In my experiences
of writing there have been few assignments that I could not complete in a
thoroughly satisfying way. Only a few serious issues in my writing and in the
process of doing so have risen up over the years. Through years of research
papers, analyses, timed essays, persuasion essays, and fictional stories I have
learned the sought-after craft of writing though only to the extent which I am
now capable. Various writing processes have been taught to me by equally varied
teachers, each telling me their way was best and the only correct way to write
an essay. However, as the memory of each teacher faded into oblivion so too did
their methods until only the most recent remained in my memory. The writing
style and process that I currently employ is a result of my senior year English
teacher for which I have the greatest respect among one or two others whose
names are lost to me. Here I shall be descriptive in my telling of my personal
process for writing various essays, my overall writing strategy, my emotional
reactions to writing, and specific examples of writing assignments that shaped
the writer I am today.
Over the years, my strategies for writing any
paper have changed dramatically so now I am left with the strategy that I will
describe to you in some detail. Generally, the current strategy which I use, to
me, is simplistic though not quick enough for my liking. Ideally, my professor
or teacher and I are the only proofreaders and the only people to ever lay eyes
upon my work. Only if I am required to do so by my teacher or professor do I
ever print off a rough draft to edit. I prefer my papers to all be typed and
therefore fluid and easy to correct. In writing my rough draft, I am often found
to be constantly correcting my sentences as I go along as I am probably doing
right now. This way I can make certain there are very few grammatical errors
before, if required, a peer proofreads my work. Oftentimes my final draft will
only be a slightly altered version of the rough draft I had proofread.
Additionally, in the process of writing any sort of paper I often consult an
online thesaurus to improve upon any word choice that I find do not do my skill
level justice. If I happen to be typing a paper, I am, most likely, listening
to classical or folk music as well as checking my online accounts every so
often in order to distract me from the task at hand.
In order for the
reader to fully comprehend my process I shall present a specific example. To begin
a research paper, I decide on a topic then research that topic using various
sources and taking carefully constructed notes which usually become a typed
outline for I try to avoid hand-written notes when researching. As in any essay
I then construct my thesis statement and start writing my introductory
paragraph. I, however, sometimes find that the body paragraphs are the easiest
to write so I may begin on those first if I am having trouble with the
introductory paragraph. If I began with my body paragraphs, I then go back to
construct my introductory paragraph based on my body paragraphs. Once my
beginning paragraphs are completed to my satisfaction I write my conclusion
paragraph if the assignment calls for one.
As I reflect upon
my experiences in writing, it has occurred to me that while I have described in
detail what my writing process is and my thoughts on writing in general, I have
neglected to include the particulars on my emotional responses to writing. I
shall, of course, remedy that. In the beginning, writing was overly simple
until I hit the middle of my elementary school years. I began getting stressed
out whenever a writing assignment was brought up in class. By the time I was in
sixth grade, a greater emphasis was put on writing so I became more familiar
with the formats and I calmed down. In middle school, writing morphed into an
unpleasant business in which the assignment took on a bestial form that I had
to conquer and tame in order to win. It took all the willpower I had to
complete each grueling assignment. If I had procrastinated quite terribly on a
writing assignment and found it necessary to complete it at night, I often
became so stressed and filled with anxiety that I would have a complete
emotional breakdown. My father would calmly talk some sense into my head and I
usually took a half hour break to calm my nerves before they completely
incapacitated me which was something quite unacceptable to me.
Thus far I have
only provided the reader with my negative reactions to writing and have
neglected the positive side of writing so I shall now do so. When writing a
fictional piece with a subject to my liking my body shivers with excitement and
my mind races with various ideas and concepts. Themes and situations from a
variety of fantasy books come to mind and I am caught trying to pick just one.
For example, in tenth grade, I had to write a Greek mythological story with a
god or goddess of my own creation. Naturally, my mind ran through every Greek
myth I had ever heard and was determined to research whether or not a goddess
of dreams and thought had been used in Greek mythology. I soon discovered not a
one so I began creating one which I later named Astoria. This story, to my
happy surprise, won first prize in a local writing contest for the senior
division. I also learned I have a decent ability for storytelling which is most
likely due to my obsession with books.
It is only logical
that I should provide the reader with some of the particulars on the lessons I
have learned in regards to writing over the years. One of my major writing
issues occurred to me as I began writing my first timed-writing essay in
elementary school. I simply could not complete the essay to the best of my
ability in the amount of time allotted to me. Hypothetically, I had the ability
to write the best essay in the class if I were given sufficient time but as the
countdown began for the essay I completely blanked out. I realized that if I
were not given sufficient time to compose a coherent essay, mine would be inferior
to those who could write well under such pressures as time constraints. Fear
enveloped my mind and stress took over my body. Stress was always a large issue
that affected me and usually created stomach pains, cold sweats, and the
occasional asthma attack. However, during these periods of timed writing, I
tried breathing deeply and convincing myself that work must be done and I was
already falling behind my peers. These measures only increased my stress and
therefore decreased the quality of my essay that, though well thought out, was
consistently lacking in length. I felt devastated. To this day I cannot write a
timed essay without feeling an inordinate amount of stress and a feeling of
inferiority. So the moral of this story is that timed writing have never been
and never will be my friend.
Another of my
issues occurred to me as I began my first research essay. In late elementary
school, my teacher assigned an environmental issues research paper. I decided
to base mine off of the effects waste has on sea turtles as per my passion for
animals. My teacher explained that it needed to be a five page paper and that
there needed to be an introduction paragraph with a thesis, three body
paragraphs describing each effect separately and in great detail, and a
conclusion paragraph in which I restate my thesis and conclude my essay. This, of course,
became the standard I have usually followed regarding essays whether they are
timed or out-of-class essays. After being told this, I rejoiced. Now, there was
a plan I could follow! Ambiguity is certainly not my strongpoint so having a
strict layout for a paper made writing my research paper far simpler.
During my senior
year of high school my English teacher assigned a poetry analysis paper. She
instructed my class to use literary devices such as diction and metaphors in
our essays. I had never done such a paper so I was, understandably, having
problems while attempting to write. I did not know how to properly use literary
devices in writing nor did I know what a poetry analysis is supposed to look
like. After I got my paper back I was unsurprised to find my grade was not up
to my standards. My teacher then explained that, to properly write an analysis
with literary devices, I must use the word explicitly, use a specific example
of that device, and tell what that example does for the literary work. In this
way she made me understand that I could think of each sentence as a math
equation. This method worked far better for me than any other I had used before
since I am a very logical-minded person by nature.
As I have said
before, all of these factors influenced the writer I am today but I never was
specific on what type of writer I really am. I am a logical-minded writer yet I
would rather write a fictional piece than an essay. I am a writer who doesn’t
do well under pressure or stress but thrives on structure. I am a perfectionist
yet I often skip words while typing because my brain is so much faster than my
hands. I am, myself, a paradoxical writer that none have probably seen before
and have a difficult time understanding yet I am satisfied after all with my
own style. I hope, dear reader, that you have gained a valuable knowledge of
myself and my writing that may help shape your own style of writing as my experiences
have shaped mine.
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