Meta-Awareness

Meta-Awareness

                Last week, our class discussed meta- awareness, and our professor posed questions about writing and how we write and what has to be going on while we do it. Personally, I have a number of quirks, and downfalls when it comes to writing, but it all depends on what kind of writing I am doing. I have three main categories of writing that I do: 1) School (essays, lab write-ups… etc.), 2) Novel (fictional story I write in my spare time), 3) Fun! (short skits/ plays, short stories, sketches… etc.)

                For school, I have to write it strait on the computer; no hard copy writing. Because it is school work, I will allow anything to distract me, so it helps if I get out of my room and go to a place where there is hustle and bustle. Any dining area is good or the Colvin Center.  I have to be listening to music, but it can’t be anything with words so I usually listen to movie soundtracks. It doesn’t matter what I am drinking, but I cannot have any food nearby or else I will only want to eat it, but I cannot be hungry or else I will only think about how hungry I am! It does not matter what time of day I decide to do this as long as I am focused the quality of work will be the same at all times of the day.

                In writing my novel and when I am just writing for fun is when I get pretty anal-retentive. Everything HAS to be perfect. It has to be quiet, soft classical music has to be playing, and my hands have to be clean. I care about this writing so much more than my school work in the sense that I am potentially writing this for others for more than one reading, as opposed to a peer edit (one read) and a grade from the teacher/professor (one read). The time of day really depends on when I have a spark of creativity, because when I have it I have to write everything down or else I my lose it until I get another spark like that, which could be as long as a month or two in the future.

                I have quite a number of quirks but in a way they help me produce my best work, so I find myself catering to them when I need good quality work.