By: Ozkul Ege Akin
I would definitely characterize myself as a great follower of Hamilton, especially when it comes to writing, because just like him I write like “I’m running out of time”! Well, it may only seem to Hamilton as if he’s running out of time but when I write I am usually literally running out of time! Just like I’m doing right now!
I feel like I am a slow writer when it comes to free writing but I tend to get more focused and creative when I’m running out of time. I usually check the subject and topic of what I’m going to write and I even might write down how and what I’m going to write about on a separate piece of paper, so it’s easier when I’m writing. However, I always have difficulty in resisting the pleasure of procrastination! – I mean how could you even think about writing an assignment when you can socialize, work out or be on your phone as you watch Netflix instead! – After I’m done with my writing plan I will usually lose focus until the due date arrives and then I get stressed and get in a mindset even unknown to me! Being an underwater athlete, I have had to learn how to meditate, calm myself and focus, and I use this method almost every time I’m writing, and even doing any other type of homework or studying. I do not do any type of other prewriting except my brainstorms on paper and I don’t eat or drink while I’m writing. To be able to get extremely focused and undisturbed while I write I usually look for an environment with no sound and movement that can interrupt me, which is generally my desk in my room or the library. For my last step, I put my laptop in airplane mode and turn my phone off. Sometimes I even lock my door for further psychological relaxation. Now that I’m completely “out of the current world” I start in writing.
When I’m writing, I completely focus on the subject I’m writing about and I usually do my best to finish it quickly so I donot stray from the topic because of the rush of more ideas I get while I’m writing. If I’m suddenly greeted with a great idea I can embed in my writing I will write it down on my “sheet of brainstorming” and continue to finish my writing. After I am done, I usually revise the whole writing once without adding anything except grammatical and vocabulary corrections, then I study my text to add the other ideas I got while writing or revising it. I love taking these steps while I’m writing because I found that trying to add new ideas to my text while I’m writing it usually ends up in a disaster! Therefore, I find myself usually adding a couple more sentences to my writing. Lastly, I revise it one last time for basic errors, and I’m finished!