I am using voice outloud metacognitive protocol where I think aloud what process or thoughts I think as I compose a paper or write parts of my paper.
As I mentioned previously, for the most part, I am a One Drafter where I visualize my paper in advance in my head. I come up with multiple drafts in my head. I change, tweak and revise multiple versions of that same paper until I settle upon a visualization of the paper in my head that I like. I then write down an outline of that visualization which I then use to turn into a paper.
In my head, I do the pre-writing strategies of brainstorming, "What will be my topic?", "How will I approach the teacher's writing assignment?" "What will be my stance?" "What reasons will I give to justify my stance?" Sometimes, I may do some reading to refresh my memory and take notes. Then, I go back in my head to go over my research and come up with reasons in my head. By this time, I have a good idea of both my thesis statement and my body paragraphs.
At this stage, I write down my outline that has my thesis and body paragraphs. I write my conclusion paragraph last. After I finish the first draft of my paper, I am pretty much finished except for proofreading for typos and writing a good hook.
For me, the only recursive part of my writing process where I have to go back to my paper is to write my hook. When I write a paper, I can never write my hook first. I need to know the context, situation, theme, reasons and conclusion of my paper first and then I go back for my hook. Once again, I go back to visualizing the entire first draft in my head. I revise and go over multiple versions of the hook in my head. This could take several days too.
When a good hook finally comes to mind, I then write it down to see if it goes with the rest of my paper. It is this stage I may write several hooks. In this way, I may resemble a multi-drafter (somebody who writes several drafts). After a lot of thinking, then I can write a good hook.
A good hook can be a funny anecdote, a quotation or an unusual fact. One can look up quotations online until you find one that fits your essay or one can read unusual facts until you find one that suits your paper. It is the funny anecdote that truly comes from my life and my head that takes a lot of thinking. Once I get that good hook to grab the reader's attention, then, my paper is complete.
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