Writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, publishing)
The writing process is a structured approach that writers use to produce a finished piece of work, typically encompassing five key stages: planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Initially, writers engage in planning, where they select a topic or thesis, identify their audience, and brainstorm ideas. This prewriting stage is crucial for setting the direction and purpose of the writing. Following this, the drafting stage allows writers to transfer their ideas onto paper, often resulting in a rough draft that prioritizes content over structure.
Once the draft is complete, writers enter the revising phase, where they critically assess their work for clarity and coherence, often seeking feedback from peers or mentors. This iterative process may involve multiple rounds of drafting and revising to enhance the quality of the writing. After revisions are made, the editing stage focuses on correcting grammar, typographical errors, and ensuring the work is polished and ready for its audience. Finally, the publishing stage encompasses sharing the written work, which can range from submitting a paper for a class to self-publishing online. This process has become an integral part of writing education, particularly in the United States, where it fosters confidence and skill development among students.
Writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, publishing)
The writing process is the series of actions taken by writers to produce a finished work. Writers, educators, and theorists have defined the writing process in many different ways, but it generally involves prewriting tasks, writing tasks, and post-writing tasks. More specifically, these tasks include planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing, in approximately that order. The writing process was seldom addressed in schools until shifts in educational policies in the 1970s identified it as an important factor in successful writing. In the United States, most schools today include study of the writing process as part of the writing-skills curriculum.
Study of the Writing Process
Prior to the 1970s, educators generally did not emphasize the writing process in classrooms. Rather, they focused primarily on the basic aspects of language use, such as spelling and grammar, and then assessed students based on their final written works. Beginning in the early 1970s, educational theorists began to question whether that was the best approach. Theorists including Janet Emig and Donald M. Murray believed that viewing writing as a process instead of a product could help students better understand how they could develop, control, and use their writing skills.
The theories developed during that time took hold in education in the United States. Many educators felt that studying the writing process made students more secure and confident because it gave them clearly defined steps to follow. Following the steps as prescribed would, in many cases, lead to more effective written works. Some theorists and others criticized the new system, however. They held that writing is not as rigid and linear as may be suggested by a list of steps, and successful writers must develop their own methods of writing and move more fluidly through the various stages of writing. Despite such criticism, the writing process remains an integral part of American language studies.
Planning
The generally accepted first step of the writing process is planning the written work. This is considered the main prewriting activity because it occurs before actual writing begins. The writer must make plans and decisions. He or she must choose a topic (a main subject to be examined) or a thesis (a proposition to be discussed and proven) to give the writing purpose and direction. The writer should also determine the intended audience for the final work to choose the most appropriate tone, voice, and subject matter.
In its most basic form, the planning stage may be accomplished through thought alone. However, in modern classrooms, students are often asked to perform various activities to help improve and document their planning procedures. One of these activities is brainstorming, which involves writing down a topic and then listing ideas associated with that topic. Another similar planning activity is drawing idea maps or webs, simple graphs showing topics and related ideas, often connected by lines.
Another aspect of planning involves research and preparation. Scholarly papers generally require research and references to previously written works. Writers should keep track of outside sources they have consulted and include them in a bibliography, particularly if the writer has quoted information from these sources. Some writings, such as fiction, may not require prior research, but writers may prepare for their writing in other ways, such as by reading other fictional works, to become better acquainted with the craft of narrative writing.
Drafting and Revising
Once a writer has completed prewriting tasks and gathered all necessary information, he or she can begin drafting the written work. To create a first draft, a writer jots down his or her ideas in a loose and rough manner. The first draft may not be carefully structured, technically correct, or visually pleasing. It is intended simply as a means of transferring basic ideas onto paper.
After the first draft (often called the rough draft) is completed, the process of revision begins. Writers can perform their own revisions by critically reading the entire draft while checking for completeness, sensibility, and clarity. Writers should note any major shortcomings and plan ways to improve them, along with adding new elements such as stronger words and clearer details. Many writers turn to outside help during the revision process by asking teachers, peers, or other writers to review their work and provide comments and suggestions.
After gathering ideas for improvements, the writer then incorporates them into the work, thus creating a new draft. This new draft may then be revised again in a similar manner to create yet another, more improved and polished draft. Writers may continue drafting and revising as long as necessary to create an acceptable work. Some writers may produce dozens of drafts before considering a work complete.
Editing and Publishing
Once a work has been drafted and revised, its major ideas and details should be in place. The final step for completing the work is editing, or carefully reading the work again in search of mechanical problems. During editing, writers correct any errors in grammar, word choice, and so on. Editing also involves proofreading, or checking for typographical errors and misspelled words. The point of editing is to make a work complete, correct, and ready for its audience.
After the editing process is completed, the final step is publishing the work. Publishing may be as simple as producing a final copy of a class report to submit to a teacher for assessment, or as complex as arranging to have a work printed and distributed by a major publishing house. Writers have many options and opportunities when it comes to publishing. In modern times, online publishing and self-publishing have become increasingly popular choices to disseminate written works.
Bibliography
Emig, Janet. The Composing Processes of Twelfth Graders. National Council of Teachers of English, 1971.
Gardner, A. and D. Johnson. Teaching Personal Experience Narrative in the Elementary and Beyond. Northern Arizona Writing Project Press, 1997.
MacArthur, Charles A., Steve Graham, and Jill Fitzgerald (eds.). Handbook of Writing Research. The Guilford Press, 2006.
McDonald, Christina Russell, and Robert L. McDonald (eds.). Teaching Writing: Landmarks and Horizons. Southern Illinois University Press, 2002.
Murray, Donald Morison. A Writer Teaches Writing. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1985.
"The Writing Process." Capella University. Web. 29 Oct. 2014. http://www.capella.edu/interactivemedia/onlinewritingcenter/downloads/theWritingProcess.pdf
"The Writing Process." Cleveland State University Writing Center. Web. 29 Oct. 2014. http://www.csuohio.edu/academic/writingcenter/writproc.html
"The Writing Process." Purdue Online Writing Lab, Purdue University, owl.purdue.edu/owl/general‗writing/the‗writing‗process/index.html. Accessed 23 Sept. 2024.