Every writer has a process, each as unique as a fingerprint. Similarly, every writer faces unique difficulties. However, some barriers trouble every writer. Two of the written pieces that we read for this unit addressed these two topics. Carol Berkenkotter conducted a study of the writing process of an author named Donald Murray. Mike Rose's analyzed five different students and the various barriers that most contributed to their writer's block. Lucille McCarthy also conducted a study of a college student and how he interpreted the varying requirements of each class that he took.
Although each writer's writing process is uniquely their own, some writers have very similar methods for completing written pieces. I found this to be true while reading …show more content…
In high school, she was told that her papers must have three specific points to be sufficient. Then in college, her professor made the same claim, which solidified this lesson. Although many of the papers I have written have had a structure with three main points, I have never considered three points a requirement. She became so consumed with this rule that she forced an illogical paragraph into her paper solely to meet her "point quota".
Although I cannot relate to Laurel's unyielding need to comply with this rule, based on Rose’s description, I can identify many similarities in my writing and Laurel's. Although Rose does not explicitly say that Laurel procrastinates, I can deduce as much since her work is habitually late. Although it is rare that I turn work in late, I often procrastinate. Consequently, I am frequently forced to complete papers in one or two steps: composition and editing.
Martha's writing process varies the most from my own. She dedicates, on average, two days to write a draft for every paper. She has an abundance of rules, strategies, and tools to ensure her success, however, they are exceedingly complex and only lead to her demise. She becomes so tangled in all of her plans and her outline that she traps herself with all of the rules that she feels must be followed. I do not experience these difficulties, especially not to the extent that Martha