My Writing Process

Procrastination Nation

Nothing to see here. Just another college student complaining about his procrastination problems.

• Although attempting time and time again to be a part of at least one of the classified types of writers, I cannot deny I am of the procrastinating breed of composers. From a role model report in Ms. Heinrich's fifth-grade class to an argumentative piece on the ethics of animal experimentation in Professor Laura Howard's section of Moral Thinking at the University of Arizona, I have consistently found myself foolishly trying to complete the writing process in one sit-down session the night before the assignment's due. I will not attempt to justify this flawed habit. I will not say I tend to work better under pressure. What I will say, however, is that within the strained amount of time that I can only blame myself for, I believe I do exhibit various characteristics of the different writing archetypes, mostly of the Sequential Composer.

Owlsen, Gavin. "Procrastination" 01/04/2011 via Flickr. Public Domain Dedication License.

• Although unfortunately falling into the procrastinator category, I do attempt to utilize the promising habits of each type of writer to whatever extent. In the constrained allotted time I foolishly give myself repeatedly, I usually have a methodical plan heading into the process. Although not necessarily Heavy Planning, I consistently have a set idea for not only the content but structure of the to-be-composed piece. Similarly, partially due to the lack of time, it is a rare occasion for me to submit a composition without extensive proofreading and review from myself as well as a peer. Consequentially, I have not earned the label of being a Sequential Composer because of my procrastination habits but would consider myself just that if I translated my habits during the stressed time to a more comprehensive, comfortable timetable.

• If interpreted with respect to academia and grades, I would consider my writing process somewhat successful. If interpreted with respect to true evolution as not only a writer but a person, I would consider my history as a composer a failure. Procrastinating has a renowned bad reputation, but there is a reason a very overwhelming percentage of students are practicing the art of procrastinating. In spite of procrastinating and eliminating the effectiveness of the writing process, waiting until the last minute allows me to experience a sometimes much-needed leisure time as well as provide me time for my other 13 units of coursework. The glaring weaknesses are evident in that no effective process is used to most efficiently and powerfully relay my purpose in the piece, considering the lack of revision and planning. Although I am sure the work will weighing heavy on my head at times throughout this semester, I am actually very glad BS will not suffice in this class and that the writing process is not recommended but rather mandatory. I hope this will aid and propel my progression as a writer as this type of structure is something I have lacked throughout my academic career.

• In addition to time management, I think it would be largely beneficial for me to make a concerted effort to make a habit out of utilizing the Heavy Revising style. A character flaw of mine is that I often think what I do, whether it be on or off paper, is correct. Regardless of what archetype of writing I choose to classify with, I will always maintain the habit of having a clear plan concerning the content and structure of the composition. To combat my self-righteousness and the lack of time to revise and revamp my work, I want to attempt to move towards the Heavy Revising archetype of the writing process. Not only would this hopefully eliminate my procrastination habits, but also help me discover new potential of my writing that I had never thought I possessed beforehand.