post #13

When I sit down to write a paper, I generally cannot do it all in one sitting and I need to take several breaks. After each paragraph or so, I check my email or go on Facebook or just get away from my computer. It is definitely not the most efficient way to get the paper done, but it helps me to write better when I step away from the paper every so often. I don't really have a set order of what I do before I start to write my paper or what I do when I take a break. It's just whatever I feel like doing to take my mind off of the assignment for a little bit. Also, I almost never write my ideas in the order they would come in the paper (ex: intro first, body, conclusion). Even if I am in the middle of a paragraph or sentence, and an idea comes to mind, I immediately switch gears and start writing about that. I know that I can always go back to doing whatever I was writing at first, so I just start writing my new idea so that I won't forget it. Additionally, I never begin with my introduction. I think this is one of the harder things to write, and it is usually the last thing I write in a paper. I think it helps to write your introduction after you have written the rest of your paper because now you have a better idea of what you need to introduce to your audience.