Post 239: Different students writing processes

Post 239: Different Students Writing Processes

Some students like to plan ahead and visualize their papers in their heads before they write a paper, these students are called One Drafters.

Other students explore ideas as they write their paper. These students sometimes cannot come up with a thesis statement until they have written their paper. Instead of writing their thesis statement first, they write their thesis last.

Some students like to write their introduction and conclusion paragraphs first before they can write their body paragraphs.

Yet others like to write their conclusion paragraph first before they can write the entire paper. This is especially true for creative writing when writers like to write the ending/conclusion before they write the story.

Students who explore ideas as they write tend to write multiple drafts before they get a draft that they like. These students are called Multi-Drafters.

When I write a paper, I am a One Drafters. I visualize the paper in my head. Then, I write down an outline of what I see in my head and then transform that outline into my rough draft. I tend to write too much so I spend my time revising by cutting out the unnecessary information until I fit the 10 pages my professor wants.

The One Drafters and Multi Drafters represent the extremes in student writing processes. Most students fall in between and most students do follow the Writing Process of (Pre-Writing, Writing, and Re-writing).  By studying the extremes in your class, you get an idea of what kind of writers you have in your writing class.

Sometimes writers differ in their writing processes depending on the complexity of the topic, or the writing genre being used and thus these differences would require different cognitive processes to write a paper.

Even though critics say the Writing Process is rigid, I find that when I teach the Writing Process, it helps students have a framework from which to approach writing an essay and I find most students like learning about the Writing Process. But for those students who do not fit the Writing Process paradigm, I do tell students it is okay to stray from the rigid structure of the Writing Process so students can each discover their own writing process their way.

As a writing teacher, it is my job to help my students explore what his/her unique writing process is by talking with the student and trying to learn the metacognitive process of that students' writing process in order to best give him the unique feedback that student needs to succeed in his writing skills. This is why I find teaching writing an adventure because like Forrest Gump used to say, in each chocolate candy box, you never know what you are going to get. With each new class, I never know what exciting different writing styles I will find with each new batch of writing students.