Every writer has a quirk or must haves before they begin their writing process. For example, J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, still writes using longhand, then transfers her work to the computer. “I like physically shuffling around with papers,” she once explained in a magazine interview. She also prefers to work in coffee shops, where “You don’t have to break off and go in the kitchen to make coffee,”. Weird and almost barbaric, hand writing first then using her computer. Well, interestingly enough, Carol Berkenkotter conducted her own research on writing quirks or habits that experienced writer, Donald Murray. After reading her research and his reflection, I definitely saw some of my own quirks as well.
Methodology
One of the idiosyncrasy that Murray did according to Berkenkotter, was that when he’d edit a sentence or spelling, that would lead him down a rabbit hole and cause major planning episodes. I also think this is what causes his drafts to go through so many different revisions before he sends it to an editor. I can relate to this section now that I think about it. When editing, whether it’s my spelling or structure, I am actively thinking of the picture that I am trying to paint, and at times the words that I used previously doesn’t paint it as clearly as the words that I just thought of. But the words that I just though of crashes against the following paragraphs, so I have to make a decision. Do I want a clear picture in paragraph A and reconfigure the other paragraphs to flow with paragraph A or do I keep paragraph A the way it is. Depending what I am writing about and how much energy I have on wanting to write, I summersault between the two options.
Another obvious section in the article that I related to, was when Murray was taken out of his study and given a time limit. I currently was “taken out of” my own “study”. I am currently at my local coffee shop completing this blog post. Days leading up to me working on this blog post, I decided that I would test the mediums that I use to complete assignments. I find that when I work on my desktop, I tend to “concentrate” and complete the assignment with ease, as opposed to my laptop. With my desktop I am at home, in my sweats, and blasting music. The reason I wrote “concentrate” is because if I am listening to music with words, I will have a dance party in my seat. I did try listening to classical music on my desktop but it had an adverse effect. I became so sleepy and lost even more focus than I did when the music had words. I find that dead silence, and I mean dead silence is my most productive environment. This theory was also tested when I needed to write a previous blog post on Authority. Dead silence helps me to, as Murray put it, “to suppress my conscious awareness of the audience to hear what the text demands.” I don’t think he meant it in the sense that I am using it in, but essentially that’s what happens. I end reading the text or what I am writing, under my breath and that is when I am able to fully grasp what the text is trying to teach.
