In the article “Decisions and Revisions: The Planning Strategies of a Publishing Writer” by Carol Berkenkotter we see a study conducted on professional writer Donald Murray depicting his writing process. Berkenkotter comprehended from her research that every writer has a different writing process. It doesn’t matter how experienced/skilled the writer can be, such as Murray, what matters is the way writers approach their writing and the conduct writers have in this journey. I was able to see how planning, evaluating, revising, and editing are intertwined actions that compose our writing process. Berekencotter states, “These decisions and revisions form an elaborate network of steps as the writer moves back and forth between planning, drafting, editing, and reviewing.” In some moments we do each action in reverse, while in other moments we do the actions in chronological order. The emphasis is that everybody has a different method of mental process.
The writing process is complex
For some people speaking out loud, humming, or listening to music helps them write. I believe her experimental study is very helpful in understanding how complex our writing process can be. What I take away is that writing is a mental and physical activity. Our brains are non-stop searching for ideas and our hands/bodies are constantly moving trying to keep up with our mental activity.
Murray’s bathroom epiphanies
When reading Murray’s response as a “lab rat” I couldn’t help but resonate with him. He was shocked about how long it took him to plan and how his behaviors changed in different writing settings. I like the rawness of his testimony, and how open he is about his writing process results. Murray states, “I was, after all, practicing a craft, not performing magic.“ In Murray’s response, I am able to see a human just like me, not a skilled writer, although we know he is one. His transparency shows that all writers go through a complex mental and physical writing process. He was totally right, Murray was writing freely not performing magic. What I find humorous is the fact he didn’t like that Berkenkotter did not include his bathroom epiphanies. In his eyes, his epiphanies derived from taking breaks which he considers very important. I totally agree with Murray because taking a break from writing helps when our mind is blocked. Whether sitting in the toilet or going for a walk in the park, a break is much needed for writer’s block. We can all have an epiphany while doing one of these activities. Resting the mind is a must in the writing process. So, Murray, I applaud you for revealing to us your bathroom epiphanies.
My writing process is weird
My writing process is obviously much different than Murray’s and everybody else because each person has their own way of concentrating. In order for me to write, I have to be showered and it’s such a strange habit of mine, but if I’m not showered for some reason my level of concentration declines. There is something about feeling refreshed after a shower that boosts my serotonin. If I don’t take a shower I have no motivation to start writing. I feel distracted and have the urge to get that out of the way to start writing. With this being said, all writing processes are unique and at the end of the day, we must do whatever makes our boat float. So if your writing process seems a bit weird, who cares! Just do your thing!
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