Week 2 Martins Handbook exercise 2.1

Week 2 Martin’s Handbook exercise 2.1

How do you typically go about preparing for a writing assignment?
Usually I think about it a lot and let it fester, then if there is any research to be done I will do so. After that I will sit down and write out a outline/draft. Lastly I refine it and usually write our a conclusion then or an intro, depending on which one was giving me trouble.

When and where do your best ideas often come to you?
My best ideas for my writing come to me when I am in bed about to go to sleep or right when I wake up. Recalling them later tends to be quite a problem.

Where do you usually write? Are you usually alone and in a quiet place, or is there music, conversation, or other sound in the background?
I usually write at my desk, bed, or on the couch. If I can be alone and in a quiet place it will be at the desk, unfortunately young children don’t understand homework and tend to make a lot of noise and are always in need of something. So I find my studying and writing on the couch or right before bed in bed. There is almost always conversation either from kids screaming or watching TV. I cant block everything out but do okay with a lot of it.

What materials do you use? What do you find most and least helpful about your materials?
I usually use the basic materials notepad and pencil at first they are easy to haul around. I defiantly use pencils versus pens because I hate to scratch out mistakes I prefer to erase them. Then I transcribe it to a computer so I can fix errors easily and add things in and use the spell check. This also gives me an opportunity to read how it flows as I transcribe.

What audience do most assignments ask you to address? How much thought do you typically give your audience?
Recently the only things that I have been assigned that are even remotely close to what this is asking is church talks. I usually mole it over for about a week and then will sit down a couple days before and write it out. I usually give a lot of thought about the audience, about what there needs might be and things they might need to hear.

What strategies do you typically use to explore a topic?
Usually when I am thinking about it I do a lot of research online and in any books that I may have obtained on that particular topic. I may ask some people their opinions on the topic an obtain feedback for it.

How do you usually write a first draft? Do you finish in one sitting, or do you prefer to work in sections?
When I write I a draft I mostly just try to get everything I have been thinking bout on to paper. Usually I don’t have a intro unless I stumbled on a clever way to open. Mostly its just the body and then it really is not in a very good order I usually switch a lot of things around during this time. After I finish with all that I continue to mole over the conclusion I tend to have a very abrupt ending and I try to make it as smooth as possible.

How do you typically revise, and what do you pay most attention to as you revise?
I typically revise a day or so after I write up the draft so I have a fresh pair of eyes, I usually read it through and catch the small mistakes such as punctuation and misspelled words, and things written backwards. Then I read it looking at the content and how well it flows and if all the information that I have is included to my liking. Then I will read it out loud just as a last effort on punctuation and content flow.

If you get stuck while writing, what do you usually do to get moving again?
If I get stuck I usually get upset, but I will try to work on another idea till I can come back to my original one. If I get really stuck I will leave it for awhile and try to clear my mind and then go back with a fresh look.

What is most effective about your writing and your writing process?
Well I guess its most effective because it works for me and it has become a routine. Jotting down my ideas and doing a rough draft is probably the most effective because I can really take off from that and include many ideas, and mold to how I want it.

What about your writing and your writing process worries you? What specific steps can you take to address these worries?
The thing that worries me the most about my writing is if I am completing the assignment to the expectation of the instructor. I can try to calm these worries by finding out exactly what is expected without question. And keeping that in mind while writing and then making sure I have addressed everything that needed to be addressed before I finish it up.

What is your favorite part of your writing process- and why?
My favorite part has to be research because I get to look a lot of things up and get a lot of different information and then again I really like it when I finish it and have the satisfied sense of completion.