My Writing Process

1. What type of writer do I consider myself to be?

I would most identify as a heavy reviser. I often have a general idea of the approach I would like to take before I start writing. I often don't quite have supporting claims that tie in to my argument properly until I start putting pen to paper. As I write out my arguments, they evolve into a coherent, linear progression of my main idea. This, however, occurs after some revision.

2. Does my writing process include several approaches? Which ones?

As I stated above, I most identify as a heavy reviser. With that being said, I would also say my writing process includes some elements of a procrastinator's. Often when I write my paper, I will get my thoughts onto the page fairly early. However, because I don't enjoy revising my work, I tend to push the revision step (which is quite important) as far into the future as possible.

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

My writing approach generally is fairly effective. I've found that I can revise my first thoughts into a coherent piece, despite my procrastination tendencies. For me, getting the ideas on the page is the hardest step, so normally my first revision can effectively tidy up my paper. The main weakness is that this can be a stressful process. With no concrete plan behind my work, I often fear that my argument could lead me to a dead end in terms of supporting evidence. This rarely happens, but it is a risk I take by not mapping out my paper beforehand.

4. Would it be beneficial for me to try a different approach? Why or why not?

I think that the heavy planning approach would be beneficial for my peace of mind. As I've said, I like to just get something on paper to make the task feel less daunting. This comes at a price, as I described in the last paragraph. Although it goes against my nature, planning the paper before writing it would take a lot of the stress out of the writing process and allow me to do fewer revisions.

Pasternak, Leonid. "The Passion of Creation" 02/19/2013 via Wikipedia.
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