Writing Process

Writing is a process, a series of activities that start the moment a person begins thinking about a subject and ends when the final draft is finished. Good writing is rewriting, making choices from considered alternatives. The steps in the writing process overlap, looping back and forth as each piece of writing evolves. Good writers have learned to let their thinkers think, their writers write, and their editors edit.

The First stage: Prewriting

The thinking, or as some call it the brainstorming, stage requires time. Here we must allow the thinker freedom as this is the discovery and invention stage. Limiting the thinker in any way gets in the way of great thoughts and ideas. Common brainstorming activities:

For finding topics*:

	Determining purpose
	Visualizing the audience
	Listing
	Clustering
	Freewriting
	Talking to Friends

Once the topic has been found:

	Researching in the library
	Researching on the Internet
	Interviewing others
	Observing
	Watching television
	Checking out the media
	Reviewing and understanding the topic through dictionaries and encyclopedias

**Of course these can at times be interchangeable.

The Second Stage: Writing the Zero Draft and the First Draft

A good zero draft requires that the thinker has spent ample time on prewriting. Bits and pieces of assorted and varied information about the topic are waiting for release from the brain. The thinker's job is done. Now the writer must take over and spill all those wonderful thoughts and ideas on to the page. The process is simple: Let the writer write! To do so:

	Put away all brainstorming;
	create an environment that is safe from interruption and distraction;
	write furiously on the topic for thirty to forty-five minutes without regard to spelling, punctuation, order, or form.

When finished with the spilling of thoughts on the page, put it away. Rest, run or have a cup of tea. If possible, let the draft alone for twenty-four hours. A sense of perspective is gained that way. After the draft has cooled, it's time to arrange it in some semblance of order. An outline can help with that. Read through the draft and create either an informal or formal outline depending upon purpose.

Based upon the outline, write the first draft of the essay, remembering an academic essay contains:

	An introduction;
	a thesis;
	body paragraphs which develop and support the thesis;
	a conclusion.

The Third Stage: Revising/Editing

Here the writer and thinker must sit back as the reader/editor begins her job. The reader/editor knows what makes good writing work:

	vivid details,
	interesting introductions,
	a knowledge of the subject under consideration;
	logical sequence of ideas and thoughts;
	adequate development of an idea,
	conclusions that round out the topic, and
	enough knowledge about the language to use punctuation and grammar so that it doesn't interfere with reading.

In this class, we will use peer editors to help us become more effective editors of our own writing. Peer editors help us see when we don't have enough information and must return to our thinking stage to gather more. Reader/editors help us see when the arrangement of our paragraphs doesn't make sense or when details are inadequate, so we must call upon the writer again.

After the reader/editor finishes her task, the writer should review the feedback and rewrite the essay to prepare it for evaluation.

To be the best writer you can be remember:

Think when you need to think.

Write when you should be writing.

Edit when it's time to edit.