Better Writer

This semester, I have truly looked at my writing process more carefully and reconsidered my techniques. For one thing, I've learned that outlining every step of the way is not necessarily the best way to let my writing freely flow together or even let my style present itself. When you start and finish your essay with outlining and making sure that the "structure" is not ruined as you are in the process of writing, you are constricting yourself to writing only one kind of paper. In this way, ideas cannot even fully develop themselves and if they do, it is incomplete and unfinished.

Furthermore, I've learned that free-writing, my favorite form of writing, can be done for the "real" academic-setting papers as well. As I've learned from Elbow, it is the way to get the brain to start brainstorming and generating ideas. On the side, I've also been reading Mike Rose's "Writer's Block: The Cognitive Dimension" and he pretty much confirms what the other theorists have been saying as well. He especially highlights the importance of knowing when to begin "editing" a paper. I have realized that I sometimes try so hard to make sure each sentence I'm writing makes sense grammatically that I can't even let myself freely write because I am unconsciously or not worried that I'm not making any sense so I try to edit way too early. All these worries of following the "right format" of writing and etc. and I am paraphrasing Rose himself, end up giving you so much writer's anxiety that ends up building an obstacle so you sit in front of the computer, wondering how to start writing, and write on your face book that you are facing the worst writer's block...

Finally, I've learned to share my writing with peer tutors to get second and third opinions after a rough draft. In fact, it is good to have tutoring sessions with "writing consultants" to talk about my writing even before starting the writing itself and get help for the pre-writing stage. After all, I keep telling all my students about this at Hostos in my class and to the students that come to the writing center at LaGuardia. And besides, to become good at something, one must be willing to take criticism, that's how he/she learns. So, now I'm ready to show my writing to other people and "take" criticisms about my writing. I'm ready to become a better writer.