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A Suggested Writing Process Model
Response to a Text
Preparation
 | Read the text or selection carefully. |
| Re-read the material, and |
| mark key passages, |
| take notes in the margins, and |
| look up words in the dictionary. |
Prewriting
| Consider your audience.
" Use any of the following techniques (or one of your own) for
invention, that is for getting ideas about the topic onto a piece of paper:
 | listing |
| freewriting |
| brainstorming |
| clustering |
| branching |
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Organizing
| Decide which ideas you will use and which order they should follow. |
| Some writers use an outline for this aspect of organizing. |
| Usually two to four good ideas will suffice for an essay. |
| Develop a "working" thesis that addresses the topic. (This
thesis can be revised later to be more sophisticated.) |
| Begin an introductory paragraph; include the title of the work and the
author's name in this paragraph. |
| Take the ideas you have chosen and develop topic sentences or means of
focusing the ideas of each body paragraph to show each separate idea. |
| Begin to formulate a title and conclusion that will reflect the ideas of
your paper. |
Development
| Write the first draft of your essay. |
| Search for textual evidence to incorporate into your body
paragraphs. |
| Be aware of the difference between summarizing information from the text
and using key passages to illustrate the points your essay is making. |
| Be sure your ideas are complete and understandable to your audience. |
Revision
| Re-read your draft, checking to be sure you have the following items:
| a thesis that addresses the topic |
| a clear focus in each paragraph |
| ideas that relate to and support the thesis |
| transitions that connect ideas |
| appropriate textual citations in each body paragraph |
| complete and clear development of the ideas in the body of the essay |
| correct sentence structures |
| correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar |
| appropriate word use |
| coherence throughout the essay and unity within the paragraphs |
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| Proofread your final draft one last time for little errors. |
| Double-check your citations. |
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