As you’re working through your next writing assignment, document how you spend time and how confident you feel at each step of the writing process. Use the chart in Figure 21.

Figure 21

You might have guessed that there are no right or wrong answers for how much time is appropriate at each step; this will vary for everyone and every writing project. You also may complete this matrix for another project or two—shorter and longer ones. When you look at your time spent, what does it tell you? If you spent most of your time planning, maybe that is just what you needed to do. If you feel that writing is a slow, difficult process for you, can you reframe your thinking to accept that writing is a slow process—for everyone who wants to write well?

When you assess confidence level, try to hone in on areas that you want to improve so you banish negative thinking about all aspects of your writing. Do you have trouble organizing your ideas but feel proficient at revising or proofreading your work? Or maybe you have an easy time drafting—letting your ideas flow—but struggle with design? On the other hand, if you’re a fast writer, what does that say about you and your writing process? Perhaps you’re not spending enough time revising your writing to improve the finished product. Do you need to slow down some steps of the process to create a better product?

WRITING PROCESS STEP Audience Analysis Planning Drafting Designing Revising Proofreading HOW MUCH TIME I'M SPENDING HOW CONFIDENT I FEEL Not at all 12 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 32 Very 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5