Writing Doesn't Even Begin to Explain It #graded

Although I love to write a little part of me dies when a teacher announces that we will be writing a paper. Why? Because I know the tedious process that is to come. How deceptive the word "writing" is; it makes the assignment seem like a simple little task when it is really a monstrous process. Writing a paper means going through the complex and confusing process of filtering ideas. Brutally constructing a first draft at the pace of a snail. Destroying that draft with an editing process, and then destroying that draft, and then that draft, and then... you get the picture. It means picking through a dictionary for 5 minutes to find the right word and then changing it back to the original word later on. But most importantly it means going through that intensive night-before feeling of deadline dread and stress as you work off of adrenaline alone to perfect the beast during the last few hours you have with it before its judgement day. And then comes the pride.

That's how I feel when I write an assigned paper. I think everyone goes through a similar process. What makes everyone different is how we write. When I write, everything needs to be prepared before I dive in. My workplace, which is my basement, must be remotely tidy; there should be a cup of coffee or water by my side, depending on the season, and I have to be a comfortable temperature. Since the basement is not well insulated this usually means that I have on sweats, a pair of thick wool socks, and my zebra-print snuggie (which is so dumb because I usually end up wearing it like a robe anyway). If I want to get work done my phone has to be far, far away and I have to nuke all of my social networking on Stay Focused. Once I am finally ready to work I avoid my laptop like the plague. I think I was born in the wrong century or something, because I simply CANNOT draft my ideas on a Word document, which is probably because I was that kid who barely passed her typing test due to the slowness of her WPM. I need to write them out, preferably with a pen. I need to scribble out the bad ideas, draw arrows that connect, and pour out my ideas; I need to make my roadmap. Then I will type. Once I have my first draft I will go through editing, again with the pen on the paper, because any editing on the computer just confuses my already confused mine. Oh, and music? I love it, but its not allowed until at least the third draft because I need to work out my ideas. And when I do listen to music I only do classical. If its anything with lyrics I guarantee you that the lyrics will end up in my work.

Yes, I can write at school, the library, or even on the airplane (like I did just a few days ago when I came home from Orlando) and still produce good work. The difference will be the fact that I will not be nearly as productive when I am outside of my comfortable work space in my basement; my writing "bubble."