll have a few people proof read, give me their takes on what is good and bad, than go through one more time and change what I feel necessary.

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  10. For me, I like to write in a less busy and noisy place, especially away from videos and movies and the like because I get glued to those screens. I like to come up with a bit of a list of things that I could write about concerning a topic and if I'm writing a persuasive paper, I choose the topic I feel I could best support. Having that chosen, I write a thesis that will start off my paper (usually) and come up with some points I want to hit in the paper. I'll try to order the points in a way that flows well and then I'll write my intro paragraph and see if I like that order. If I don't, I rearrange things and then move on and type and edit my paper as I go because I really would rather not have to read through my work again. When classes highly recommend or mandate that review by someone else is done, I get the extra review and think about whether I could leave my paper as outlined or if I need to rearrange things again and make the necessary changes. Oh, and I usually type it out on a computer that is on a flat (generally) surface.

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  11. Usually I spend some time beforehand thinking about what I should write, and once I've figured out what I want the introduction to say and the basic subtopics I want to talk about I just write until I'm not sure what to say next. I edit as I go, changing things whenever I think they would sound better or make more sense another way, and then do a quick final edit, where I read through everything and make a few more small changes. My main not-so-good practice with writing is the ease with which I get distracted when I'm not sure what to write next; I'll often end up looking up new music on YouTube and/or searching eBay. I usually have music playing while I'm on my computer and if I leave it on while I'm writing that doesn't help either. It's definitely easiest to write somewhere quiet; the fewer distractions, the better.

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  12. Probably the most important element to my writing process is making what I am writing personal. I have found that if I am not in some way interested in what I am writing about I have a lot harder time writing. (Or even starting to write, for that matter.) Whenever I am given a topic to write about I start by brainstorming how I can make that topic relatable and entertaining for me. Once I have a few ideas I just start writing about anything and everything. I related very well to the free writing strategy we learned about in class, because I've found that if I write long enough eventually some of my ideas begin to flow together. Obviously this strategy means that I end up having a lot of editing to do, but as long as I edit while I am writing and once more when I am done, the final draft ends up being quite clean cut. I get pretty distracted while I write, so I usually have to be in a quiet place and alone, but interestingly enough, having light music playing can help me sometimes. If I start to get restless I also make sure to allow myself short brakes for walking around, getting a snack or drink, etc... I really believe that writing processes can be a very personal thing, and I'm glad that over the years I have been able to find the individual strategies that work best for me!

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  13. For the most part, my writing process involves thoughts, to help get things firing. Then I do a little research, to see how supportable my opinion is, and to find things I can call forward as evidence. Then I write a rough outline, including some of my potential evidence. Then, following my outline, I start to write the paper. After I finish a paragraph or so, I go back, check it over, and find ways to tie each paragraph together. In order to find things to write about, I start by just going about my business, and keeping my eyes and mind open for things I find interesting and can write about. Then, once I find something, I look into it more, to see if it really is interesting to me. The only thing I require to have on hand when I'm writing is something that I can play around with, just to keep my fingers busy, so that they don't just have to sit there.... They like having something to do. Usually this is either a Mobius loop, some silly putty, or even just a pencil and some paper. If there is nothing for my hands to do, I find myself getting a little stir crazy, and having to completely leave so I can clear my head.

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