My Writing Process

I've never been one to categorize myself. Never ever. I tend to think every trait can be placed on a spectrum and we all have some of everything in us. But when it comes to my writing style and process, I admit that one type fits me much better than the others.


1. I'm definitely a heavy planner. As I write, I often pause to plan the next few sentences and make sure my ideas are flowing in the right direction. I usually type a draft, make some small adjustments, and turn it in. When an assignment is coming up, I find myself brainstorming ideas while performing tasks that don't require much brainpower - walking, eating, falling asleep. These tendencies place me in the position where I can generally write without the need to revise.


2. But even major planning can't make my writing foolproof. Sometimes I change my mind on what I mean to say. Sometimes I can't quite express my ideas properly. In these situations, I'm forced to return and revise - sometimes adding or deleting in mass quantity. And when I find myself struggling with an assignment for any reason, I become a minor procrastinator, waiting a little too long to start. This seems like evidence that I am a composition of many elements; even if one trait usually overpowers the others, it doesn't mean the others can't stand out in the right situation.


3. Lots of planning works for me. I'm pretty confident about my writing. I don't want to sound proud, but I think my method works. Planning allows me to ensure I don't misspeak, and I'm able to catch many errors before they make it into my paper. But weaknesses do exist to balance those strengths. For example, I become fairly attached to my first draft in many cases. I try to convince myself that I don't need to edit, I procrastinate the revision, and I just feel annoyed the entire time I revise.


4. If it isn't broken, don't fix it. While it would benefit me to work on my revision skills, I don't see the sense in changing my approach. I don't even want to think about procrastinating - I probably wouldn't finish by the deadline because I'd spend most of my limited time planning. On heavy revision, I feel that forcing myself to go against the grain would result in a lower-quality final product. I think the ideal improvement situation would be not trying a new approach, but working on incorporating a bit more revision when it's needed. I'll always prefer to plan, but getting closer to a balance would be a useful and achievable goal.


As a heavy planer, I have to brainstorm. But you can't have a rainbow without the rain, right?

Mangold, Andy. "Brainstorm" 3/23/2010 via Flickr. Attribution License.

shokunin. "Illustration of a rainbow" via Free Stock Photos.biz. Public Domain Dedication License.