First Post

I feel I was given a solid writing foundation from my high school education.  I studied the fundamentals of writing a quality essay using varieties of unique topics.  I wrote a large quantity of formal essays in AP and honors English classes, among others.  I am a procrastinator by nature, but I am trying to break the habit.  I see myself as a somewhat flexible writer.  I have no truly concrete preference in my writing environment or process.

As of now, I do not have a standard environment in which I like to write.  I have no real preference between writing seated at a sturdy desk or lounging comfortably on my bed or couch.  Noise is usually my foe when writing because of the short attention span I possess.  Although, I have no trouble writing with soft, instrumental music, possessing minimal vocals, playing in the background.  In addition, I have never favored pen and paper over a computer or vice versa.

I like to believe that my writing process is fairly standard in my writing, but admittedly the process changes and is usually dependent on the assignment.  In any case, brainstorming is always my first step.  I usually jot or scribble my immediate thoughts down in case I was to forget them further into my writing process.  When writing a major assignment, I usually hand write and type multiple drafts before publishing a final copy.  In the case of minor assignments, I may go through one, maybe two, drafts before my settling on a final piece.  Other times when writing small assignments such as this one, I usually make one copy and edit as I go and after the piece is complete.  I always proof my work before turning anything in.  I check for grammar and make corrections to keep the writing flowing smoothly.  I was taught by my former AP Language Composition teacher to avoid the word “it” in all of my writing, and to always use action verbs, when possible.  I look for comma splices and any “run-on sentences” and fix any upon finding them.  I avoid contractions in my writing and fix any I may have used during my revision.  In addition, I was taught that a set of eyes reading the work, other than the writer’s own, are always helpful when revising and critiquing.

I have always found that the most difficult parts of writing are starting and finishing just about any essay.  I always have to overcome writer’s block when starting my introduction, so often times I begin with the body portion of my writing.  In contrast to the challenge of starting, the challenge of ending is usually what I find most difficult.  I am always sure to summarize the piece before coming to an end, although I have trouble wording my conclusion as not to repeat or reuse the wording of my introduction.