Simple but Helpful

After reviewing my past experiences of writing papers or any type of written work, I have seen a pattern in my writing style. It is usually characterized by four stages. The first stage is characterized by a long drawl of indecision. This stage is where most of the brainstorming happens. It is followed by the second stage that most would call the "writers block". It is in this stage that it is not uncommon to feel a bit discouraged due to the amount of seemingly wasted time, but in the end it is this stage that is most profitable to the following step. The third stage of my writing process is utilizing the built up writing momentum that was used to break through the writers block, to lay down the foundation for whatever it is I am writing. The last stage of my writing process is that of editing and proof reading. It is basically the smoothing and polishing of the newly written work. This process has helped me in writing, essentially, anything that I feel needs to be written for any class. Granted it is, as some would call it, basic in structure, but I have used and profited from it these past years of my educational life.

Writing Process

I am a procrastinator; I am not going to lie. Because of my lovely procrastinating ways, my writing process is not the best. When it comes time to write a paper (usually the night before), I sit down and duke it out. The hardest part for me is coming up with a topic that is interesting to me and that I am happy with. Once I find that golden topic, the rest is not so bad. What works best for me is making an outline so I am not so lost when it comes to writing the first draft. For me personally, I actually prefer handwriting my first draft, as opposed to typing it. Typing is just so daunting to me and whatever I write down seems so official. When writing on paper, I feel like I can get down more ideas. Once I have that first draft, I go ahead and type it up on the computer and polish it really well. So definitely the outline and handwritten first draft work well for me. But what doesn’t work well for me is the editing. Because I procrastinate, I don’t have the time to have other people edit it or make lots of drafts.
I found a good website that has some pointers for good editing. One of their pointers was:
“Justify yourself: Every point, statement, question, joke, even every word should have a reason to be in your piece; if it doesn’t, strike it. Be harsh — if a word or phrase does not add value to your writing, get rid of it.”
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/improve-your-writing-with-these-editing-tips.html

Just the Facts

I begin each paper by finding a topic that interests me so that I will be excited to write about it, and others will not bored reading about it. After I have found a topic, the research stage of my writing begins. I generally look to find all possible viewpoints of the topic I have chosen. I go into my research with my own point of view on the topic, but I always try to challenge that view with the resources I find. I pick out the facts and arrange them in a logical order and group those facts into paragraphs. The facts are used as the structure of my paper and then I review and add my own thoughts. Basing my paper on fact makes for a strong argument, but I find that when I use facts my paper becomes dry and emotionally unconvincing. I asked my roommate how he starts a paper and he said, “I usually find a topic that everyone disagrees on because there is a lot to write about and my reader never gets bored because he usually has his own view.”

PANIC!

My writing process consists of three things; anger, frustration, and panic. When I am first assigned a paper I am calm and understand what I need to do, but as I sit at the computer and type and delete for about an hour I become angry and realize that I have not brainstormed enough and need to gather together all of my ideas and put them into a simple format to show where things are going to occur throughout my paper. After i figure this out and continue to write for another extended period of time, I become frustrated as I begin to worry whether or not what I have written will make sense to the reader and whether my professor will enjoy it. Panic comes when I look at the clock and realize that it is 2 A.M and only half my paper is written and I know that I will have little time to finish it the rest of the week. One thing I find very efficient about my writing process is that I take the time to start my paper at least a few days before it's due. That way I have time to leave it for a day and then look over it again before I turn it in and find all the mistakes that I didn't see previously. Overall I would not recommend my writing process, but rather one in which you plan ahead and are able to format your paper before you write it. It is my belief that if you do this and refrain from beginning bad habits like I have, you will feel enlightened and will be able to write you papers without anger, frustration, and panic.

When looking on the Internet I found this great website on the writing process. It goes through each step and describes in detail what is expected and how to complete that process. The thing I liked best about this website however, is that it gave me confidence. It states, "Every person has a unique, worthy voice". I struggle to have confidence when I write and I found this message uplifting and a help to me personally. I hope that as you look at this website you will find it as a help as well. Enjoy. :)

Train of Thought

My writing process is one that is definately very disorganized. When I first receive a topic, it is difficult for me to focus in on the most important idea. After I receive the topic, I sit down and think about all the ideas I have relating to the topic. However, when I do this, I tend to come up with disjointed ideas. As soon as I come up with several ideas, I just begin writing what comes to my mind. I do this for the first draft because I can get everything I want to say down on paper. Then I look over the first draft and decide if my ideas go together or not. Oftentimes on my first draft, my thoughts come out choppy and confusing. However, revising my paper several times enables me to make my thoughts coherent and flowing.

One suggestion that might help me in creating a better writing process is creating an outline before I begin my rough draft. On page 17 in the PH, it suggests writing an outline that summarizes your major thoughts into organized ideas. I think this would enable my writing process to be quicker, because I would be able to organize my thoughts more easily.

Turning Chaos into Coherence

My writing typically begins with a large amount of jumbled thoughts about the topic I am given. Generally I write a large outline where I write down the information I could share on each possible topic or argument to determine which of the topics I know enough about to actually write a paper on. When I decide which argument or topic to choose, I then struggle for a while with coming up with the arguments for each paragraph. I tend to have the most knowledge for arguments that do not flow well into my next idea. I have to spend a lot of time trying to fine tune all of these ideas.

I do not always write a rough draft; the draft I turn in can be the rough draft. Sometimes this works well for me because I did not have time to over think everything I wrote. But generally I find that some of my sentences and ideas are not worded very well and a quick run-through of my paper would have helped with those.

The website I looked at for writing tips had two that really could help my writing. I tend to worry a lot about my initial paragraph; I either begin too broad or way too specific. This website brings the idea that you can skip the beginning paragraph initially until you have already begun your paper and then return and write it. The second idea has to do with the closing paragraph which I also have a difficult time writing. It suggests thinking about several questions that need to be answered in your paper, especially in the closing paragraph.

Flying by the Seat of My Pants

My writing process as of now is a little more disorganized than I would like it to be. I usually start out with an idea of course, but create no outline for what I want to write about. After I have my idea, I just begin to write! I usually think of thoughts along the way, and end up changing my mind about certain ideas a lot of the time.
This process usually works pretty well for me because I think that is just how my brain works. I have also tried using outlines before, and I come up with about the same quality of paper. I do get a paper done faster, however, when using an outline.
A technique that I am going to try next time I have to write a paper is found in the PH. It gives a detailed description of all the steps a writer should go through when writing a paper, or a position argument paper. These steps are found on pages 90-92 in the PH. Basically the steps say to: think of your readers before you write, engage the readers in the introduction, write the body of your paper with reasons, evidence for the reasons, and include opposing views. When writing a conclusion, end strongly and try to get the heart of the issue. And of course after this is all done, edit your draft over and over again.

Scattered Thoughts

I wouldn't say writing essays is necessarily something I love to do, but I don't mind it too much. When I am given a topic of for an essay, I brainstorm ideas in my head. I really just sit, with a pencil and scratch paper, and jot down ideas as they come into my head. After I have completed my research and have organized my information, I immediately start writing out a first draft. The first draft is the most important step for me because I rarely make drastic changes after that. I guess I get lucky because it seems that my original rough drafts are never too far from my final draft in terms of content and composition. After I get my first draft done, then it is straight to the computer. As I type my paper out, I check the flow of the words as I type them and make changes where needs be. This is another crucial step because as I type out the essay, I read it in my mind and I can tell if it is choppy or not. Personally, I spend the most time on my opening and closing paragraphs. I pay meticulous attention to how my opening paragraph sets the stage for the rest of my essay and for how my conclusion leaves the reader thinking "hmmm..." I work really hard to nail the last couple sentences of my essays so that they flow really well and leave a good impression of my paper. Because I focus so heavily on my opening and closing, I feel that the organization and cohesiveness of my "body" paragraphs suffers. I need to work better on not going all over the place in my supporting paragraphs so the reader can follow what I am saying. I have to say that I agree with Spencer in that writing an outline would be extremely helpful in organizing my thoughts and getting all of the supporting facts nailed down. The PH has a good example of an outline that would help organize our thoughts and make the writing process much more effective and efficient.

"Fresh Eyes"

When I get a writing assignment it typically takes me a long time to get started. I think about the assignment for a long time and try to get a basic idea of what I want to say. When I feel like I have a good idea I sit down and actually map it out. I usually just plan out my first paragraph and my main points--this is usually enough to get my thoughts flowing so that I am not just staring at a blank computer screen for twenty minutes. After this I actually start writing my paper. As I finish each paragraph, I go back and reread what I have said to make sure that it is all flowing the way I want it to. When I am finished with the entire assignment, I try to reread it, edit it, and have someone else look over it (although truthfully I am usually sick of writing by this point and just want to print it out).

One writing tip that I really think works well comes from my High School senior English teacher. He used to tell my class that each time we edit our papers we need to look at them with "fresh eyes". I think this is particularly helpful because I often get so caught up in my paper that I don't even realize I have gone off-topic, that my language is vague, or that things just aren't as strong as they could be. I think that it can be really beneficial to just take a break from an assignment and come back to it later when you can look at it from a new angle.

Writing Process

My writing process is actually quite simple.  Generally it takes me some time to actually find a topic but I usually don't do anything specific to choose one.  I like to just sit somewhere quiet and think about what a good topic would be.  Once I find one I'm interested in before moving on I think to myself what I know about it and if I know enough to write a good paper.  Finally once I have a topic I just sit down and write.  I don't pay attention to grammar or spelling or sentence structure or anything, I just make sure that I get all the ideas I have down on paper.  As soon as that's done I go ahead and essentially open a new document and start over, using the first draft as a guide but not by simply just editing it.  I completely re-write it.  Then the revision process begins usually by asking others I know to read and give me constructive criticism.  I'd say that my first draft works really well.  It's a way for me to get everything down without focusing on details.  Otherwise I forget to use main points I may have wanted to.  My revision process isn't very good right now because I usually don't like to read my own work.  I feel like I know what it says and reading it just seems unnecessary.  I will definitely improve on that.  One hint that I found in the reading that I think I will definitely use in the future is on page 17 in the penguin handbook and it talks about an outline.  I've always known what that was but the way it explained it made it seem like a great way to channel information and organize a great paper.

The Ultimate Paper

     When I am given a writing assignment, I do one of two things. These two things are very different and I usually do the one that is looked down upon by teachers. This is the art of procrastination.  When I am given a paper to write I will usually wait until the last minute to begin writing this. I think this is because it takes me forever to figure out what I should write about. Once I figure out what to rack my brain about I can write the paper pretty fast. Though with my first draft it is usually quite rough and will require at least two more drafts. 

     My pre-writing is my weakest aspect and needs the most work. I think that the best process for me is the actually body of the paper. The introduction and the conclusion then follow.

     In the reading towards the end it gave several hints to help with your pre-writing process. These can be found on page 98 of the Penguin Handbook. It basically tells us to pick something that you like to write about and then choose the audience that you think will best fall into the category of your writing and then point your paper to them and keep them in mind while writing. 

Storytelling

Typically when dealing with papers I like to play out my options. I first realize the topic given and brainstorm to myself what type of paper I want it to be. After figuring out the tone of my paper I plan out the paper paragraph by paragraph. I sit down and draw out my introduction. Making sure that my theme matches my thesis. Then work my way down to the body, making sure all my points are clear and to the point. Once done with my body, I work on my conclusion, which usually takes longest for me. I make sure to recap and end the paper with a distinct and understandable ending. To summarize it all I play out the paper like an advertising bit in my head. I lay out all possible connections with the paper to my reader to try to make the reader content, or in other words sell the reader of my ideas and perspectives on a topic.

A great tip I learned throughout the reading was in the Penguin Handbook in chapter 3, when it talks about taking notes and reading information for the thesis in which you have chosen. In my writing style, I tend to want to put in unwanted information to give the reader too much of a background that isn’t significant to the paper. In the text on taking notes on the topic is helpful to make sure that I, as a writer, don’t stray off the point of interest.

The Secret To Undercover Work

I'm going to be honest. I have no idea what movie this came from. But rest assured this quote comes from a movie. "The fastest way to slip up while doing undercover work is doing things that you normally wouldn't do." I try to take the same approach to writing. When I'm given an assignment - I try to find an aspect of the topic that appeals to me on a very personal level - and that is what I base my entire thesis on. By taking this approach, I ensure that I come across as being sincere, passionate and trustworthy when stating my thesis. It also ensures that I dedicate myself to the assignment.

As far as structure goes, I tend to organize my paragraphs with a strategy similar to that of the book, albeit indirectly. I reread my writing many times - keeping strong-sounding statements and eliminating the weak ones. I like my writing to be very concise and powerful-sounding.

The drawback to my technique is that it discourages me from planning. I usually jump right in without formulating a strategy or stating my outline.

Why should I care?

When I write a paper, I like to be simple and quick. I start out by brainstorming a topic, or if I have been assigned a topic I choose what emphasis I want to put on the subject. If I need to do more research on the given topic, I'll do it and then basically I start writing. I bet I'm the teacher's nightmare because my papers may not have had very much flow to them. But I like doing it that way because to me when I write my papers kind of on a whim, my voice comes out better in it anyways. Which is what I'm supposed to do, right?
I found one tip on the website of Dartmouth College written by Karen Gocsikthat that I liked a lot (the link is their page). They talked about how I should think about why is the given topic important to me before I start writing. Preparation is important. If I don't know why an issue is important to me or what effect it will have on me, then I won't have a very convincing argument. Kind of like this post. I don't have a clue why this is important, hence why this post sucks.

Get it on paper

My writing process usually begins with a lot of thought about what I am going to say and then writing it out. I often put off my writing assignments until I feel that I no longer am able to do so any longer, but then it usually comes quite easily once I take the time to organize my thoughts on paper and actually do it. That is not to say that I am not thinking about doing it, most of my time is spent on developing what is needed to be written so that when I do sit down to do it, I have my thoughts organized and can get them all down at once. Revising is not a part of the writing process i particularly enjoy, but when I do it I often change wording and order of what I write which in the end helps me. Something that would help me is something that I have been taugt to always do which is to write down my ideas while brainstorming. I often dont and sometimes forget things I was going to write about.

My Writing Process

Typically when I am assigned a paper I first brainstorm for a strong idea that I feel capable writing about. I then develop a stong thesis that I can base my paper on and develop my main ideas for the body of my paper from that. I may jot down some more ideas for the body of the paper and then I just get started on my rough draft. After myself and others revise it, I write the final copy. Creating a strong thesis always works well for me and helps me stay on topic rather than start rambling. Just jotting down a few ideas for the body of the paper is less effective and would be more effective if I made an outline too.

While reading the Penguin Handbook, a simple sentence jumped out at me, "One way to get sarted is to make a list of topics you care about." I usually just pick a topic or argument that I think would be relatively easy to write about. This is probably why writing can be so difficult for me. I think it is important to find a topic that I care about and can put emotion into the paper that will help draw the reader in. It makes writing the paper easier and more enjoyable.

The Unique writing style of David?

Through the education of public school systems in the US, i have developed a writing style possibly similar or not so similar to those of you, my fellow students. When i am given a topic i begin with brainstorming. i jot thoughts down on paper and then begin making an outline. After this outline is complete i begin writing a rough draft. Through multiple revising, i create a final draft. The main idea behind writing a paper is first brainstorming, writing and revising. Without these key elements, i believe it is not possible to write a successful paper. For me brainstorming and then revising are the parts that don't work well for me. But once i get through these elements, I can usually produce quality work.

While reading the assigned readings in the Brief Penguin Handbook, i found a very helpful hint in writing future papers. In chapter 9, its gives a tip that before writing think about who your readers are going to be and what they most likely know about the topic assigned. Similarly another helpful tip was that you should end with more than just a summary. I always thought that a conclusion should really just be a wrapping up paragraph, but the book says that it should be more than that.