Prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, repeat. Those are the main components of writing any form of literature, whether that be poetry or prose. And despite the typical writing process, every writer interprets their structure differently, which is why every book is unique.
Brainstorming-
Personally, my style focuses primarily on prewriting and drafting. I consider myself a visual person, hence I rely on color schemes to form moods and vision boards to gather inspiration. Naturally, my methods are altered depending on the form I'm writing in. For example, I wouldn't write a structured essay the same way I'd compose a free-flowing verse. Usually, I’ll start with a blank sheet of paper and just jot down any ideas that come to mind.
Planning-
Regardless of the form, structure still plays a vital part in any piece of literature. Therefore, I cannot stress the importance of a rough sketch (or road map) enough. Knowing where you're going and how you plan to get there is incredibly important for any trip. Not to mention, creating a basic skeleton is significantly less intimidating than writing piles of paragraphs in one setting.
Writing-
I wouldn't consider myself a particularly productive person, but when an assignment needs to get done, or a random concept drafted at midnight is longing to be used, it's important to get "in the zone." Writer's block is a huge issue every scholar faces from time to time and an exciting topic for a future blog entry. Usually, I'll reserve a chunk of my schedule, or cluster of my day, and devote it to writing. Writing is addicting once an idea has presented itself and is bored of floating around in my mind. I could write for hours uninterrupted if I'm given the right amount of inspiration.
Reviewing-
Honestly speaking, revising and editing are probably my least favorite steps in writing. However, they still play an important role in furnishing and finishing the final product. Personally, I struggle with grammar and run-on sentences, so getting a second opinion is extremely useful. However, availability can prove to be a problem, so I've learned to rely on online sources. Editing apps or spell checkers help immensely, but not if you want to learn. Hypothetically speaking, I would learn absolutely nothing from my slip-ups if I just copied and pasted my work into a correction app. Checking your work first for errors can help you learn from your mistakes before you even touch Grammarly.
To summarize, my writing process is composed of brainstorming, planning, writing, and finally, reviewing. All of these follow the typical writing process but focus mainly on structure and visuals for inspiration. Overall, I am constantly learning to improve my writing technique and update my process, whether that's used for a sonnet or a script.
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