Student Writing Process

Student Writing ProcessBy Robin Miller

A Quick Note from RobinFollowing is an example that walks you through my personal writing process. This example covers the steps I took to write an essay on a topic involving the book Celestina by Fernando De Rojas. Specifically, it shows how the Introduction of my paper was developed, from start to finish. The body paragraphs and conclusion evolved in much the same manner, but are excluded here for the sake of brevity. For those who are interested in this essay in its entirety, or just want to correspond about the writing process in general, I welcome all inquiries. Most of my best learning has been in collaboration with my peers and I would be happy to hear from you. Please feel free to e-mail me at msrobinmm@csu.fullerton.edu.

(Please note, this essay has been scanned in to Turnitin.com and is my sole intellectual property.)

Be Prompt with the Prompt. I start reading and or researching early, with a special focus on answering the prompt for the paper, if it is available. Even if the prompt is not given until after the reading assignment is due, being thoroughly familiar with the material will help later when rescanning the text for information that is pertinent to the prompt. It is imperative to give myself enough time to have enough material and familiarity with the text to make the writing process easier. Good writing begins with good reading comprehension. I cant write about something I either do not thoroughly understand or have enough information about to write creatively and authoritatively on my topic. Reading is a discipline, but as with all disciplines, it feels good to be an expert. Careful and close reading doesnt just improve my grade; it improves my competency and confidence as a student and person.

Assignment PromptHere is the prompt for my essay on Celestina: How does the text Celestina present the problem of the gift? For instance, what kind of gift does Calisto want from Melibea, and how is this gift expressed? What kinds of gifts does Celestina receive or offer? Remember to focus on moments that explicitly bring up the language of giving/receiving.

Trash the Book. Read actively. This means taking note of significant elements such as plot structure, character development, symbolic meanings, thematic concepts, etc. I write in the margins, I underline passages, I use a color coded highlighting system to denote different lines of thought throughout the text. I circle key terms or interesting phrases; I doodle smiling faces, question marks, and even swear words when something rouses anger or disgust. I dog-ear pages and stick post-it notes over paragraphs I want to focus on in my writing. I have even been known to tear pages out of the middle of long texts, although I do not recommend this if you need to reference the text in class. I know a lot of students are afraid to write in their books because they intend to sell them back. I personally would rather part with 20 bucks and have the tremendous sense of accomplishment that comes from an essay well done. Nonetheless, if you insist, at least scribble all over your pages with pencil. You can always erase before hocking the book back. Another excellent practice is to take notes while I read. This allows even greater expansion of my thoughts when my epiphanies are larger than the margins of my text. Sample Textbook Markings

Sample Handwritten Notes

Become a Narcissistic Philosopher. In other words, crawl into the text.

Once I have read through a text and done any relevant close reading, if I cannot find something therein that in some way resonates with my own experience, or peaks my own curiosity, its going to be a long, arduous, boring task to write about it. It is always best to choose a text that sparks my interest when possible. If not, I have to do some good old fashioned self-centered digging to find something (anything!) of interest.

Sample Narcissistic Philosopher QuestionsHave I ever felt like this character?

Have I ever experienced something like this?

Do I relate to the characters, or the narrative voice? If so, why?

What is the bigger cultural picture here?

Why does this matter to me, to people I care about or respect, or to people I dont particularly like?

How is this consistent with or in conflict with my own value system? Why?

What does this story or poem tell me about life, about the world, about history, about religion, about nature, about anything that is an interesting topic to me?

How can I connect with this piece of work? If it was the only text I was ever given, what would it tell me about literature, about life, about what it means to be a human being?

If I could teach the world something important using this text, what would it be?

What important thing have I learned from the text?

Is there more than one way to interpret this text? If so, how do the interpretations differ and what does that tell me about the ambiguities in my own life?

What is the context of this text and how does that relate to the context in which I find myself in my own life?

Connecting the Personal and the AcademicAny number of questions can be added to this list, but the general idea is to make the material personal in some way. This self-focused line of questioning will obviously not be explicitly stated in my scholarly work since most of what we submit in college classes is more objective, but by making the text more personal, I am opening up ideas which will enrich and expand my writing. I once did this with a very stuffy scientific research paper on global climate change for a geography class and it worked wonders. As an English major, I am not altogether interested in the effect rising temperatures will have on the oceans Gulf Stream. However, Ralph Waldo Emerson is my favorite author and he wrote an essay called Nature which has always inspired me. Henry David Thoreaus subsequent experiment at Walden Pond was enough to make an environmentalist out of me. Essentially, I used my own passion and knowledge to make an otherwise difficult or boring subject interesting and relevant for myself. This is not to mention the A I got on the paper I didnt really want to write.

Note my Notes: Official NotesOnce I have scribbled notes all over my book and noted what matters to me about the text, I draft what I call official notes. Sometimes I handwrite them. Sometimes I type them out. Sometimes I draw giant brainstorm bubbles on a white board I have at home. Sometimes I group my notes and ideas onto separate white pages and tape them to my wall, creating a life-sized outline for my paper. These notes include quotes, but only preceding lengthy and detailed responses to them. This helps me to identify key concepts I want to cover in my paper. This is the raw material for my paper. These official notes are essentially a rough draft that gets me going.

The first few lines of a paper are always the hardest to write, so if I tell myself I am just typing out some notes, its as if Ive tricked myself into writing a first, unorganized, terribly incomplete draft. Every paper has to start somewhere though, and this is how mine usually start.

Sample Official Notes for IntroductionI typed out the following information for the Introduction of my paper on Celestina.

I would like to say here that I dont always write my Introduction first. Or, if I do, it gets radically altered as I write the rest of my paper to reflect my evolving and emerging ideas. I dont always know right off the bat what I am going to say about any given subject, but often discover it as I write.

IntroductionMain Idea: Gifts = CursesSo-called gifts that are exchanged:

Calisto --> Melibea flattery = Melibeas offendedMelibea --> Calisto rejection = would have saved his life if he left well enough alone, but he doesntSempronio & Parmeno --> Calisto good advice but since its not what Calisto wants to hear, he angrily disregards it

All these characters die in the end. The other two Areusa and Elicia live (but why? what makes them different?....)

Death that gives relief to sorrow is so welcome (De Rojas 2).

Prmeno I dont want any ill gotten gains (De Rojas 25). Elicia I only want daily grub and Ill leave glory to Paradise (91)

Areusa Ive always preferred to live in my little house, free and my own mistress, and not in their luxurious palaces, like a prisoner under their thumb (108). Elicia and Areusa are the only main characters that live in the end because they are not caught up in the game of indebtedness. they resist any reliance on those who would have sway over them . they are not indebted to them because they do not rely on them for shelter or sustenance. The very thing that frees them their sexuality is that which is so deeply condemned in women, as seen in the high demand of maidenhead repair at Celestinas place.

It is the very issue of gifts, getting, giving, and gaining that propels the plot forward with the moral crisis highlighted by the tensions between the characters. cheerful poverty is the only honest policy and honest poverty is the only safe path (De Rojas 25). Poverty = no tender = no gifts!! even the language throughout the text refelects this. Actions not usually associated with exchange is infused with the idea of giving and getting. give a thought get quick results (45)

None of the gifts exchanged in Celestina are blessings upon the receivers but more akin to curses. Calisto gives flattery to Melibea, which insults her as this practice of flirtation is contrary to societal norms of discretion and proper courtship. Melibea then rewards him with a sharp rejection which devastates rather than delights her enamored recipient. Calistos servants Sempronio and Prmeno both attempt to give Calisto sound advice that would presumably cure him of his fatal obsession with Melibea and their reward for this offering is harsh reprimands that force them into a fatal conspiracy. Go to SleepOnce I get all these thoughts and ideas down, I drop all of it for at least a day or so. I may work on other subjects and remain busy with other activities, but I do not touch this particular text. This is another reason why it is so important for me to start early.

This is a very crucial and too often overlooked part of the writing process. I call it the incubation period. I let go and trust the creative power of my own brain. If I give it a rest, it comes back stronger and sharper than ever when its time to start writing. I do not have to worry about forgetting anything, because by now I have it written out in my notes. Frequently, it is during this intellectual rest period that I get a giant A-Ha that becomes the driving force of my paper, otherwise known as the thesis. By ruminating over the text for a while, I begin to revel in my own accumulated knowledge and ideas begin flooding my mind. I jot new ideas down, but keep any note taking, reading, or writing to a minimum. Now is just a time to think. What is writing, but a physical manifestation of thought?

If I do not think about what I am going to write, it will be reflected in what I write. Mindful attention to the paper makes the difference between just getting it done and completing something I am really proud of and even, sometimes, changed by. Writing isnt just about turning a paper in. It is about exploring your own mind. You cannot do this and remain unchanged.

Start TalkingAnother strategy I use with some regularity to generate ideas and bolster my confidence with the material is I start talking about it. I become the chatterbox at the dinner table, showing off what I have learned and what I think I know. Even if I exaggerate my knowledge a bit, the act is fun and my family doesnt know any different.

I tone it down in class, but do a lot of talking there too. There was a time in high school and early in my college career I was afraid to speak up in class. This was partly for lack of preparation, but more so from lack of confidence. I thought the other students were smarter than me. Maybe so; maybe not. One thing is certain though, if I want to be smarter, learning is enhanced when it is collectively pursued. Sharing ideas (even if they are dumb in my own estimation) helps me to understand the material better. While I do learn from other students ideas, ironically, I learn the most from my own. When I start to speak my own ideas out loud, I convince myself of them and become my own best teacher. This process of communicating about the text further clarifies what it is I am going to say in my paper. Outline the Paper, Starting with a Rough ThesisWith all my reading, preliminary writing, and reflecting done, the hard part of writing a paper is over even before I have begun writing the first draft.

Its kind of like painting a house. If you are thorough with the prep work of sanding and stripping, putting on the fresh coat goes smoothly.

I start by writing a rough thesis. I say rough because in the process of writing, my thesis almost always changes, sometimes subtly, sometimes radically. Next, I list the main points I intend to use to prove my thesis. I write the thesis and the proof statements below the thesis. I see these statements as labels which will organize my paper. Again, as I begin to write, I often adjust and readjust these ideas, sometimes getting rid of both minor and major ideas altogether, either because they are not relevant to the point I am trying to prove, or they require more information than I have to back-up. Outline and Rough Thesis for Celestina EssayIntro (What is given and what results from that.)Thesis: Gifts = Tender (Not gifts) which indebt the recipients in the system of hierarchy in Celestina???

Body: Why are gifts curses in Celestina? Why are they used as tender? What does the patriarchal system of hierarchy have to do with it? PROVE my thesis... 1. Gifts hide sinful or base motives.2. Nature of gifts determined by class of characters.3. Celestinas ambiguous role in the gift-giving process4. Power gained through giving (Celestina vs. Melibea)5. Why Elicia & Areusa are the only main character who do not die (they exchange gifts from equal footing to one another)

Conclusion: Something wildly brilliant. (To be announced)

Put the Laundry AwayI mean this, of course, literally and figuratively. At this point, I sometimes feel tempted to procrastinate. It is a mystery to me why it always happens here. I get tentative and nervous. It is better if I do not give in to this feeling. If do succumb, at least my laundry is done and put away. But, eventually, hopefully sooner rather than later, I must proceed.

Proof Statements: Organizing DrawersBack to the labeled statements which are the proof of my thesis... Under each label I place relevant information. Quotes, analysis, and elaboration related to each labeled paragraph is then typed out.

I organize ideas the way I organize my dresser drawers. Each idea is given a certain category and each paragraph is like a drawer to put it in. Socks go in the socks drawer and introductory general information goes in the first paragraph. You get the idea. Generally, the introduction leads up to the thesis statement. The body of my paper contains the organized points I make to support the thesis. I conclude with information gleaned from the bigger picture questions I asked myself earlier.

Wildly, Maddeningly, Exhaustingand ExhileratingThis sounds neat and tidy, but its not. Its messy. Its chaotic. Its wildly, maddeningly, exhausting...and also somehow exhilarating.

Sometimes it takes more than one paragraph to write the introduction. Sometimes it takes several paragraphs to make one point. Sometimes the conclusion introduces a whole new idea as a result of all my intellectual blathering. The cursor goes back and forth across pages. Sentences are cut and pasted into more appropriate paragraphs. Paragraphs are cut and pasted for smoother transitions and more linear reasoning.

While there are many strategies to organizing a paper before, during, and after writing it, this is a learned process that takes practice. Do not hesitate to enlist help from a professor or Writing Center tutor or classmate who knows their stuff when you can no longer see straight. I have gone to the writing center to clarify my own ideas many times and have found it an invaluable resource well worth the time it takes to get there and sit through an appointment. 30 minutes with a tutor has saved me hours of chasing my own thoughts around without the objective eye a tutor can cast upon the deliriously, delicious process of writing a paper.

Wrap It Up: Details, DetailsCall me a sucker for details, but I love to put the finishing touches on my papers. Once I feel satisfied my ideas are sufficiently stated and organized (or I am simply running out of time to write), I print out my paper and read it out loud.

I keep a pen in hand as I do this. When something sounds off or a sentence is awkward, I trash the paper the way I trashed my book. I become a grammarian artist scribbling out words that are redundant and inserting more intelligent sounding ones. I draw in commas and strike some out. I repair painfully long run-on sentences. I reword things that sound confusing. If it sounds confusing to me and its my idea, I can be sure the professor will be scratching her head.

I look things up in my Writers Reference book.

I make sure all my quotes are cited, as well as anything I have paraphrased. I double check my Works Cited page.

Then, I read it again. And again. And again.

If I can round up a friend or family member who isnt already too weary of hearing me talk about this text, I ask them to read it too. Honestly, after doing this much work on a paper, feedback at this point is more for my ego than correction though.

Before Introduction: Already Revised, Now Ready for Editing

Final IntroductionThe Tender Gifts of CelestinaNone of the gifts exchanged in Celestina are blessings upon the receivers but are more analogous to curses. Calisto flatters Melibea, which insults her because flirtation is contrary to societal norms of discretion and proper courtship. Melibea then rewards Calisto with rejection, which devastates rather than delights her enamored recipient. Calistos servants Sempronio and Prmeno attempt to give Calisto sound advice, which would presumably cure him of his fatal obsession. Their compensation for this offering is harsh reprimands. Celestinas lethal conspiracy to coerce Melibea to succumb to Calisto is supposed to profit everyone involved, but becomes the corollary to their deaths. The only major characters in Celestina who survive all this lethal generosity are Elicia and Areusa. It is this tangle of self-seeking gift exchange that propels the plot forward. A web of manipulative deceptions is weaved into interpersonal and material exchanges across class boundaries. These offerings are frequently framed in coded language which submerges scandalous or taboo intentions. Rigid social constructs within a hierarchical society result in so-called gifts becoming forms of tender rather than endowments of generosity and goodwill.

Let it go. I had a teacher tell me once that when she was in college, she was never finished with a paper until five minutes before it was due. When its time to turn your paper in, give yourself a pat on the back for working so hard to get it done. Keep working to make your writing process your own. Note what worked and what didnt and incorporate that into your next round of copious reading, dizzying reflection, and disciplined writing.

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ~Sylvia Plath

Happy writing!