Reflecting

Reflecting on the writing process is a step largely ignored. It is by reflecting, however, that you can best determine your strengths and weaknesses. You can take steps to ensure that your strengths remain strengths and you improve your writing where improvement is needed. You can also reflect on your writing process and make adjustments to your habits to ensure that you work to your potential. Each time you write a paper, then, you become a better, stronger writer. More importantly, the more you know about yourself as a writer and about your writing habits, the more control you will have over the quality of your writing.

Use the following exercise each time a paper is returned to you, and keep a journal of your reflections. Use the following questions as springboards for your journal entry.

• What was the most prominent strength in this paper?
• What part of your paper would you strengthen in the next assignment?
• What will you do differently on your next writing assignment or paper?
• What planning activities worked well for you?
• How many drafts did you write? Did you feel that this number was sufficient?
• How many revisions did you make to the paper? Did these revisions significantly improve the paper?
• Did you get someone else's help or feedback in writing the paper? Did this assistance help you write the paper?
• Did your instructor find errors that you did not see as errors? How can you avoid making these errors in the future?
• Did your instructor find errors that you could have identified if you had edited the paper more carefully? What does this tell you about your editing process?
• What general experience did you have in writing this paper? How will you repeat or avoid this experience in future writing assignments?