The Writing Process

Most writing follows the “Basic 5” formula:
1. Introduction
2. Idea with supporting details
3. Idea with supporting details
4. Idea with supporting details
5. Conclusion

Step 1
Prewriting:
Find a topic of personal interest
Decide on a specific aspect of this topic

Step 2
Organizing ideas:
Make a skeletal outline of the main ideas
Gather additional information needed for the topic
--research needed?

Step 3
Writing the first draft:
Write down all related ideas
Sometimes it is easier to write the introduction later
Do not worry about mechanics in the first draft
Be wary of plagiarism pitfalls

Step 4
Rewriting:
Use a thesaurus to find the best words
Vary the sentence structure of the writing
Use peer-editing techniques for objective critiquing

Step 5
Reflection;
Evaluate how well you paced your writing
Evaluate how successful you feel about your writing
Learn from the remarks made by your instructor