The seed of my idea growing into its own, as illustrated by this lovely plant gestation drawing from iStock.
The underlying rhyme & reason of my writing process -- the thing that it all hinges on, that which allows the whole machine run -- is that I constantly strive to use the things I do know about as a means of discovering what I don’t.
The first step I made for each of the three projects involved me creating lists of all the potential topics and avenues for said topics that I could use to fulfill the parameters of each respective assignment. I looked for patterns in the prospective things I could write about, searching for trends within them. With that done, I was able to then segway that into a solid concept that I could then develop into what would eventually be my first draft.
Once I have an idea of what these facts are telling me, I turn my attention to the introduction and conclusion of my argument. Although this is a draft, it is my aim to have both of these sections at finished-level quality. I like to work with a well developed foundation for which I will base the prose I use to frame the facts and details I have gathered, and this is the manner in which I achieve that.
As a result of my rather detailed and intensive outlining process, my first drafts were all fairly established before I even started writing about them. Writing for me then became an exercise in expanding topics and subtopics that I had previously made note of. My research became more than the surface-level; I inserted details, facts, quotes, and sought out supplemental items, such as photographs and artwork, all with the aim of filling out the content portion of what I was working on.
Revision is how I give my writing a distinctive shape — and it's also where I take the time to make sure that it blends into its surroundings. Claudia Nice's landscaped trees perfectly illustrate how my growing plant is still far from done.
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The crux of my revision process is centered around the utilization of time.
I have to give myself time away from what it is that I’ve written, as I require a certain amount of distance to properly reflect on it. Without this, I feel as if I’m doing a continuous series of edits rather than a proper revision of the whole. My work needs the time to breath as much as I myself do. With a healthy amount of distance between us, I undergo a period of self-critique. I look at fixing the wording of my prose, seeking to improve the flow of my writing, and properly formulate the facts I’ve gathered in a way that fits the expectations of the discourse community for which I am participating within. The first time that eyes that were not my own gaze upon my work comes in the form of peer review. I noticed that the majority of the comments I received were on the ideas that underlaid my writing more so than on the actual prose itself. This bestowed on me a very good source of insight as to what it was my audience wanted to get out of my pieces, and finally gave me an anchor for which to really center the rest of my editing around. |
All the subsequent revisions were made with those comments in mind. I would also frequently look back at the discourse guidelines — be they actual guidelines like Wikipedia or just the grading rubric, as for the Living Picture Narrative — to make sure my work would fit into what else was happening in the space.
From this point onwards each edit was like a continuous stream, wherein I performed multiple revisions and quality checks on a much smaller scale, oftentimes in specific areas rather than as an edit on the entire piece. I took longer and longer breaks between these minor edits, and typically checked back in on my work until the deadline is due.
This is my way of constantly ensuring that there are fresh eyes on the work, essentially being my own peer reviewer as future version of myself looking over my past work.
From this point onwards each edit was like a continuous stream, wherein I performed multiple revisions and quality checks on a much smaller scale, oftentimes in specific areas rather than as an edit on the entire piece. I took longer and longer breaks between these minor edits, and typically checked back in on my work until the deadline is due.
This is my way of constantly ensuring that there are fresh eyes on the work, essentially being my own peer reviewer as future version of myself looking over my past work.
At the end of the day, I want to see my writing as a whole — seeing the forest for the trees. Jamie Mills illustrates how taking a step back lets you see your work amongst its peers.
Although I undoubtedly strengthened my skills in all areas, it was these three (pictured left) that I found to have became a very fluid continuum that I was always coming back to, a trio that organically flowed and fed into one another, to the point that separating them seems dishonest.
The standards and expectations I put on myself and my work — my process — were impacted greatly by outside factors, and both it and myself turned out the better for it. Adhering to the conventions enabled me to see all the forms my writing was able to take in order to suit the discourse community I was writing within. |
As I noted before, I’m very cerebral in general, but now more than ever I was constantly cognizant of what it was that I was writing; I saw all the ways that my process worked, as well as the places where it failed. This reflective look at my process enabled me to really boil down my writing and revision strategies, and allowed me to see how good I am at adapting said process across all the different projects that we did.
The interplay between these three aspects, especially as I revised, meant that each draft felt like solid, tangible steps toward something, and each new project that I could and would successfully meet.
I think we both know that we’re far harsher on our own works than anyone could ever be towards them, and that is true. But I think the reverse is equally true. Oftentimes the only person who can make you achieve greatness is yourself, and these three skills made me see the truth in that.
Going forward, I feel that the newfound security that I have found can carry me anywhere. I can now chameleon my way through any writing assignment by making it a key part of my process to ascertain the norms, and by constantly being aware of what I want to convey will benefit me greatly.
The interplay between these three aspects, especially as I revised, meant that each draft felt like solid, tangible steps toward something, and each new project that I could and would successfully meet.
I think we both know that we’re far harsher on our own works than anyone could ever be towards them, and that is true. But I think the reverse is equally true. Oftentimes the only person who can make you achieve greatness is yourself, and these three skills made me see the truth in that.
Going forward, I feel that the newfound security that I have found can carry me anywhere. I can now chameleon my way through any writing assignment by making it a key part of my process to ascertain the norms, and by constantly being aware of what I want to convey will benefit me greatly.