A week ago I was STUCK. Finally, Sunday I sat down on the floor with the print out of my draft 2 and 3, with a selection of colored markers and scissors. As I sat there. it hit me that I’m finally at the end of this project and the tears began to flow down my face. It was at that moment I realized why I’d been stuck. I did not want to be done! That fear of finishing had a hold of me and kept me from writing. The end of a long project is always emotional.

When I began to color code the different aspects of draft 2. For instance, bright pink for my experiences, peach for instructor A1, and mint green for instructor A2, I began to feel I was finally moving forward. I then cut the draft apart and matched up all the same colored parts, stapling where needed. This process is from Patricia Dunn’s book Talking, Sketching, Moving that I have used before, and also had my students do as a revising activity.

I then let the process percolate. On Tuesday morning in that not-quite-awake sleep I could see how my project would look. I could see all the parts in their perspective places. When I got up I went right to my computer (after brushing my teeth, taking my pills with some ice tea, and eating some yogurt) and began to reshape, rewrite, and revise the grad project. What a glorious feeling. I shared this feeling with my Teaching Circle that afternoon. Writing is a process, a long, sometimes, exasperating process.

This morning I again got up and continued to reshape, revise, and rewrite. I met with my reader/adviser and went over my questions, her comments and suggestions. I really am charged and ready to finish this project.

So to all of you out there, who may be stuck on a writing project, get unstuck by coloring coding, cutting up, and acknowledging your emotions!

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