Not everybody writes using exactly the Writing Process (Pre-Write, Write, and Re-write). Many critics of the Writing Process such as Joseph Petralia and David Russell say that the Writing Process is too rigid and that every student has his/her own style of a writing process and it is up to each student to discover what writing style suits him/her. In the Activity Theory Post-Process Theory, Richard Fulkerson in his book, Pre and Post Process Review and Ruminations says the idea of writing is recursive and that teaching writing means helping each student develop a process of writing that works effectively for them. (Clark, 12)
Here are some examples of the different kinds of writers you can have in your English Composition class:
1. Writers who plan in advance
These students would think and plan what they will write in their minds before they write ideas down on paper. As a result, their first drafts are better than other first drafts. These are students who can visualize the paper in their head before they write their paper and then they write down what they see in their heads. This is how I write my papers.
Student Comment of this kind of writer:
"I am a visual learner. I visualize the entire outline in my head. Then I write my paper from that mental outline in my head. Sometimes I draw a concept map of what I see in my head to write my rough draft faster."
2.Writers Who Discover Ideas Through Writing
There are students who as they write their body paragraphs find out what they want to say as they write the paper. These students do not pre-write. They do not visualize the paper in their head or plan ahead. Instead, they simply write down what they know, or write down what they have researched in search of ideas. Students who use this method of writing usually have to write many first drafts while revising each version of their rough draft instead they are pleased with their paper. Some of these students would write the middle of their paper first and then write their introduction, conclusion and thesis statement last. I have had many students who write in this method. These are students who have trouble coming up with a thesis statement, and they need to explore the topic by writing it down before they can come up with a central idea.
Student comment of this kind of writer:
"I can't write my thesis statement until I write my body paragraphs. Then I summarize my thesis statement after I write my paper. I can't pre-write because I don't know what to say in the beginning. I have to write it all down to see what I've got."
3. Writers who write in a linear fashion and spend time planning, writing and revision in stages
These writers do write in a more linear fashion. They pre-write their paper, brainstorm, outline, and then write their rough draft and then revise. These students use the Writing Process more than other students. These students write their papers in stages in step with the wriitng process.
Student comment of this kind of writer:
"I pre-write my paper by doing brainstorming where I write down all I know and then I decide on a topic. I then read some articles and decide on a thesis statement based on the research. After I know my thesis I write my body paragraphs and conclusion. After I write my rough draft, I spend a lot of time revising.
4. Writers who delay writing their paper until the very last minute
These students are the procrastinators. They wait until the very last minute to write their paper. Often, they write the paper the night before it is due all in one sitting all at once. They pull an 'all-nighter' where they just write it all down almost like a stream of consciousness exercise. When students wait until the last minute to write their paper, they usually make more mistakes because they have less time to revise/proofread their paper and students who write at the very last minute tend to get a lower grade.
Student Comment of this kind of writer:
"Oh, I have 3 more weeks before I have to look at that assignment. I still have no idea what I am going to write about, but I have plenty of time later on to do it. The deadline is still far away."
or
"I am pulling an all nighter and I sat up all night writing my rough draft. I got no sleep at all and wrote it all at once. I don't need to have a lengthy writing process and I don't need to think ahead because I can write it all in one shot. "
or
"I forgot the deadline. Can you give me an extra night and I promise I will get the paper to you tomorrow morning first thing!"
How do different writers figure out what kind of writers they are?
You can have students answer a forum prompt such as the one above: What is your writing process? Then you can tell students in your class lesson, the different kinds of writers and have students realize what kind of writers they are from their answers to the questions in the forums, "What is your writing process?".
Other questions the instructor can ask is the following:
Discuss your history as a writer.
Find examples of what you feel is good writing.
Reflect on why you are taking this English Composition class.
In a face to face class, you can have students think aloud and tell the teacher out loud what thoughts are going through their mind as they create the multiple drafts of their paper. This is called metacognition--an awareness of how they write. When each student becomes aware of his own unique writing process, this knowledge will help students gain confidence in knowing he/she is on his way to writing a good paper. A good writer has a purpose, knows his audience, and has time to revise/proofread his paper.
Clark, Irene. Concepts in Composition: Theory and Practice in the Teaching of Writing
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