The flip side of the coin is there are some things that all writers do. This is how the phases of the writing process were developed. All writers collect ideas. All writers make plans. All writers draft. As we become more comfortable writing, we learn to personalize these phases...finding what works (and what doesn't) for us.
Last week, in a third grade writing workshop, I asked students to place their tags on the phase of the writing process where they were working as a writer. One student placed his name between planning and drafting. Since I've challenged myself to notice little things, it was something that perked my interest.
As he passed me on his way to a writing spot, he said, "I know you wanted us to choose one to be as a writer, but I couldn't choose."
"Why not?" I asked, wondering if he didn't know what to do during work time.
"Well I know that I write a little and then I plan. Sometimes while I'm planning the next part I think of something to write, so I write. That's drafting. I kinda do both together, so I don't know how to choose."
"Then I guess it makes a lot of sense to put your tag between the two." I smiled as he hurried off to his writing spot.
Sometimes teachers demand students do things exactly how they want it to go. For some, my choice to empower this student to place his tag in between two phases felt "wrong." We want students to make clear, concise choices as writers. We force them to draw big bold lines around the phases of the writing process and then we want them to jump through the hoops to produce writing.
This little thing of placing his tag between the phases of planning and drafting is actually a pretty big deal. He was personalizing his writing process. He was learning specific things about his own writing process. This is important for him. Imagine knowing this about yourself at eight years old. Imagine how much more proficient he can be as a writer now that he understands he works best when he moves between planning and drafting.
Not only that, but he inspires me to pay closer attention to my own writing process. How do the phases of the writing process overlap for me? What works best for me as a writer? These little things are powerful noticings for a writer.