The Writing Process

The chart that follows shows the four stages of the writing process, all steps you will follow to write well, whether you are writing a paragraph or an essay. Keep in mind that you may not always go in a straight line through the four stages; instead, you might circle back to earlier steps to further improve your writing.

THE WRITING PROCESS

Generate ideas

CONSIDER: What is my purpose in writing? Given this purpose, what interests me? Who will read this paper? What do they need to know?

  • Determine your audience and purpose (see “Audience and Purpose”).
  • Find and explore your topic (see “Finding, Narrowing, and Exploring Your Topic”).
  • Make your point (see “Topic Sentences and Thesis Statements” in Chapter 3).
  • Support your point (see “Support for Your Main Point” in Chapter 3).

Draft

CONSIDER: How can I organize my ideas effectively and show my readers what I mean?

  • Arrange your ideas, and make an outline (see “Arrange Your Ideas” in Chapter 3).
  • Write a draft, including an introduction that will interest your readers, a strong conclusion, and a title (see Chapter 4).

Revise

CONSIDER: How can I make my draft clearer or more convincing to my readers?

  • Look for ideas that do not fit (see Chapter 4).
  • Look for ideas that could use more detailed support (see Chapter 4).
  • Connect ideas with transitional words and sentences (see Chapter 4).

Edit

CONSIDER: What errors could confuse my readers and weaken my point?

  • Find and correct the most serious errors in grammar (Chapter 15).
  • Look for other errors in style and grammar (Chapter 16).
  • Check your punctuation and capitalization (Chapter 17).