by: Emily Moseley

I wouldn’t say that Alexander Hamilton and I are similar; however, one thing we both have in common is a knack for speed-writing. He wrote like he was “running out of time” because he has so much to say, and, during the Revolution and in the midst of creating a country, time was not on his side. I, however, am usually running out of time because of my procrastination (a very refined skill of mine) and because I’m a fast typist.

In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, typewriters did not exist. It was pen and paper, and even then the pens were not the roller-ball ones we have today, they were much less efficient ink pens. So writing, at least from my perspective, would be worlds different if I were to travel back in time because I’ve been typing everything since as long as I can remember. (Don’t get me wrong, I have great handwriting, I’m just slow.) I went to a small school all my life with, let’s say, a limited computer class that consisted of mostly typing games from second to fifth grade. So, as a bored lower-schooler, I poured all my effort into learning how to type and type well. If you asked, I couldn’t explain why, it was just fun. Something about the clicking of the keyboard and that slight rhythm that you find when writing notes or an essay inspired me. And the reason I say that I would not survive in Hamilton’s time is because I try to type at the speed of my thoughts: a little over 100 words per minute. Anything slower and I would just forget where I was going with my last sentence or lose my train of mind.

I am in no way a writer, nor do I ever aspire to be; but I recognize that it is an invaluable skill to have. And by taking joy in the little things like the sound of your keyboard strokes and the satisfaction of typing a sentence super fast, I can make writing more enjoyable and try to find that rhythm to make my writing flow not only on the screen but when I’m typing as well. My writing practices are pretty structured. Once I actually start the assignment, I go in deep making outlines, taking notes in the outlines hoping that one sentence might inspire a paragraph later on, and then writing the essay in color. I know it sounds weird, but when I’m envisioning something, especially a more academic or dry topic, I try to find the distinct parts of the topic and how I’m writing it so I can color it in my essay and make sure I’m balancing out every topic I wanted to hit on. (It’s kind of like when you buy binders/notebooks for class and history for some reason had to be blue and science green, like there’s no way you could take notes in anything but that color for that class. Yeah, it’s like that.)

Sometimes when I procrastinate a little *too* much, I skip right to the actual writing and still color coordinate so I can kind of see an outline and where I’m lacking information or perspective. It sounds tedious, but it lets me go a lot faster knowing that I can type whatever I want as fast as I want and then sort it later. It’s not til I do my final final (yes, we all have those files named “Final Essay” and “Final Essay 2” and even “Final FINAL Essay”), that I remove the color and am comfortable where everything stands. Also working in google docs helps tremendously because you can comment however much you want and then if you need it revised or proof-read, it’s so easy for someone else to add onto your comments or see your train of thought.

Lastly, as far as deadlines go, I have a love-hate relationship with them. I will (no matter what) stretch my projects, papers, etc. to fit whatever time I have allotted myself. But I also use Google Calendar like it’s my job. Let me tell you, checking off one of the tasks is one of the most satisfying things because it crosses itself out, turns a different color, AND has a cute check mark by it. So, naturally, I set goals for almost every day when working on a project not only for the satisfaction of checking that little blue box, but also to keep me on track and working on the project before the actual hard deadline.

I know I’m not the only procrastinator out there, but I hope the way I try to combat it is helpful. I procrastinate because I am scared of that blank white paper (yes, I change the background color to beige or something to make my intermediate writing more interesting), and I feel like once I start the essay it’s permanent. So I outline, I prep, I take notes, I color-coordinate everything, I make tasks and deadlines, and THEN I can start writing once I’ve gotten myself situated. So that is my writing style, wacky but it works most of the time.

By: Zac Frederick

In high school, I participated as a member of our debate team for four years. For me, this experience shaped the way in which I write more than any other factor. Each and every month the team was given a new topic to debate, and the extensive research that followed was all in the effort of proving or disproving a specific idea. Every research article, factoid, argument, and opinion each had to relate back to the given argument in that sense. Because of this, the way that I tackle the writing process usually follows this pattern. I usually will begin with a broad argument that I wish to prove, and the entirety of my efforts from then on go towards the betterment of that original argument. My process continues with research, usually in an online database or something of that nature, and I compile bits of pieces of information I believe will be useful into a document of some sort. Following this, I organize the completed compiling of information into various contingencies of the original argument, and only then does the actual writing process begin.

This process has worked for me for all of my years of high school and college thus far. Of course, no method is perfect. One major downside to my method of beginning with an idea first and supporting that hypothesis throughout the entirety of my research is that this leaves very little room for fluctuation from the initial argument. Very rarely, if ever, does my initial argument deviate from what I claim at the start. Each and every point I discover I either use, as it supports my argument, or I discard, as it doesn’t quite fit. While this has worked for me, the unavailability to develop a new argument from all the data received is could be considered as somewhat of a disadvantage, but keeping in mind that initial perceptions aren’t always 100% accurate is how I can learn from analysis.

By: Kristen English

I have always had a love/hate relationship with writing ever since I first learned how to write. My teachers and peers would always say that I had a knack for it, but for some reason I always despised the writing process. For me, I think procrastination was the biggest issue that I faced when writing. I would always (and even still do now) put off starting an assignment or piece of writing until the very last minute. However, once I actually sit down and start, the ideas just kind of naturally flow out of me.

I would describe my writing style as very matter-of-fact with an element of realism. For me, I hate when I’m reading something that doesn’t flow the way a real-life conversation would. I feel like the way to connect with your audience or readers on a deeper level is to write in a way that they would relate to. Blogs are such a popular way to reach audiences in society today and I believe that it’s due to their realistic nature. With blogs, one has the ability to write down and publish their thoughts on any topic without the formality of most print media. That’s probably my favorite aspect. I strive for anything I write to have this realistic and relatable feel as well.

My favorite environment to be in when I write is a very laid-back vibe with other people in the area. I mainly go to coffee shops around my apartment and set up camp for the entire day if I know I have an assignment coming up, or if I just want to journal and write down some of my thoughts. I like to be around other people when I write because it helps me draw inspiration. I am very much a people person and I have found that, for me personally, I work better when others are around.

Writing isn’t my favorite pastime by any means, but I would say that there is something quite calming about sitting down in my favorite coffee shop, with my favorite coffee, and just writing down my thoughts. I am constantly reminded of how therapeutic it is every time I journal or write about something that I am passionate about. Once I work on my procrastination issues (ehh maybe I’ll start tomorrow) I am confident that I could become a better writer overall.

by Noah Hammond

I don’t see myself as a very good writer. I usually end up talking in concise sentences that end up sounding choppy and irregular when read through normally so my ideal writing practice would be to make sentences that flow well together while keeping the reader’s attention. I do feel like I’ve gotten better throughout high school and my first English class in college though. My process is to come up with a general idea of what I want to say and start writing. I find that starting to write is the hardest part for me so once I get some words onto the paper I start getting more ideas.

I write best without any distractions since I can easily get sidetracked while trying to finish an assignment. I like to put on music so I have some background music. Chewing gum also helps me focus. I’ve found that prewriting helps me organize my ideas into logical sections, but unfortunately I don’t always take the time to do so. For many assignments, I end up using the deadline as motivation and rush through it. My favorite way to procrastinate before a deadline is to read, play basketball, and do wholesome things that I never do when I have nothing due the next day.

I love having a bag of pretzels next to me whenever I write because I can just keep eating them without getting full, and it gives me something to do while I’m thinking of what to write next. I have a love hate relationship with deadlines, since I would never really do the assignments without them, but they stress me out to no end.

By: Rahmel Bailey

Ideally, I begin my writing process by trying to understand the prompt or the purpose for me writing. This usually takes me several minutes to read the instructions, and if it is a personal writing I find the correct notebook for that purpose. I have different notebooks where I organize different things. My next step, probably the most important, is to take out my pen and begin writing down all my initial thoughts. When I do this I attempt to empty my mind of all the irrelative thoughts. I quickly scribble sentences,

 

 

phrases, and words that I find fit and address the purpose. I attempt to write them even if doesn’t all make sense.

However, there are many instances when writing especially when I am not the most interested in the piece and I can’t think of any ideas to get on the page. In these situations, I again first attempt to understand the purpose and stare into space for a while. I sit somewhere from 10 to 30 minutes in silence at a comfortable place and begin brainstorming. I attempt to clear my mind and focus on the task of writing alone and begin thinking, rereading the prompt until thoughts come into my head. I think of how I can make it sensible and interesting to me.

The next step for me is to go over those thoughts and organize them into paragraphs, taking out the non-essential ideas and keep the most important. I also find the points that can be expanded on and turn those into their own paragraph or large snippets of a paragraph, while other points remain a sentence or two.  I then create a thesis statement that brings the entire piece together. Once the thesis is created and there is an outline of the organized paragraphs I can begin to write my first draft of the essay. I do this by trying to write details for each paragraph or for snippets of the paragraph.

Once my draft is completed and has been edited for grammar I try to take a break and not look at it for several days. Then I come back to the writing and reread the piece and find ways that it can be improved. I then brainstorm the ideas and update my writing.

By: Ian Byers

When I write,  my actual writing practices are not too different from what my ideal would be, but there is always room for improvement. For my ideal, I would like to learn how to write more quickly. In reality, I spend quite a lot of time when it comes to individual word choice and tend to think too much about having precise vocabulary. Although I feel that this allows for a truer expression of my thoughts, the negative result is that I spend far to much time on first drafts, when this work is better suited for revision and editing after I have a complete draft. As for prewriting, I don’t necessarily make a written outline before I start, but I do take a few minutes to think about the general structure of what I want to write before I start. Because of how I write my initial drafts, I tend to not change much when editing, besides mistakes and typos. When I revise, I do sometimes rethink my plan that I came up before I started writing and decide to restructure my entire project to one degree or another.

Of course, all of this only applies when I am not procrastinating, which I do often for most of my work, not just writing assignments. My most common form of procrastination is simply not starting an assignment until shortly before it is due. This is extremely efficient at wasting time, and very easy to do. Once I have started, I usually work contiuouly without many breaks. However, if I am listening to music, I sometimes get caught up in it and don’t realized I have stopped writing for a few minutes. I don’t like to set rewards for finishing, as these tend to just distract me more than motivate me. Deadlines, however, are extremely helpful. Stress and time limits make me less prone to procrastinate, and they also force me to write more like I would want to, by making me finish my first draft quickly just to know that I have some working product to turn in, even if it isn’t great.

The main thing which may inhibit my ability to write well is the environment. I’m not super picky, but I do prefer being in a quite area. If there is noise, then listening to music can help.

Overall, I do have some weaknesses in how I write, but I am well aware of them. Thankfully, I have also learned to procrastinate less, as nothing good ever comes from it.

By: Clarisa Colton

Writing and I tend to be in a constant battle. Whenever I’m assigned a writing assignment, I tend to procrastinate until it’s almost no longer feasible for me to finish on time. The hardest part for me is always starting. Once I get a good start, it’s usually just a matter of me concentrating for an hour or two and just getting it done – then I can go back and change things. If the assignment has been one I especially hate I tend to edit very minimally, which I know is bad, but I’m usually just happy to have it over with. As for prewriting, I’ll usually do that if it’s a paper or essay that’s pretty lengthy and requires a sense of organization.  Mostly I’ll just make an outline on paper, which is usually really helpful for me. I think the starting part is so hard for me because I have such a hard time doing anything that’s not perfect, and if I can’t get my start right, I can’t move on or do anything. A lot of it is me not wanting to write something that I don’t think will be correct or good, and I usually am able to get started if I can put that aside. I definitely need to be somewhere without distractions to write – be it a room by myself or a coffee shop where I can at least get away from friends who might distract me. I’m a huge snacker when writing. I have this vivid memory of writing an essay my senior year of high school at my dining room table with a bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs by my side helping me along the way. Deadlines stress me out as well as push me to get things done. As my mom likes to say, as a fellow procrastinator, we’re just ‘deadline driven’.

I used to make cookies or something similar a lot in high school to procrastinate, but I haven’t really been able to do that since coming to college because I haven’t had a kitchen that’s very convenient to cook in. Perhaps next year that will change since I’ll be in an apartment. Instead I just order cookies from the many cookie delivery services available to us here.

 

P.S. Tiff’s Treats does half off codes on Tuesdays and free delivery on Sundays.

By: Ahad Khatri

What I hate about my relationship with writing is my tendencies to procrastinate on assignments, even though I tell myself countless times to finish an assignment ahead of time. Procrastination is a skill only the many college students have mastered. What I love about writing, however, is the final product, after much effort, polish, and organization.

I think my ideal writing practices are dedication and hard work; if this weren’t the case, then a lot of the assignments I usually turn in would be unreadable! Even though I continuously try and instill values of dedication and hard work into my mind whenever I write, these ideas have been results of stress and procrastination. Without stress and procrastination, I would not be a student equipped with the necessary tools and skills to convey my thoughts formally and fluidly. I would not be a person who enjoys writing today!

I recall staying up the entire night fatigued and anxious about a written exam I had to take for my IB Higher Level Math class, near the end of my senior year. A score of four was required to pass the class and earn credit towards an IB diploma. I was constantly practicing late night, mentally telling myself that I could ace the exam I had to take in the afternoon. After a lot of mismanaged time and lousy preparation, I barely passed the class, getting the four that I needed. However, as I write this blog entry and look back to my senior year, especially to that May of 2017, I feel that with proper time-management skills, rest, and confidence, I could have aced that Math paper.

 

 

I feel as though my past experiences, such as the one outlined above, have really pushed me to become a writer. This year, I have turned in chunky lab reports, completed meaty group assignments, and have annotated an incredibly informative document. I can say that my writing and time-management skills have really evolved and have made me into someone who enjoys and appreciates the writing process, someone who enjoys editing, fixing, and manipulating bits and pieces of a sentence to try and produce a vivid paragraph, and a unique essay.

As a final note, a lot of what has made me into a better writer has been the environment and mindset I have put myself into. Whenever I put on white noise, have my favorite tub of ice cream on my table, or sit in either the CULC or my house, I feel like nothing can stop me from completing, revising, and turning in my finished work. I hope that my relationship with my paper, pen, printer and PC will continue to blossom, as it has during my first year in college.

 

 

By: Keval Bollavaram

My ideal writing practices would include working in a quiet place for several hours with the ability to finish any writing assignment in one sitting. In actuality, I usually take breaks and complete writing assignments after several days. While I would not consider myself to be much of a procrastinator, I have a tendency to only writing what comes to mind before switching to a different task. This extends to my research style as well, where I am a more efficient at learning/internalizing new material rather than paraphrasing a cited source. This way I am able to quickly transition from thought to thought without much hesitation.

I find that I am generally able to work in any sort of writing environment. My writing process is mostly internal, uninfluenced by outside distractions. On one hand, this is great because I can work around friends and family without feeling inefficient. On the other hand, I cannot simply find a new place to work whenever I feel stuck. Moreover, I do require different thought processes for different writing prompts. For example, over the years I have mastered analytical and technical writing by learning to be more direct and specific. However, I believe I still have room to improve my creative writing skills to avoid being too banal and misunderstood.

I thrive on deadlines, but I rarely finish any assignment a night before it’s due. For me, deadlines keep me organized and convince my brain to stay ahead of schedule. Although, I would not complain if a deadline for an assignment were—hypothetically—extended. Additionally, deadlines allow me to keep track of my prewriting schedule. For prewriting, normally I jot down a list of ideas then begin to write. As I write, I integrate new topics by adding them to the bottom of the page. After completing a few paragraphs, I revise and reorganize my work.

Some of Hamilton’s greatest contributions to American literature were his essays in The Federalist Papers.