Writer's Journal #5

Historically, I have always been a writer that writes a rough draft all in one step. I have almost always done this. In this sense, I basically see the topic and then start writing. After I got everything I wanted on paper, that is when I would do any major or minor editing. It is a quicker and less detailed approach to writing. In elementary and middle school, I mostly did outlines and rough drafts first because it was the class requirement and our teacher checked to see that we were doing it. In the teacher’s ways, I had to write out a map of my essay or writing project by using a diagram. Then I would write a rough outline with a few complete sentences that I wanted to include in my essay with a topic sentence in each paragraph. Afterwards, I would write out each paragraph including everything I had written on my outline and then I would review it and so would one or two of my classmates. This way I was able to check my own work but also see how other people saw my writing project and maybe what needed more work. After all those steps, then I would write my final draft, do a quick check over, and submit the project.

The way I wrote in elementary and middle school is the most similar to the writing process that is described in this course. In the video it states, “Good writer’s almost never have one draft of a writing project. They write multiple drafts.” This is exactly how my teaches would have me write. I would have sometimes even four drafts and not be on my final draft. In all of these stages of drafts, I check for different areas of my writing like grammar, punctuation, and sentence flow. The way I naturally write though is more like the invention idea. I do all the invention and very little planning and drafting. By not doing every step in the writing process, I set myself up for confusion from the audience and not my very best writing.

There is not always time or opportunity to do a lot of drafting when writing in the everyday world but I think even mental drafting is important to do no matter what you are writing. I rarely take the time to do it but I know sometimes when I send emails I mess up the spelling or the grammar and it feels embarrassing. Especially the higher I go in my education and career; proper writing is expected of me. How could I lead a company if I cannot even spell? That is what all my employees would be thinking. Texting is a regular type of writing I do in my life. I think depending on who I am texting, it is important to do a draft and the revision process. For example, I have received job interview related texts. If I do not write a well thought out and correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation sentence or paragraph, then I may not even get the job! The writing process is important in every form of writing.

Works Cited Section

English 101-English Composition-Revision. ENG 101 Module 1 What is the Writing Process Pacton Spring 2019. YouTube, 24 May. 2019, https://youtu.be/KMVi4A8RCW0. Accessed 27 Jul. 2020.