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Kevin Escobedo
Prof. Melton
English 5
February 26, 2016
Writing Process Essay
In my first semester as a student at Sac State, I chose to take a history class known as
History 17A. This class covered everything from Christopher Columbus discovering the new
world to the Civil War. Since the beginning of the class we were told to write an essay about the
womens rights movement in the 1900s. We were told to buy a book that would have all the
evidence necessary to produce it. In the past, whenever I was told to write an essay and give a
good amount of time to write, I tended to procrastinate and this time would be no different. This
essay was not one of my best works; procrastination and a weak relationship with the professor
hindered my outcome, but having the five-paragraph method in mind helped create something.
The first thing I did when receiving the assignment was set it off to the side. I chose to
buy the book a week before the essay was due. For myself procrastination is inevitable, in my
eyes the negative force is resistance to writing, one of the great natural forces of nature. It may
be called The Law of Delay: that writing which can be delayed will be. Teachers and writers too
often consider resistance to writing evil, when in fact, it is necessary (Murray, 375).
Procrastination is a great natural force most people I know dont hesitate to do, it is negative
because it limits us and prevents us from improving a last minute piece of writing. Writing for
me has always been a delay and for as long as I can remember I have done it. Professionals like
writers and professors will often see delay as evil, but it isnt, I believe it is necessary. Some of
my best work is done under pressure, knowing its due the next day prevents me from getting

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sidetracked. I rather be doing anything than sitting down and writing an 800 or 8000 word essay.
I chose to procrastinate because I feel I do best when I delay.
After procrastinating to the max I chose to read the book and as I read I looked for quotes
that would connect to the prompt. I often read the prompt more than once engraving it into my
head. For this essay it was extremely simple has race helped or hindered the womens rights
movement. Easy question, simple to understand, making a decision on whether it helped or
hindered was the more difficult aspect. The class had been going well, I had a good teacher, but
the whole class had a narrative character. Paulo Friere believes that the teacher-student
relationship at any level, inside or outside the school, reveals its fundamentally narrative
character. The relationship involves a narrative Subject and patient, listening objects (Friere,
57). The class was simple sit, listen, and absorb knowledge, with the occasional nap. It was
completely narrative, the Subject better known as the teacher gave the patients, the students
lectures. I one of the patients never once approached the subject for help. The class was like any
ordinary history class, I didnt feel that there should be a relationship between me and the
instructor. Plus I always seek to do things on my own, I dont like asking for help. My
relationship with the professor had been weak, which affected my ability to develop a quick
response to the prompt. After sitting in class for two months, I had developed an answer.
Race had hindered womens rights in the pre-civil war period, became my response to the
prompt. The hunt for quotes became simple, writing the essay wouldnt. After selecting an
answer I began to write, right before the essay was due. I wrote 1800 words in one night which is
pretty impressive since I hadnt even read the book completely. I found about five quotes and
began writing my essay in the format I knew best the five paragraph. Foley states that the fiveparagraph formula is a useful first step for beginning student writers. It helps them overcome

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writers block and gives them the I can do it experience (Foley, 232). I see myself as a
beginning student writer when faced with this task I thought the best approach was a fiveparagraph method. At first I had writers block and didnt have that can do feeling. In my mind
creating the five paragraph method gives me the opportunity to create something. It sets a format
which I build upon and it gives me an opportunity to align all my thoughts and ideas, in an
organized manner. When I hit the third body paragraph I realized I didnt have to follow the five
paragraph method to exact detail and I began creating something of my own. Writing the paper
the night before may not have been the best idea but it got the job done.
The history essay was pretty simple I spent little time on it when compared to others. I
feel that if I had more time I could have produced something better. Procrastinating hinders me,
but its what I do best. My professor and I had a weak relationship which in the end affected my
grade and the development of the paper as a whole. I could have probably done better if I spent
time with the professor. Using the five-paragraph method helped produce something the night
before, it gave me a clear format, and made it simpler to express my thoughts. The fiveparagraph method was a building block, my foundation, and it helped me earn a B-.

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Articles Cited
Murray, Donald M. Write before Writing. College Composition and Communication, Vol. 29,
No. 4. (Dec., 1978), pp. 375-381
Friere, Paulo, Chapter 2. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Trans. Myra Bergman Ramos. New
York: Herder and Herder, 1970. 57-74.
Foley, Marie. Unteaching the Five-Paragraph Essay. Teaching English in the Two-Year
College 16.4 (1989): 231-35