The Writing Process for Me

Step 1.
When I get ready to write a paper on a particular text, I start by going back over the text and highlighting any possible quotes that may help me develop my thesis. At this point I may or may not have a concrete thesis but I at least have a general idea of where I want my paper to go.

Step 2.
Then I write all of the quotes on a piece of paper in their entirety. If one quote is particularly long, I will just make a note to refer to the page number. Under each quote I write what the words make me think of or what they are saying in relation to the rest of the text. This process helps me develop a more concrete thesis or sharpen my thesis. I am able to see more clearly what is happening in my mind if I only look at small exerts from the text opposed to the text in its entirety.

Step 3.
The final step before I actually start writing my paper is it build a mind map. My favorite is the model with the bubbles but mine is a little different. I write my thesis at the top of the page, then think back to my quotes and around three main topics that all of the quotes would fit into. I write these main topics on the page in such a way that one proceeds the other. From there, I farther break down each main topic into smaller sub-topics that the quotes still fit under.

When I am actually writing my paper, I don't use all the quotes or the whole quote that I may have written down but I shorten them and add more analyze. This process is sometimes long and tedious but I find that it helps me collect my thoughts and allows me to see exactly where I want to go so I spend less time summarizing and more time analyzing. What do you do before you start writing? Does it lead to a paper filled with summary that drags on? Or does it produce a well organized and convincing analysis.