Whether it is trouble with grammar, detail, organization, or creativity, I feel that the sooner I have a completed draft, the more time I have to point out my flaws and, in turn, better my skills as a writer. Though, my excitement to complete the drafting stage is an advantage, it overshadows my need for the planning stage.
Planning is the stage of the writing stage where the major points and detailed organization derive from. No matter the purpose of the paper, planning is a vital piece to the puzzle. I am conscious of the fact that my firstst weakness, my reluctance to plan, originates from my view of outlines. Growing up, I saw an outline as a chain linked to the bottom of the pool and shackled to my feet. I could only swim as far as the chain would let me. I saw an outline as an inconvenience when, actually, using an outline is more like sitting on an inner tube, following the currents of a lazy river. Each bulleted point is like a wave of the lazy river. They push and guide the writer smoothly through the writing process. Every turn, or transition through topics, is smooth and connected. Therefore, without that guidance a writer, like me, may find themselves drowning in their ideas. I struggle to keep an organized flow of major points, subtopics, and supporting details. Because there is no written sequence, I find myself placing thoughts as they come to me, ultimately, leading into the second fault in my technique as a writer.
Revision and editing are very much similar, important changes can be made during both. Though revision is the stage during the writing process where the writer can critically review what they have written. With revision, unlike editing, large-scale changes are made regarding topic, organization, content, and/or audience adaptation. The revision and editing stages together pose a major weakness in my skills as a writer due to my lack of effort during the planning stage.
