![\"First](\"https:\/\/karenmariepalmer.com\/theroughwritersguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/05\/Drafts.jpg\")
\nThere are several stages to the Writing Process. Each stage is essential.<\/div>\n
- \n \t
- Pre-writing<\/li>\n \t
- Writing (Drafting)<\/li>\n \t
- Revising<\/li>\n \t
- Editing<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_37\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"736\"]
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/karenmariepalmer.com\/theroughwritersguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/05\/Writing_Process_Flow_Chart.gif\")
Royalty Free Image from Wikimedia<\/em>[\/caption]\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n1. Pre-writing<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nDuring the pre-writing stage, <\/span>choose and narrow your topic. You should be able to answer \"yes\" to these three questions about your topic:<\/span>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n- \n \t
- Does it interest me?<\/li>\n \t
- Do I have something to say about it?<\/li>\n \t
- Is it specific?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nDuring the pre-writing stage, determine your audience<\/em>. Ask yourself:<\/div>\n
- \n \t
- Who are my readers?<\/li>\n \t
- What do my readers know about my topic?<\/li>\n \t
- What do my readers need to know about my topic?<\/li>\n \t
- How do my readers feel about my topic?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nDuring the pre-writing stage, determine your purpose<\/em>. Your p<\/span>urpose is the reason you are writing. <\/span>Whenever you write, you always have a purpose. Most writing fits into one of these three categories:<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
- \n \t
- To express<\/li>\n \t
- To inform<\/li>\n \t
- To persuade<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nMore than one of these may be used, but one will be primary.<\/div>\n<\/div>\nDuring the pre-writing stage, determine your tone<\/em> and point-of-view<\/em>. Tone is the mood or attitude you adopt as you write. It can be be:<\/span><\/div>\n\n
- \n \t
- Serious or frivolous\/humorous<\/li>\n \t
- Intimate or detached<\/li>\n \t
- Academic\/formal<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nPoint-of-view is the perspective from which you write an essay. There are 3 points-of-view:<\/div>\n
- \n \t
- First person\u2014\u201dI, we\u201d<\/li>\n \t
- Second person\u2014\u201dyou\u201d<\/li>\n \t
- Third person\u2014\u201dhe, she, they\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nNote: Most instructors prefer that students only use third person, academic voice in their essays. Follow your instructor's directions and ask if you aren't sure.<\/div>\n<\/div>\nPre-writing techniques can be used to explore your topic. There are several choices of pre-writing techniques, including:<\/div>\n\n
- \n \t
- Brainstorming\/Listing<\/li>\n \t
- Freewriting<\/li>\n \t
- Clustering\/Mapping<\/li>\n \t
- Questioning<\/li>\n \t
- Discussing<\/li>\n \t
- Outlining<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
2. Writing (Drafting)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nDuring drafting, you should c<\/span>ompose a FULL rough draft. <\/span>A draft is the first whole version of all your ideas put together. The b<\/span>asics of a good draft:<\/span>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n- \n \t
- Has a fully developed introduction and conclusion<\/li>\n \t
- Has fully developed body paragraphs, each containing a topic sentence, and examples and details from the text(s) as support<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
3. Revising<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRevising is finding and correcting problems with content; changing the ideas in your writing to make them clearer, stronger, and more convincing.<\/span>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n- \n \t
- Revising looks at important areas such as essay structure, organization, and sentence structure.<\/li>\n \t
- You should read through your essay numerous times during this stage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
4. Editing<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\nEditing is finding and correcting problems with grammar, style, word choice\/usage, and punctuation. In addition:<\/span>\n