The Writting Process

Usually, when I am going to begin writing for a certain purpose, say an assignment, an essay, a report, or some sort of official document, I begin by brainstorming on paper, with no general direction. I think of what it is that I am supposed to address and just make lists of words and phrases as they come, or organize the progression if it’s something that has to be in a particular order. Once I feel confident that I’ve written down more than enough content to expand upon when I sit down to write, I go ahead and use that as a sort of guideline for what I type up. If the writing is an assignment, for me, I feel I can do that at any particular time, however if the writing is personal or emotional, I am usually inclined to write while I am alone, in a comfortable space or surrounded by the comfort of nature, particularly the ocean.  
         

When writing from a point of emotion or a personal entry, I often write in a journal dedicated to the subject, and employ a stream of consciousness approach.  Here I spend indefinite amounts of time writing as if I was talking or having a conversation with someone and fill the pages with writing and whatever kind of creative content i have such as collage, drawing, etc. I keep these journals as a memoir of my life, and have done them for a very long time. They document important and pivotal times of my life as well as just feelings that not everyone gets to see. I like to think of it as documentation in the case I suddenly pass, anyone who wants to know what was going on inside my head will be able to. 

As we discussed in class, I believe that a good poem and a successful poem almost always has clear images the reader can form in their mind. In a similar manner, personally, I believe a good poem has purpose, and the expression of the desired emotion is clear, as well as having a desired impact on the reader. That’s not to say that not having a purpose or impact is wrong, but rather the idea that making a conscious choice as to why it exists is fairly important.