Andres Morales Professor Grunzel ENC 1101-01 October 28 2013 My Writing Process

For the past two and a half months I have had to examine a reading, 5 to 10 pages in length, every Monday and Wednesday night. These readings are a part of my English Composition 1 homework. The name of the book in which these readings are found is called Writing About Writing. From the title you could guess that this book should teach the proper ways to write. This is far from my truth though, unfortunately. Even after reading and analyzing countless articles on the proper methods to writing, my writing process is still inhabited by the ghosts of procrastination and writers block. Although these terrible habits haunt me, I still always find a way to get all of my papers completed. This raises a question in my head. When is the moment in which the engine turns on in my brain and I can begin to work? Is it a certain place in which my writing process can begin? Or maybe I am able to work and complete a task best when I plan out my writing before hand and avoid all social networking. Why is it so hard for me to sit down and finish a paper with out being distracted or procrastinating till the last possible moment to complete the task? To answer these questions I have tried researching myself as I attempt a rough draft for my English class. I will be tracking all of my writing for a weekend from 8am on Saturday morning until 8am Monday morning. This includes any writing for my rough

draft that is due on Tuesday, any texting, tweeting, or Facebook statuses. I want to see how much time I waste and at what point I really am able to sit down to really work on my paper that needs to be drafted.

Appendix A

Texting Texting Texting Texting Texting Constructing Draft Tweet

Sat Sat Sat Sat Sat Sat

8:15am 8:17am 8:23am 9:00am 10:15am 4pm

15 seconds 10 seconds 45 seconds 8 seconds 1 min 20 min

Sat

4:23pm 4:30pm

5 min 15min

Check facebook Sat

Search youtube Texting Constructing Draft Texting Texting

Sat Sat Sat

4:50pm 5pm 5:10pm

35min 5min 45min

Sat Sat

7pm 10pm

15 min 30min

Tweet Texting Constructing Draft Texting Tweet Construct Draft

Sun Sun Sun

11am 11:15am 3pm

30 sec 4min 35min

Sun Sun Sun

3:50pm 4pm 5pm

5min 10min 4hrs

As shown in the chart above, it is clear that I have a serious problem sitting down and getting my writing done. This is due to many different variables, but the most influential of those variables is with out a doubt my procrastination. The definition of procrastinate is to be slow or late about doing something that should be done (Merriam). This terrible habit has troubled me for a very long time. Now is when I have really tried to address this problem that I have. What is the reason for my procrastination? Is it my involvement in social media? It definitely plays a part in my failure to complete tasks, but I think there is a deeper problem. The problem is rooted in the way that I write. Although the chart doesnt depict what I do during my Construct Draft section, most of my time allotted during that section is spent just blankly writing. This technique of blankly writing my essays used to work just fine in high school, but now that I have stepped in to the world of college writing I have begun to see what is needed to write successfully on the college level. The missing piece to this puzzle of procrastination is planning. Planning is the most essential

part of higher-level writing. In a study of Donald Murray, a well-known writer, Carol Berkenkotter brings to light how much time this established writer spends on planning. Murray spends 45% of his time planning when he writes for his Journal of Basic Writing. As opposed to 28% for evaluating, 3% revising, and 24% editing (Berkenkotter pg.222). Berkenkotter also shows Murrays two methods of planning. The first is the setting of small goals and the second planning activity is planning out how to reach your audience (Berkenkotter pg222-23). After realizing this I tried to take a different approach to constructing my draft. I tried sitting down with my phone in another room and began to plan out what I wanted to write about. This was on Sunday when I was able to spend a good amount of time on my paper. I noticed that when I planned out my writing it seemed a lot less overwhelming, making it easier to stay focused for a longer period of time. Another aspect of writing that was heightening my procrastination were the places I was choosing to write at. As stated in Stephen Kings What Writing is, he creates a space for him to write in his basement over the years (King pg305). Although I have yet to find a place to write like Kings, I found that if I go to a library to try to write I am much more efficient. As opposed to when I try to write at my desk in my dorm there are more distractions such as the TV or talking to my other roommates. Distractions will always surround me and try to deter me from my goals, but finding the most efficient place for me to write has helped me immensely in accomplishing my writing goals in a timely matter. To summarize my research on a whole, it is evident that many variables affect my writing just as they would anyone else, but that wasnt what I was trying to answer with my

research. I wanted to find the moment that my motor begins to turn in my brain and I can finally sit down and finish a writing assignment. Luckily I was successful in answering my question. I found that I work much more effectively when I plan what I want to write prior to sitting in front of my computer with a blank slate before my eyes. I also concluded that it is helpful to find a place to write that is conducive to your writing success. Although I feel that I could still improve my writing even more, this research has showed me what I need in order for success in the literacy of writing.

Works Cited "Procrastinate." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.

Wardle, Elizabeth. Writing about Writing: A College Reader. [S.l.]: Bedford Bks St Martin'S, 2014. Print.