Steps and stages in the writing process

1. The Writing Process
Stages, Steps, Patterns
and
Techniques

2. Stage 1: Prewriting
A. Determine the focus: discover and
limit a topic
freewriting, listing (my favorites)

3. Stage 1: Prewriting
A. Determine the focus: discover and
limit a topic
freewriting, listing (my favorites)
brainstorming/asking journalist’s questions

4. Stage 1: Prewriting
A. Determine the focus: discover and
limit a topic
freewriting, listing (my favorites)
brainstorming/asking journalist’s questions
mind mapping or clustering (my wife’s
favorite)

5. Stage 1: Prewriting
A. Determine the focus: discover and
limit a topic
freewriting, listing (my favorites)
brainstorming/asking journalist’s questions
mind mapping or clustering (my wife’s
favorite)
sketching or doodling

6. Stage 1: Prewriting
B. Develop the paper: generate
material
focused freewriting

7. Stage 1: Prewriting
B. Develop the paper: generate
material
focused freewriting
further clustering

8. Stage 1: Prewriting
B. Develop the paper: generate
material
focused freewriting
further clustering
extending the lists

9. Stage 1: Prewriting
B. Develop the paper: generate
material
focused freewriting
further clustering
extending the lists
researching

10. Stage 1: Prewriting
C. Determine your target: consider the
audience
determine if the audience is neutral, hostile, or
friendly

11. Stage 1: Prewriting
C. Determine your target: consider the
audience
determine if the audience is neutral, hostile,
or friendly
determine the appropriate level of technicality
(nontechnical, semi-technical, and highly
technical) and the appropriate level of
formality (colloquial, informal, semiformal,
and formal or contract language)

12. Stage 1: Prewriting
C. Determine your target: consider the
audience
determine if the audience is neutral, hostile,
or friendly
determine the appropriate level of technicality
(nontechnical, semi-technical, and highly
technical) and the appropriate level of
formality (colloquial, informal, semiformal,
and formal or contract language)
determine the appropriate level of complexity
or density of thought

13. Stage 1: Prewriting
C. Determine your target: consider the
audience
 determine if the audience is neutral, hostile, or
friendly
 determine the appropriate level of technicality
(nontechnical, semi-technical, and highly
technical) and the appropriate level of formality
(colloquial, informal, semiformal, and formal or
contract language)
 determine the appropriate level of complexity or
density of thought
 consider the audience’s expectations; identify
shared values

14. Stage 1: Prewriting
D. Decide on your main point: generate
a thesis
encompasses topic

15. Stage 1: Prewriting
D. Decide on your main point: generate
a thesis
encompasses topic
 makes a point about the topic that can and
should be defended or validated

16. Stage 1: Prewriting
D. Decide on your main point: generate
a thesis
encompasses topic
 makes a point about the topic that can and
should be defended or validated
offers writer’s unique perspective and insight
into topic

17. Stage 1: Prewriting
E. Arrange material: organize
exploit organization inherent in topic or writing
assignment boundaries (narration and process
analysis are usually organized on a time line,
for instance; a paper analyzing a causal chain
will also have an inherent sequencing of
material)

18. Stage 1: Prewriting
E. Arrange material: organize
exploit organization inherent in topic or
writing assignment boundaries
 exploit organization inherent in prewriting
from step B (recognize and use the
connections or relations between components
or ideas in a clustering diagram, for instance)

19. Stage 1: Prewriting
E. Arrange material: organize
exploit organization inherent in topic or
writing assignment boundaries
exploit organization inherent in prewriting
from step B
impose order using classic strategies or
patterns of organization

20. Stage 1: Prewriting
E. Organizing (cont’d)
Classic organizing patterns include:
chronological: uses time as the organizing
principle

21. Stage 1: Prewriting
E. Organizing (cont’d)
Classic organizing patterns include:
chronological
spatial: establishes a point or frame of
reference and organizes material with respect
to that (to the left of the front door is a bush;
in front of that is a flower bed)

22. Stage 1: Prewriting
E. Organizing (cont’d)
Classic organizing patterns include:
chronological: uses time as the organizing
principle
spatial
emphatic: uses order of importance as its
organizing principle (either save the most
compelling idea or details for last, or put the
most important cause first)

23. Stage 1: Prewriting
E. Organizing (cont’d)
Classic organizing patterns include:
chronological
spatial
emphatic
deductive: general to specific (a general
statement followed by supporting detail or
specific concrete reasons)

24. Stage 1: Prewriting
E. Organizing (cont’d)
Classic organizing patterns include:
chronological
spatial
emphatic
deductive
inductive: specific to general (specific detail
followed by an interpretive or explanatory
general statement or abstraction)

25. Stage 1: Prewriting
E. Arrange material: organize
exploit organization inherent in topic or
writing assignment boundaries
exploit organization inherent in prewriting
from step B
impose order using classic strategies or
patterns of organization
once the strategy for organizing the material
is set, capture the organization using a device
like an outline or a flow chart.

26. Stage II: Drafting
A. Introductory paragraph(s)
attract and hold the favorable attention of
the target audience

27. Stage II: Drafting
A. Introductory paragraph(s)
 attract and hold the favorable attention
of the target audience
 address topic

28. Stage II: Drafting
A. Introductory paragraph(s)
 attract and hold the favorable attention
of the target audience
 address topic
 state or imply thesis

29. Stage II: Drafting
A. Introductory paragraph(s)
 attract and hold the favorable attention
of the target audience
 address topic
 state or imply thesis
 establish tone

30. Stage II: Drafting
B. Body Paragraphs
execute design represented in Stage I,
step E.4
 identify subtopics within thesis (reflected in
divisions in outline, for example)

31. Stage II: Drafting
B. Body Paragraphs
 execute design represented in Stage I,
step E.4
 identify subtopics within thesis (reflected in
divisions in outline, for example)
 develop each facet/subtopic in one or two
paragraphs using mix of general observation
or assertion and specific detail that supports,
clarifies, or illustrated

32. Stage II: Drafting
B. Body Paragraphs
 execute design represented in Stage I, step
E.4
 each paragraph self-contained
 focused (with topic sentence)
 unified (all development relevant to topic
sentence)
 coherent (logically arranged and using adequate
organizational cues)
 paragraphs work together to create envisioned
effect on target audience

33. Stage II: Drafting
B. Body Paragraphs
 execute design represented in Stage I,
step E.4
 each paragraph self-contained
 achieve essay coherence by using
adequate transitional devices within and
between paragraphs

34. Stage II: Drafting
C. Conclusion
signal that the paper is about to end
successfully

35. Stage II: Drafting
C. Conclusion
 signal that the paper is about to end
successfully
 restate reworded and expanded
expression of essay’s thesis

36. Stage II: Drafting
C. Conclusion
 signal that the paper is about to end
successfully
 restate reworded and expanded
expression of essay’s thesis
 summarize key areas of development

37. Stage II: Drafting
C. Conclusion
 signal that the paper is about to end
successfully
 restate reworded and expanded
expression of essay’s thesis
 summarize key areas of development
 draw conclusions, make judgments and
evaluations for readers

38. Stage II: Drafting
D. Transition paragraphs
signal major shift in subject matter, tone,
or both

39. Stage II: Drafting
D. Transition paragraphs
 signal major shift in subject matter, tone,
or both
 often useful in comparison, classification,
and analysis essays (though not an
essential element of any mode of
expression)

40. Stage II: Drafting
D. Transition paragraphs
 signal major shift in subject matter, tone,
or both
 often useful in comparison, classification,
and analysis essays (though not an
essential element of any mode of
expression)
 usually very short—one or two sentences

41. Stage II: Drafting
E. Dialogue paragraphs
used to represent verbatim speech in
direct quotation

42. Stage II: Drafting
E. Dialogue paragraphs
 used to represent verbatim speech in
direct quotation
 involve using quotation marks in
collocation with other marks of
punctuation

43. Stage II: Drafting
E. Dialogue paragraphs
 used to represent verbatim speech in
direct quotation
 involve using quotation marks in
collocation with other marks of
punctuation
 each change in speaker requires
beginning of a new paragraph

44. Stage II: Drafting
F. Title construction
use the title to:
 describe the topic
 catch a busy reader’s attention
 express some aspect of the writer’s
personality

45. Stage II: Drafting
F. Title construction
 use the title to:
 describe the topic
 catch a busy reader’s attention
 express some aspect of the writer’s
personality
 try to keep it short and simple (except
for serious academic compositions)

46. Stage II: Drafting
F. Title construction
 use the title to:
 describe the topic
 catch a busy reader’s attention
 express some aspect of the writer’s
personality
 try to keep it short and simple (except
for serious academic compositions
 do not use quotation marks around your
own titles

47. Stage III: Revision
A. Review assignment boundaries
length
subject
restrictions

48. Stage III: Revision
A. Review assignment boundaries
B. Reconsider essay purpose and thesis
 does the essay accomplish what it set out to
do?
 thesis appropriate to assignment, writing
situation, and target audience?
 engaging?
 does it teach the audience something
worthwhile or persuade it to a position in its
own benefit?

49. Stage III: Revision
A. Review assignment boundaries
B. Reconsider essay purpose and
thesis
C. Review essay organization and
structure
 is the material arranged according to some
logical principle?
 does the essay have all three necessary parts?
 are transitions within and between paragraphs
effective?

50. Stage III: Revision
A. Review assignment boundaries
B. Reconsider essay purpose and thesis
C. Review essay organization and structure
D. Evaluate sections
 does introduction effectively capture favorable
attention/ control tone?
 are body paragraphs long enough? too long?
coherent? unified?
 does conclusion forecast the end of the paper?
remind reader of essay purpose?
 leave reader thinking?

51. Stage III: Revision
A. Review assignment boundaries
B. Reconsider essay purpose and thesis
C. Review essay organization and
structure
D. Evaluate sections
E. Review sentences
 length
 variety of structure
 grammar
 propriety of voice (active voice preferred)

52. Stage III: Revision
A. Review assignment boundaries
B. Reconsider essay purpose and thesis
C. Review essay organization and structure
D. Evaluate sections
E. Review sentences
F. Reconsider individual words
 precision and accuracy of denotation
 connotations appropriate for tone, audience, style?
 appropriate levels of
 formality
 technicality
 spelling

53. Stage III: Revision
A. Review assignment boundaries
B. Reconsider essay purpose and thesis
C. Review essay organization and structure
D. Evaluate sections
E. Review sentences
F. Reconsider individual words
G. Review individual marks of punctuation
 too many commas? exclamation points? parentheses?
 current wisdom: the leaner, the better
 double check punctuation marks used in collocation with
one another
 commas, periods, question marks with parentheses,
quotation marks
 ellipsis marks and terminal punctuation

54. Stage III: Revision
A. Review assignment boundaries
B. Reconsider essay purpose and thesis
C. Review essay organization and structure
D. Evaluate sections
E. Review sentences
F. Review individual marks of punctuation
G. Reconsider individual words
H. Proofread

55. Generate Final Copy
A. Materials
 8 ½ X 11 white paper
 blue or black ink

56. Generate Final Copy
A. Materials
B. Manuscript conventions
 double space
 1-inch margins
 12-pt. simple font—no cursive or italics
 one side of the paper only
 justify only left margin
 special restrictions

57. Generate Final Copy
A. Materials
B. Manuscript conventions
C. Submission of final copy
 cover sheet with name, title, assignment
number, and course/section
 final copy on top w/cover sheet, and
prewriting and drafting included underneath
 staple upper left corner
 no report covers please