The question “what is your writing process?” seems straightforward and simple, yet through self-reflection, a comprehensive answer reveals the often complicated process that takes place when texts come into being. Before reading chapter 4 of Writing about Writing: A College Reader, I thought that my writing process did not need any form of explanation because I assumed it is simple. For instance, I would think of an idea, plan on what, how, and when to write about it, then after a considerable amount of procrastination, I finally start drafting. Ultimately, I would refine the drafts and come up with the final write-up. However, I now realize that various aspects are involved in my writing process, as explained in this paper.
To start with, I am the audience for this paper – I am carrying out this self-reflection to understand my writing process and see it from the outside towards the inside. After reading chapter 4 of the book, I realized that I was not born a writer, but this has been a misconception. Through reflection, I have noted that what has contributed to my being a good writer is my mindset. I ascribe to the growth mindset whereby I believe that I can learn anything – that capabilities are not fixed, and thus any skill can be learned and perfected with time, hard work, and consistency. As a writer, I see myself as a work in progress, and thus I try my best to learn something new every day, and this reflection has been very helpful in understanding how I bring my texts into being.
My writing process is consistent with that of many professional writers. Like Paul Priori, I acknowledge that writing is more than transcribing – the act of writing down ideas as it involves composition (Wardle and Downs 489). My composition is inspired by my environment and the things that I encounter or experiences that I have in different set-ups during my day-to-day activities. In the planning part of my writing, every time I get inspired by an idea or impacted by various experiences, I take deliberate steps to put it down in writing. Therefore, after getting the idea of what I want to write about, I commit myself to writing at least 500 words a day, whether I feel like it or not. I know the value of compounded marginal gains, and thus by writing at least 500 words daily, I know that by the time a month passes, I will have written volumes upon volumes of words about my idea.
Therefore, I believe that I follow Peter Elbow’s suggestion that writers “try to draft in ways that make us comfortable, such as speaking or talking our writing onto the page, and then finding ways through rewriting to turn that talk into more carefully crafted writing” (Wardle and Downs 489). After one week of continuous writing, I revisit my notes to create more meaning from my ideas, which underscores the process of revision. Just like Donald Murray, an experienced writer covered by Carol Berkenkotter in her research, I view revision as the opportunity to derive more meaning from what I am writing about as opposed to the mundane exercise of fixing words (Wardle and Downs 490). During this process, I interrogate my thoughts to understand exactly what I wanted to say and refine the language used to ensure that the message comes out clearly and artistically.
I consider myself a creative writer because I go outside the boundaries and rules of academic, journalistic, and conventional writing traditions. As such, for a long time, I have believed that I am a freestyle writer who simply puts down my thoughts. However, from this reflection, I was surprised to learn that my writing process is consistent with that of many other writers. For instance, Anne Lamott’s concept of “shitty first drafts” (Wardle and Downs 528) resonates well with my writing style. As noted earlier, I come up with what I call “raw drafts” in my 500 daily words, which could be equated with Lamott’s shitty drafts. Therefore, I am surprised that my writing tendencies are not unique, and at the same time, I am excited that I share many traits with accomplished writers. This understanding gives me hope that I am on the right track to becoming a successful writer.
As I conclude, the ideas that I have learned in this chapter will change how I see myself as a writer and my writing behaviors. First, I have always doubted myself by continually questioning whether I have what it takes to be successful in writing. However, from this chapter, I realize that I have what is needed to write. I only need to approach writing more methodologically and plan well with clear set goals of what I want to achieve within a specified time. I am more than inspired to pursue my creative writing ambitions, and I am hopeful that by following some of the suggestions given in this chapter, I will leave a mark in the world of writing.
Work Cited
Wardle, Elizabeth, and Dough Downs. Writing About Writing: A College Reader. 2nd ed., Bedford / St. Martin’s, 2014.