the writing process.

Whenever I start writing, no matter fiction or nonfiction, everything has to be set up and ready. For example, for the research paper that I am writing, I have to have all my sources pulled up on different tabs so that I can access them as I write. I also open all the word docs on our class blackboard page that I think will be helpful for my paper or information that I might need to refer to as I write. I also have my email and blackboard open in case I have any questions.

I always write my introduction first because that is usually the part that comes easiest to me. I don't really do any brainstorming because I never end up using any of the brainstorming I do, so really it is a waste of time for me to sit and write out an outline. I feel like having an outline is too rigid, and when I right I like to change things as I go along. Depending on the type of writing that I am doing, I will sometimes speak the words out loud as I am writing and edit as I type if something sounds off.

The absolute hardest thing for me to do is analyze scholarly articles and interpret them so that their significance is clear. I usually end up summarizing the source rather than actually analyze it, so I like that we have already done informal papers where I have already done bits and pieces of analysis. As I write this paper, I also have all my informal papers pulled up on my computer screen so that I can refer to the analyses that I have already done. This has been SO helpful because once I get started in my analysis, it is so easy to come up with more and more ideas.

I always always take a break before writing the conclusion of any paper because that is the point when I consider my paper done. The conclusion is basically a summary of the paper, so once I have it written, I take a break to celebrate before summing the paper up in 2 or 3 sentences.