My Writing Process

When I think about my writing process and style, I think of a hurricane. It is an organized mess! There is a lot going on and it is easy to get lost in it, but the center is pretty clear and focused.

It would probably be much easier to stick to one kind of process, but I tend to mix them all together when I write, which results in a hurricane of ideas and words, and decisions.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. "Hurricane Blanca Strengthens" 6/3/15 via Flicker. Attribution 2.0 Generic.

1. I fit into all four categories. Sure, right now I am completely demonstrating my Procrastinator side, but part of my procrastination is partially due because I am also a Heavy Reviser, Sequential Composer, and slight Heavy Planner. For me, the type of writer I choose to be depends on the assignment. 

2. The approaches I use when writing depend on how I feel about the assignment.

• Final Project? Important paper? Consider me a Heavy Planner! I will obsess and obsess over the content and plan during passing periods, as I'm making dinner, before I go to bed, whenever. Then, I will write the assignment without needing to revise much.

• An assignment I care deeply about on a personal level? Then it's time for me to be a Heavy Reviser. I will sit down with my trusty pen and paper, and write down absolutely anything that comes into mind for fifteen minutes. I do not stop to edit anything, nor do question whether I am making sense. I just want to write down everything when I am feeling it so I will write something genuine, without rewriting it twenty times. Once that is done, I'll let it sit for a night and heavily edit the next day, picking out the essential information as I go.

• A combination of the previous two? This is probably my most common--Sequential Composer. I like to create an outline in one sitting so I do not over complicate the process, then I write and revise. 

3.  I believe my writing process has been successful so far. No two assignments are ever the same, so it would not make sense for me to approach two assignments the exact same way. Before writing, I consider how I feel about an assignment and what aspect of it requires the most attention. From there, I make a serious of decisions on when I am going to start, how I am going to plan, and what I want the overall assignment to look like. 

The strengths of my writing process are that I have a lot of control over when I will be working on an assignment, so I can set aside special time to complete it. Also, because I know what methods help me express myself the best, I have an easier time expressing my genuine thoughts and beliefs. 

The weaknesses of my writing process are that sometimes I underestimate the time I need for an assignment, so I end up rushing through it. 



4. It would be beneficial to try some approaches more than others. I am mostly a Heavy Reviser and Sequential Composer, so I should try to plan more, even when I am not too worried about an assignment. 


Overall, my writing process involves a lot of decision making! Within the first couple days of receiving an assignment, I have to choose which approach/s to take and so on and so forth. 

Does anyone have a similar or completely different writing process? I would love to hear about it!