I didn’t realize how much of a formula I have for writing but as I write this I realize how I often do the same things. The first thing I do is read the prompt. I do this several times because it usually takes me a while to figure out what in the world it wants me to write about. If it is electronic I print it. Once I have it in a paper form, I highlight or underline the important parts of the prompt. This helps me to stay focused on what I am supposed to write about instead of going off on bunny trails.

So I am sure you have heard the joke that AP equals Advanced Procrastinators. We laugh about it, but in truth, it is one of my biggest struggles. Even now I am writing this assignment five and a half hours before it is due, and I still have a bunch of other assignments to do. It seems I can always find something else to do, or an assignment that is less stressful, but I end up stressing myself out even worse by doing it all last minute. I may or may not have cried several times this school year, and the punching bag has definitely become my new best friend…. ;) Having the writing groups in this class has helped with my procrastination, because even if I procrastinate getting my essay to the writing groups, it is still written (or at least drafted) a week before the big due date.
I generally write better alone, thus I begin writing at my desk in my room. I often begin to feel isolated from humanity and come downstairs to spread out my papers on our big school table. I inevitably end up going back upstairs because our house is full of happy little children. One thing about me is I am not very good at being still. So often I find myself writing on my bed, outside on law chairs or laying on the ground with one foot in the pool. I change my location several times when writing an essay; I think it refreshes my body and tricks my brain into being refreshed.
I end up mulling over the prompt and passage, noting things that might be useful in my essay and then I attempt to write an outline. Note the word “attempt”; I never get through with my outline before I start writing my essay. Sometimes I will write complete paragraphs and sometimes I just have little thoughts I don’t want to forget write them down to expound on later. Often I will be typing a few sentences here and there that don’t really correspond. Then I just start typing, and keep typing until it all moves together into a cohesive piece. It may not be beautiful at this point, but at least it makes sense, and the word count is there.
After this initial draft I don’t usually add a lot of new content; I just refine and edit. I print my essay and edit it by hand and then enter in the edits. I often find a lot of errors that I did not originally see when it was in electronic form. Sometimes reading it aloud helps me catch phrasing, logic, or grammar errors. Once I am already to submit, I print my essay for my mom and let her read through it, making sure I have not completely strayed off the prompt or made some gigantic grammatical error. Then I submit.
Sometimes this process takes three days sometime I do it in 3 hours. It really just depends on how much I have procrastinated. ;)
What are some of your habits? Do you procrastinate? How do you battle it? What tools do you use? PLEASE COMMENT:)
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