Writing Rituals

Everybody has their own methods for writing; however, I believe there is always room for improvement. Chapter 3 in Everyone’s an Author has shown me that writing involves processes that need to be mastered through constant practice. It also revealed helpful tips on how to develop writing processes that can help write effective papers.

It is essential to understand that classes taken in grade school do not give students a full understanding of each subject. With the topic of writing, there will always be a new lesson to learn, an aspect to improve, or a differing way to explain. Author Craig Vetter states in Bonehead Writing, “This is your enemy: a perfectly empty sheet of paper. Nothing will ever happen here except what you make happen.” Each story, essay, or response comes from a writer’s experiences. With each attempt at a new piece comes an underlying story of emotions the writer is facing. Each person’s writing is unique and the ideas people have are related to their past experiences and what they believe to be familiar with when deciding which writing style to use. As a high school student, I have learned many things about writing that helped me become the improved writer I am today, but the most essential advice I have received is practice makes perfect. Although there is no actual perfect way of writing, I have discovered that each essay I write, my writing improves. It is easier to spot mistakes, find areas to improve, and ponder elevated word choice to use.

However, most of the time I will despise writing and try to avoid it as much as possible. The reason I do not like writing is, because I frequently have so much to say and I cannot grasp a way to organize everything. When I write for enjoyment I will mainly write about the thoughts in my head and nonchalantly caring if it makes sense or not. It’s like the difference between a doodle and a drawing. A doodle is just a “whatever” picture. It is just randomly drawn and it won’t matter if the lines are straight or not. In a drawing everything has to be perfect and neat. I enjoy to “doodle” write and just write my thoughts out about anything, I am afraid to publicly say. I’ve been taught to write by having teachers just tell me what they want me to write. The part about me learning to write I kind of have taught myself using some of the knowledge that previous teachers have given me. Not only, but I also, face several challenges as a writer like the lack of creativity and writing descriptively. When I write, I like to just state my point or main idea, but I struggle with describing it in depth and explaining my main idea as specific as possible. Some writers make a drama and explain everything so clearly and their emotions, however I am not that type of

The first step to being successful, no matter what you’re trying to succeed, is to recognize your weak points, your strengths, and your limits. I myself know that I have several, and when I say several, I mean several, weak points when it comes to writing papers. The first and most lethal to a student who wishes to be well, is procrastination. I will always put writing a paper off till the last minute. In fact, I’m doing it right now as I’m writing this. I’m already doing what I say I’m not supposed to be doing. You can probably tell that I’m off to a great start. The next on the list of things that will brutally murder a student who wishes to do well in a class are distractions. Of course there is a multitude of things that can distract

Whenever I get a writing assignment for class, it seems like a chore. I don’t have a problem with writing, but papers always seem to take more time than they should. Maybe this is due to poor planning on my part, but essays are usually an ordeal, and I dread actually doing the work to finish one. The task is simple enough, but putting it off always seems like a better alternative to writing. I do think about the paper that I have to write, but I do not put thoughts and ideas into a paper or outline until I absolutely need to do so. From the moment I am given an assignment sheet, I begin brainstorming about the paper. I may not use any of these ideas, but I think of them. I also have a tendency to forget good ideas, which leads me to think

Teachers, parents, and friends often tell students exactly what the writing process should entail and how long it should take. However, the older I get, the more I realize that the writing process varies not only from person to person, but also from one writing project to the next. Throughout my years of life, I have written countless papers, ranging from a persuasive speech to an extensive research paper, and each project requires an altered version of my personal writing process. While each individual has his own writing process, there can be many similarities between different writing processes. Finding one’s individual writing process takes trial, error, and repetition. When an individual finally uncovers his unique writing process, better thought, work, and writing is produced.

As your paper finally slides into that dreadful homework basket, you realize you are finally done. That stressful weekend, with the anticipation, the typing, reading, re-reading and retyping. Is finally over, you have now handed in your essay. Does this sound familiar? Of course, it does! We have all worked on that English or history paper and felt relief after handing it in. But, why is this common event always so stressful for students? Perhaps it is in the way we write our essays, but is there any other way to do it? As it turns out… YES! There are many different strategies to writing, and in this editorial, we will outline some of the most commonly voiced methods.

What’s the first thing you do before getting started on writing a text? Is it turn on music, get yourself alone in a room, turn on the TV? Whatever it is, everyone has their own writing process. Elizabeth Wardle and Doug Downs state, “…it would seem that if you want to become a more versatile, capable, powerful writer, you need to be pretty aware of which activities, behaviors, habits, and approaches lead to your strongest writing-and which don’t”(170). The writing process has a major effect on the effectiveness of the paper it’s got to do with what it takes you to get the best on paper. My writing process consists of all paperwork, which is related to the writing and music that’ll help me focus.

When I think about writing, I feel intellectually ravenous toward the subject I am given. When I am tasked with a writing assignment I figure out how I feel about the subject and what ideas I could incorporate into my writing that pertains to the subject. I find it easier to write after knowing how I feel and doing research on the topic to gain a better understanding of what I'm supposed to be writing about. After studying the subject, I organize my paper and construct the layout of the paper to see how I want my paper to flow, and what emotions are to be portrayed in my writing. This part is very important to do because I am a horrible writer without knowing beforehand how I want everything to sound and flow. After the planning process, I

To begin, the most crucial element to a writing ritual is comfort, to achieve maximum comfort the writer must light a Yankee candle and wear fuzzy socks. Applying these rituals any time the writer writes they will produce a much better outcome while being completely comfortable. Performing these rituals will tremendously help the writer, helping he or she reach their highest potential.

The book They Say I Say looks at writing as more of a conversation on paper between you the writer and whoever is reading the text. In the first few pages of the book it is said that writing should be compared to something that you are passionate about, driving is used as an example. If you are able to become fully involved in what you are writing you will be able to convey your message with greater success. Just as with driving your writing should become like second nature. You should not have to think about writing to your reader, but rather you will automatically write in this style because it has become second nature.

When I'm actually writing, I write as fast as a turtle can crawl. A 2 page essay usually takes me around 6 hours to finish. My teacher once told me to use a process called brainstorming which I tried but found it not very helpful. It's no brain buster for me to start an essay. I just sit down, roll up my sleeve and start jotting down that first sentence. But what comes next is an arduous journey. I usually have thoughts going on in my head and while I'm pondering on which thought to put down on paper, I would forget what they were and I have to start thinking all over again. It is extremely taxing on me mentally. Once I'm stuck, which occurs almost after every sentence, I would reread the whole essay again. Worst yet, I have a fond habit of procrastinating. I can only write in peace and quiet, and that's only possible after everyone's in bed. Then surrounded by the infinity darkness of my room, I would merge with my paper and pen under the dim table lamp voided from the consciousness of space and time. Only when dawn glimpse through my window, would this timeless eternity be shattered. I would wait until night to start my writing trek, and "night" means the night before the assignment is due. This way I can finish the essay in one attempt instead of having to span over

Build good writing habits is the first in the series of becoming an excellent writer. A good writer reads on a regular basis. Reading on a regular basis allows the novice writer the opportunity to examine how a good essay or report is constructed (Sebranek, Kemper, & Meyer, 1999 pg.14). Moreover, it is the building block for one’s own writings. While building the habit of becoming an effective writer, it is recommended that the new writers set a routine stick with it (Sebranek, Kemper, & Meyer, 1999 pg.14). Like any good scholar, time set aside for writing should be used strictly for the practice of

When you think of the word rituals usually you think about things that people do as a process to accomplish a goal. Writing rituals is about the same situation, it’s a series of events you do in order to successfully write an essay without interruptions or writers block. Writing rituals can be almost anything, it can be the place you have to go to write or things you have to have near you to make you comfortable and confident. For people like myself, I am more of a person who has rituals like time and behavior. In the dead during the night with an ice-cold Dunkin Donut’s coffee I am at my peak of writing and can go for hours.

Writing has always played a huge role in my life. I’ve been reading writing for as long as I can remember as I have an immense love of reading. This love would grow into a love for writing as well; I still stumble upon journals and writings from my five-year-old self about the happenings in my kindergarten class. As time would go on I would discover academic writing, and how to convey my thoughts on what was the topic of student that particular year or semester in my schooling. Later, writing would become a constant for me, and a comfort; I was known to my friends as always having a journal, and a pen on my person. I learned to write down my feelings and my thoughts, song lyrics that were in my head, reflections for the day. I learned how