The Writing ProcessThe Writing Process

Writing an essay is exciting to some and

intimidating to others. Students who use the

Writing Process to complete their essay often

find writing to be enjoyable and they are able to

produce a high-quality, effective essay.

Setting up the proper

workspace can help

make the writing

process more

comfortable and more

efficient for the writer.

Helpful Hint:

Workspace The writing process is a series

of steps a writer can follow in

order to produce a high

quality, effective essay.

What is the Writing Process?

Following a specific writing process allows the writer to

stay organized throughout every stage of writing and to

produce quality work for his or her audience.

What is the purpose of the Writing Process?

Following the Writing Process will help you stay organized

so that you can relax and enjoy writing your essay.

The writing process should begin

with writing down ideas for your

essay, immediately after you

receive your instructions for the

assignment.

When to start the Writing Process? Who should follow the Writing Process?

Students will benefit greatly from following the

Writing Process, but anyone who is writing

anything from an email or letter to an article or

blog entry will find the Writing Process to be easy

to use and to be a valuable resource.

By: Wendy Buchanan

How does the Writing Process work?

The Writing Process is made up of several parts, such as brainstorming, writing drafts, and revising. Following

all of the steps in the Writing Process will help you stay organized throughout your writing and help you to write

a clear and effective essay.

The more you practice writing,

the easier writing will become.

You can practice your writing

through a journal, letters to

editors, blogs and even social

web sites.

Parts of the Writing Process:

BRAINSTORMING: After receiving your assignment,

begin writing down ideas to discuss in your essay.

Try to group similar ideas and information together

so you can easily see the strongest points to include.

RESEARCH: If your assignment requires research,

do this after you brainstorm, so you know what

information you need. While doing research you may

not find the specific information you were looking for

and find it necessary to revise your original ideas.

Recording all sources you view during your research makes it

easier to list your resources in your bibliography page. Staying

organized in the earliest stages of your writing will help you

throughout the entire writing process.

Writing Tip!

THESIS STATEMENT: Use your brainstorming ideas

to create a thesis statement. Your thesis statement

should be in the introduction paragraph of your essay

and will explain to readers the purpose of your essay.

OUTLINE: Organize information into an outline where

the introductory paragraph contains thesis statement

and preview of points to be discussed in paper, followed

by 3-4 supporting paragraphs addressing those points

and a closing paragraph.

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PROOFREAD and REFINE

When proofreading your rough draft be sure that:

Your purpose is clear

Your ideas are organized

You have evidence to support your thesis statement

All grammar, spelling and punctuation is correct

Taking a break after writing your rough draft will allow you to come back with refreshed eyes and a clear mind when you are ready to proofread your essay.

Writing Tip!

ROUGH DRAFT: Use your outline to write a rough

draft of your essay and be sure that as you write you re-

member who your audience will be and use vocabulary

and style that will be easy for them to understand.

FINAL COPY: When you are completely satisfied with

your essay, let others read your work. Turning your

essay in to your instructor, sharing it with your

classmates, asking to have it published in your school’s

literature or creating a blog are all ways to highlight

your hard work.

Writing an essay does not have to be

overwhelming and when you follow

the Writing Process you may find

that writing in this organized

manner is helpful and fun.

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