Process Writing: 
Overview 
Emily Williamson 
AACC – Advanced Writing 
Fall 2014 
(click the speaker picture for audio)
Process 
(noun) 
a series of actions that produce something 
or that lead to a particular result 
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/process
Process: Examples 
 Cooking homemade soup 
 Building a house 
 ?
Process Writing 
 You can’t just sit down and type a good 
essay. 
 A quality essay is developed. 
 Generally, there are seven steps.
The Seven Steps 
Adapted from 
Great Writing 4: Great Essays, 4th edition, by Keith 
Folse, 2014, NGL Cengage
All Seven 
1. Topic 
2. Brainstorm 
3. Outline 
4. First Draft 
5. Feedback 
6. Revise 
7. Proofread
1. Topic 
 Sometimes the teacher chooses 
 Sometimes the students chose 
 Be careful not to stray from your topic!
2. Brainstorm 
 Busy, stressed students (and teachers) 
want to skip this step. 
 Don’t skip it! 
It helps produce thorough work efficiently.
2.5 Thesis 
 Tells the reader what will be in the essay. 
 Feels like a mini-outline. 
 Concise summary of all of your content.
3. Outline 
 Choose and organize your content 
 Benefits: 
 No grammar! 
 Few words to spell! 
 Easy to see organization
4. First Draft 
 Outline  sentences and paragraphs 
 Some grammar and spelling necessary 
 NOT time to be perfect
5. Feedback 
 About content and organization 
 Focus / relevance? 
 Ideas make sense? 
 Logical order? 
 Good essays are easy to read. Listen to 
your readers’ points of view.
6. Revise 
 Choose what changes to make. 
 If you make a lot of changes, maybe you 
will want more feedback now!
7. Proofread 
 Seek perfection! 
 Grammar 
 Spelling 
 Capitalization 
 Punctuation 
Word choice 
 Neat/typed
Important Notes! 
 Your first draft will not be perfect! 
 Your first draft and your final essay will look 
very different! 
 Proofreading before your essay is mostly 
finished will just waste your time.

Process Writing Overview

  • 1.
    Process Writing: Overview Emily Williamson AACC – Advanced Writing Fall 2014 (click the speaker picture for audio)
  • 2.
    Process (noun) aseries of actions that produce something or that lead to a particular result http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/process
  • 3.
    Process: Examples Cooking homemade soup  Building a house  ?
  • 4.
    Process Writing You can’t just sit down and type a good essay.  A quality essay is developed.  Generally, there are seven steps.
  • 5.
    The Seven Steps Adapted from Great Writing 4: Great Essays, 4th edition, by Keith Folse, 2014, NGL Cengage
  • 6.
    All Seven 1.Topic 2. Brainstorm 3. Outline 4. First Draft 5. Feedback 6. Revise 7. Proofread
  • 7.
    1. Topic Sometimes the teacher chooses  Sometimes the students chose  Be careful not to stray from your topic!
  • 8.
    2. Brainstorm Busy, stressed students (and teachers) want to skip this step.  Don’t skip it! It helps produce thorough work efficiently.
  • 9.
    2.5 Thesis Tells the reader what will be in the essay.  Feels like a mini-outline.  Concise summary of all of your content.
  • 10.
    3. Outline Choose and organize your content  Benefits:  No grammar!  Few words to spell!  Easy to see organization
  • 11.
    4. First Draft  Outline  sentences and paragraphs  Some grammar and spelling necessary  NOT time to be perfect
  • 12.
    5. Feedback About content and organization  Focus / relevance?  Ideas make sense?  Logical order?  Good essays are easy to read. Listen to your readers’ points of view.
  • 13.
    6. Revise Choose what changes to make.  If you make a lot of changes, maybe you will want more feedback now!
  • 14.
    7. Proofread Seek perfection!  Grammar  Spelling  Capitalization  Punctuation Word choice  Neat/typed
  • 15.
    Important Notes! Your first draft will not be perfect!  Your first draft and your final essay will look very different!  Proofreading before your essay is mostly finished will just waste your time.