Chapter 9: Pre-Writing
Writing is a Process
Writing is a process—sometimes a messy one. It’s likely that this process won’t be a straight line, but rather a winding, twisting scribble. But that’s also the beauty of writing. If we are open and curious as we engage in the process, writing can be a way of grappling with questions, issues, and ideas we care about. I encourage you, as you read this chapter, to shift your attention away from the final product, and towards the process—the journey of discovery that not only leads you to contribute knowledge, but might also change you along the way.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- What strategies have you tried to help you get started on the writing of a research paper? How have they worked? Are there any strategies you’d like to try?
- Poet Natalie Diaz says, “Writing for me is no different than playing basketball, it’s my body moving among and pushing up against and being moved by other bodies of language and the energy of language” (2021). Do you have a writing process? What does it feel like?
References
Diaz, Natalie. (March, 2021). On the physicality of writing. The Creative Independent. https://thecreativeindependent.com/people/natalie-diaz-on-the-physicality-of-writing/
Media Attributions
- The Process of Design Squiggle © Damien Newman is licensed under a CC BY-ND (Attribution NoDerivatives) license
- Think © Kirby Wu is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
