My Writing Process (Blog Post 1.8)

Chances are that no two writers compose their work in exactly the same way. As a result, there are many types of writing processes. However, for the most part, the processes that writers use can be grouped in to one of four major writing process archetypes: Heavy Planners (plan their writing ahead of time), Heavy Revisers (constantly revise their work), Sequential Composers (give equal time to planning and revision), and Procrastinators (getting writing done at the last minute).

With these archetypes in mind, I answered these four questions from A Student's Guide To First Year Writing, pg 39:

1. What type(s) of writer do you consider yourself to be?

I consider myself to be a mix of both a Heavy Planner and a Procrastinator. While I try to plan ahead and get research for my paper done rather quickly, I sometimes put the actual composition off until the deadline approaches.

2. Does your writing process include several of the above approaches? Is so, which ones?

I do follow the Heavy Planner and Procrastinator archetypes rather heavily. I certainly devote a great deal of my time to finding information that benefits my compositions. As well, I do tend to get my work done just before the deadline date.

3. Does your writing process seem to be successful? What are the strengths and weaknesses of your approach?

My writing process certainly grants me a great deal of research and information to use in my work. However, the rush to complete my work before the deadline can have severe negative consequences. If I don't make any revisions to my work, it will usually end up sub-par. As well, putting my work off tends to create unwanted stress and anxiety!

4. Do you think it might be beneficial for you to try a different approach? Why or Why Not?

I think it would be beneficial for me to try being a Heavy Reviser in some of my compositions. Many times, I will quickly write up my work without checking for conventions or flow errors. It would be very helpful for my writing if I devoted more time to revision.

van der Wal, Sander. "Depressed". May 29th, 2010 via Flickr. Attribution License.