Exploring a Writing Process
Try following these steps to help you develop a first draft of your project. Write down
your responses to the following questions and prompts.
Assessing a Writing Situation
Think about the expectations of your writing situation. Consider:
● What kind of work and writing is required or expected of you?
The work that is required of me should be detailed and informational. The writing should
be evidence based while being accurate and formal.
● How much time do you have to do this work?
I have until November 23 to complete the full Theory of Literacy project. This time also
includes searching for 5 sources to apply into my research proposal. As well as doing
my research journals to help me collect more information about my topic.
● Which tools, strategies, or practices are you expected to use?
I am expected to use scholarly resources, so I will have to find them in academic
databases. I will be using my research journals to apply what I’ve read and understood.
I will also have to critically think about everything I have learned from my research up to
this point.
Assessing Your Position in a Writing Situation
Think about what you already know or can begin writing about today. Consider:
● Which part of this text do you feel prepared to start writing about right
now?
I feel prepared to start writing my introduction and context for the research proposal
because I currently have a general understanding of the topic, However, this will
probably only be a draft. I plan to keep updating my introduction and context as I learn
more about my research topic.
● Which parts are unfamiliar or intimidating right now?
The parts that are most intimidating to me right now is are honestly my works cited. I
have to choose the best sources that I am giving and try to make a proposal based on
the sources I picked. I am also intimidated by the organization section of the proposal.
Staying organized and on topic is not one of my strongest skills, so I do fear that I may
get a little sidetracked.
Planning Your Draft
Look at your responses to the previous questions. Think about the specific steps you
can take
to begin work on your writing. Consider:
● What do I want to achieve in the draft I am working on right now?
I have looked at the research proposal guide and I plan to complete the Introduction
section and try to do as much as I can of the Background of the Researcher and
Question.
● Which section am I already prepared to start drafting?
I am prepared to start drafting the introduction. There is not much information I need to
start doing my introduction. I just need a general idea of what my topic is about.
● What work do I need to do to prepare for drafting other sections?
I need to search for 5 scholarly sources (3 scholarly sources and 2 non scholarly
sources) and review them and try to understand them to the best of my abilities. They
need to discuss student athletes, academic requirements, and mental health.
● Which sources am I prepared to use for this draft? Which sources do I
need to spend more time reading?
I have found two scholarly sources about my topic. I still need to find at least two
non-scholarly sources (which are not peer reviewed sources) and I need one more
scholarly source to have all 5 required sources.
● Where does it make the most sense for me to begin drafting right now?
It makes the most sense for me to begin with the introduction and maybe the context
sections, because I can have a general idea of my proposal and I don’t need my 5
sources to start drafting.
● Which resources do I have access to if I need help?
I have access to the UTRGV library and database, I also have peers that could help me
out if needed. I will also ask my professor if I need any help or feedback.
Drafting
As you begin drafting, set some benchmarks (small goals) for yourself to work toward.
For example, you might set a goal to write one paragraph or bring in relevant sources.
In any case, here are some tips to help you begin writing:
● Develop an outline for the draft you’re working on. Think about what needs
to be included for this draft in order for you to feel like it’s completed. What do
you need to include in the draft you are working on? I am going to start off with
my introduction. I will do this by introducing my topic and research question.
“How does a student athlete’s academic requirements affect their mental health?”
I will give general knowledge and a small brief summary about the topic. I will
give context behind my proposal and I will also state my purpose as to why I
want to research and learn about my topic. I will also state what they will be
reading in each section and what information each section will contain.
● Think about the organization or order of the information of the paper. What
should you say first? Next? Last? Remember, you don’t have to start drafting the
beginning of the text first. Where does it make the most sense for you to start
writing? Which part of your outline does this information belong in? I will
obviously start off by giving context about my topic. Then I will talk about why I
wanted to research this topic and I plan to build off of that. I don’t really know
how to organize a proposal, but I plan to learn on the way! I will of course ask for
help if I really need it. It makes sense for me to start writing my introduction first.
Reflecting
Once you’ve found a stopping point in your writing, take a moment to read through what
you’ve written. Ask yourself:
● How much progress have I made in my draft? How close am I to reaching
my benchmark?
I feel like I have not made a lot of progress, but I am working on catching up. I definitely
want to have my introduction and context done before we start moving on.
● Which parts have been the most difficult to write or which parts am I
avoiding writing? What can I do to help myself get started?
I am trying to avoid writing the literature review because I feel like it will be the most
difficult since it requires a deep understanding of the sources. To help me get started, I
could write small, but detailed summaries of each source first and then blend them all
together and try to apply what I understood.
● What strategies, behaviors, or practices have been the most helpful while
writing?
The most helpful strategies have been outlining a research plan and setting small
goals. This helps me keep track of what I have done. I believe setting the goals helps
you write more efficiently because it’s just doing a section by section, so you don’t have
to worry about writing a whole bunch at once.
● Which have been the least helpful or most distracting?
I am a very big procrastinator and I tend to get distracted easily, whether I am at
home or school, I always find a way to get distracted. I also tend to hopping from
assignment to assignment trying to do as much as I can for each assignment. I
also do sports and since my soccer season is close, I am trying to do my work
while balancing out my sports at the same time.