Mastering the Writing Process Steps

The Writing Process Stages

1. Pre-writing

This is the planning phase of the writing process, when students brainstorm, research, gather, and outline ideas, often using diagrams for mapping out their thoughts. Audience and purpose should be considered at this point, and for older students, a working thesis statement needs to be started.

2. Drafting

Students create their initial composition by writing down all their ideas in an organized way to convey a particular idea or present an argument. Audience and purpose need to be finalized.

3. Revising

Students review, modify, and reorganize their work by rearranging, adding, or deleting content, and by making the tone, style, and content appropriate for the intended audience. The goal of this phase of the writing process is to improve the draft.

4. Editing

At this point in the writing process, writers proofread and correct errors in grammar and mechanics, and edit to improve style and clarity. Having another writer’s feedback in this stage is helpful.

5. Publishing

In this last step of the writing process, the final writing is shared with the group. Sharing can be accomplished in a variety of ways, and with the help of computers, it can even be printed or published online.

Paragraphing Fundamentals

Topic Sentence

The topic sentence is the first sentence in a paragraph. It introduces the main idea of the paragraph. So, summarize the main idea of your paragraph. Indicate to the reader what your paragraph will be about.

Supporting Sentences

They come after the topic sentence, making up the body of a paragraph. They give details to develop and support the main idea of the paragraph. You should give supporting facts, details, and examples.

Concluding Sentence

The closing sentence is the last sentence in a paragraph. It restates the main idea of your paragraph using different words.

Understanding Plagiarism

Plagiarism is using others’ ideas and words without clearly acknowledging the source of that information.

Writing Sources:

Paraphrase

Using someone’s ideas, but putting them in your own words. This is probably the skill you will use most when incorporating sources into your writing. Although you use your own words to paraphrase, you must still acknowledge the source of the information.

Quoting

Using someone’s words. When you quote, place the passage you are using in quotation marks, and document the source according to a standard documentation style.

Ex: According to Peter S. Pritchard in USA Today, “Public schools need reform but they’re irreplaceable in teaching all the nation’s young.”