Listed below are a variety of statements that students have been known to make to themselves when they write. Please insert an "0" after any statement that you often make to yourself when writing, and an "S" after any statement that you sometimes make to yourself when writing. Insert nothing after a statement that you never make to yourself when writing.

1. Having to write a paper frightens me.
2. I'm not sure I understand the assignment.
3. This could be interesting.
4. How much time will I need to do a good job with this paper?
5. I don't have time for this.
6. I need to remember to break down big projects into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
7. I can't get myself going.
8. If I put this off for a while, maybe thoughts will come to me.
9. I can talk to people about my topic, to see if I've overlooked something.
10. I should remind myself what this course and assignment are about.
11. The prospect of having to use the library to find what I need for this paper intimidates me.
12. I don't feel that I'll have much to say about this topic.
13. Writing this would come more easily if I really cared about it.
14. I can handle this.
15. I must be patient with myself. I must allow myself to brainstorm and explore.
16. Stop procrastinating.
17. Hey–that's a good idea that I just had.
18. I look forward to writing my ideas down.
19. There's not much information on my topic available; I should consider changing my topic.
20. There is too much information on this topic.
21. This question (my paper topic) really interests me. I want to find the true–or best–answer to it, if I can.
22. I would be afraid to turn in a paper that expressed my own thoughts on this topic. I'm not qualified to do that.
23. Once I've learned everything that I set out to learn, writing it down seems pointless.
24. It's quite obvious what this teacher wants us to say. My job is to say it.
25. Why write to someone who already knows it all?
26. My ideas sound too much like what's been said in class. I want to say something different.
27. In doing my research, I can't tell what's important and what's not.
28. I don't know how to keep all my thoughts on this subject straight in my mind.
29. I don't have much time to work on this; I better just write what comes to me.
30. I can't let go of the books. I can't stop reading and start writing.
31. I've become lost in all this data. I can't decide what I need, or what it should mean to me.
32. There is more to the question I'm addressing than I realized at first.
33. I'm starting to understand what this question is all about.
34. In my mind, I'm making real headway on this question.
35. My thoughts on this question are finally starting to come together.
36. Writing is too lonely. I'd rather be with people than sitting here by myself working on a paper.
37. What is my thesis going to be?
38. How can my thesis cover all the different thoughts I've had?
39. This paper would be more fun to write–and it would come out better in the end–if I could find some way to be creative with it.
40. I need to fit all this into the pattern of the five-paragraph theme.
41. What would be the best way to organize this paper?
42. I need to make an outline.
43. Should I be writing this as if my reader had some background in the subject?
44. This paper is too much work, especially with all the other things I have to do.
45. In writing this paper, I need to sound like someone I'm not.
46. I have so much in my mind that I could say on this topic–I don't know where to begin.
47. I have writer's block.
48. How can I get my reader's interest right off the bat?
49. Don't stop now–you're on a roll!!!
50. This writing is going too slowly.
51. In producing my first draft, I should be sure that each sentence is correct before moving on to the next one.
52. Having made an outline, the actual writing of the paper feels robotic and unsatisfying, like "filling in the blanks."
53. I would like to write the "perfect paper" and knock the socks off my teacher.
54. I forget what my source was for this fact (or idea or quote).
55. Should I quote exactly or just paraphrase this source?
56. How different do my words need to be from the words of my source to justify not using quotation marks?
57. Will my reader find this convincing?
58. Now that I've said this, I wonder if it's true.
59. Have I oversimplified? Have I concealed facts or possibilities that would complicate the picture if I included them?
60. Is there any way to read this sentence of mine to mean something other than what I intended?
61. This word (or phrase or passage) is not very good; I should replace it before I move on.
62. I'll get back to this word (or phrase or passage) later and replace it then.
63. I should avoid grammar and punctuation problems by sticking to sentences that I can construct and punctuate with perfect confidence.
64. I need to stick to words I know how to spell.
65. I wonder what my teacher is going to think of this.
66. I've been so immersed that time has just flown by.
67. This is better than partying.
68. I'm losing interest.
69. I'm so sick of this topic.
70. I'm not going to hold out for perfection. I'm going to spend just a reasonable amount of time on this.
71. My writing sounds childish.
72. How does this teacher grade, anyway?
73. What do they want from me at this school?
74. Now they'll finally catch on to me and see what a fraud I really am.
75. When it comes to writing, some people are naturals. I wish I were one of them.
76. I wonder if the paper would be more effective if I rearranged it.
77. There is an idea that belongs in this paper, but it is too elusive (or complicated) for me to articulate.
78. I'm overwhelmed, depressed, and panicky.
79. If I could speak this instead of writing it, it would be so much clearer.
80. Say, I'm coming along; this is looking better than my earlier drafts.
81. Do I really understand what I'm talking about?
82. Is this what the teacher wants?
83. My mind is wandering.
84. I need to take a break.
85. I need to get this paper out of the way.
86. This topic seemed a lot more interesting to me when I started than it does now.
87. This topic seems a lot more interesting to me now than it did when I started.
88. Will my reader be able to follow me, to see straight off how one thought leads to the next?
89. Have I gone off track from my thesis?
90. I wish someone else would write this paper for me.
91. If I were the reader, would this paper give me a full and true sense of the writer's thinking?
92. Is there any place in this paper where my reader may be confused, or even misled, as to my meaning?
93. What comes across in my language here? Does my paper sound like me?
94. I'd better stick in an example or two.
95. I just can't concentrate.
96. Judging from this teacher's comments on my last paper, he/she wants me to keep in mind certain writing problems that I have-but I'm still not sure what they are exactly.
97. My teacher made some points about my last paper; I should keep them in mind while writing this one.
98. Why am I required to take a course in writing? I am already able to express myself as clearly as I will need to in later life.
99. I must choose sides on my topic, take a position and defend it.
100. Never say "I" in a paper.
101. I better throw in some big words.
102. I have such a limited vocabulary; I'm using the same words over and over.
103. I'm at a disadvantage: many of my classmates got better preparation as writers in their elementary and high schools.
104. Is this paper going anywhere?
105. If I were to grade this paper, what would I give it?
106. I don't know a good way to end this paper.
107. This paper seemed so good to me yesterday. Today ..
108. This paper is horrible. I need to rewrite much or most of it before I even consider turning it in.
109. I can't be bothered to rewrite this.
110. Revision never yields me more than slight–or false–improvements.
111. I enjoy the work of fine-tuning, of "getting the words right."
112. I need some good feedback on this draft. I'm going to show it to someone before I revise it.
113. What I've written here is just B.S.
114. I'll be glad when this is done.
115. I don't care!!!
116. This part of my draft might bore my reader. Can I put it in a way that isn't so dry?
117. Am I repeating ideas that I've expressed already, earlier in the paper?
118. Could this point be made just as well with fewer words?
119. How close am I now to the minimum required page length?
120. How can I make the paper seem longer than it is? –Widen the margins? Change the font size, or the size of the spaces between the lines? Throw in block quotes? Throw in a chart?
121. How close am I now to the maximum permitted page length?
122. Man, I wish I could stop this right now and go to bed. I'm just too tired to think, and my paper is going to suffer as a result.
123. What will happen if I get a bad grade on this paper? Will I fail? Get a D? I can't let that happen.
124. I work best under pressure.
125. I need to pace myself better--not leave all the work to the last minute.
126. Outside of English classes, a person's grammar doesn't matter to teachers.
127. The quality of my writing won't matter after graduation, once I start working.
128. I should let a certain friend (or relative or former teacher) read this paper. He/she might enjoy it, find it interesting.
129. This paper would have been really good if I had had more time to work on it.
130. I'd rather turn in nothing than submit this travesty that I've produced.
131. Handing in this paper makes me feel good.
132. Other statements that you make to yourself when writing: