Writing Habits/Rituals...

So today in class I realized that I didn't turn in a second draft of my essay but a first revised essay. That was my "duh" moment of the day. Anyway, on more serious terms as I began the writing process of my argumentative essay I did in fact realize that I do have both negative and positive habits/rituals. The first habit that I have possessed from as long as I can remember is procrastination. I get on my laptop to write my essay but somehow I end up on Facebook or I start "googling" random things. It's like the Internet has a power over me. So I end up "starting" at five then finish at midnight. Although I have turned in assignments on time I always leave them to the last minute. Now, some people might view this habit negatively but I view it to be quite positive. When I work under stress I tend to perform better and my ideas come rushing to me when my mind is on hiatus. As Professor Thompson stated today in class that she works better late at night, I perform better when I am under stress. Although I still feel procrastination is a bad habit and I try hard to get rid of but it always seems to follow me.

Another habit I observed of myself is that when I start writing whatever thoughts come into my head, my essay gradually becomes cohesive. My thoughts flow when I randomly start typing facts that come into my mind. I don't necessarily think that this is a positive habit or even a bad habit, it's just a tactic that works for me. I don't tend to pre-write or outline, all the "before" things I just think in my mind and start writing about it immediately. That is why this long process of revising can be quite difficult for me to keep up with. However, I have started to like this long process of revision because getting feedback from others through writing conferences is extremely helpful to get your ideas straight. Another viewpoint is always an excellent thing, especially for an argumentative paper.