When I began the task of studying my own writing habits, I was honestly skeptical. I mean, who really wants to put their process under a microscope, especially one that involves procrastination, caffeine dependence, and sudden bursts of ‘productive panic’? But here we are, two weeks into a research project that has had me examining every awkward draft and creative breakdown in the name of science—or, more accurately, in the name of ENG 2020.
Let’s start with the readings that have been guiding this rollercoaster ride of introspection. First up: “Failure Is Awesome.” Now, I’m not going to lie—I read the title and thought, “Great, at least I excel at something.” But this chapter gave me a new perspective. Instead of viewing my scrapped paragraphs and overly ambitious outlines as failures, I’ve started seeing them as part of my process. Failure isn’t a detour; it’s more like the potholes on the road—annoying, but proof that I’m moving forward.
Then there was “Writer’s Block Is Easily Preventable,” which immediately filled me with skepticism, since writer’s block and I go way back—we’re practically roommates. But I realized, through the tips on habit-building and expectation management, that maybe I’m not quite as doomed as I thought. The advice to take small, consistent actions to prevent a block really hit home. Turns out, I’m not ‘blocked’; I’m just a professional procrastinator with a flair for the dramatic.
Finally, “Diversify Your Outlines” made me look at outlining in a way I never had before. I’d always thought outlines were supposed to be rigid and linear, which, if I’m honest, is probably why I avoided them like the plague. But diversifying my outline? Adding sketches, diagrams, and weird bullet-point hierarchies that would make sense only to me? That sounded fun. And it was! It gave my process some much-needed life and made the research report feel less like a prison sentence and more like an adventure.
So, after all this reflection, what did I learn? That my writing process is chaotic, but not hopeless. I’ve got potholes, blocks, and weird maps to navigate—but that’s okay. Researching my own habits has helped me find humor in the messiness, and a sense of pride in the moments when everything falls into place, even if just for a sentence or two. Plus, it turns out failure really is awesome—especially when you can laugh about it afterward.
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