6.1: Why It Matters: Writing Process

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Why is it necessary to analyze the process of writing?

You’ve likely heard the phrase “writing process” before, and the steps below may be familiar to you.

Graphic labeled "The Writing Process." A line of brightly colored circles are connected by gray arrows wrapping around them. From left to right, they read: Topic, Prewrite, Evidence, Organize, Draft, Revise, Proofread.

Though these steps are often talked about as separate tasks, they are actually much more fluid. Don’t overlook the importance of the arrows around each item. These arrows indicate the most vital aspect of the writing process: it doesn’t just go in one direction.

One step bleeds into the next. Sometimes an issue comes up late in the process, such as during revision, which requires going back to the prewriting stage for a bit. This kind of dance through the steps is expected, and healthy. You make your own path through the process.

The Writing Process, Illustrated

The video below is a beautiful example of one person’s application of the writing process. He narrates the stages he goes through to complete blog entries for a course he’s taking. Though you may not be writing the same kind of product, you can certainly analyze his process to see how it might be applied in other writing situations.

A link to an interactive elements can be found at the bottom of this page.

Click here to download a transcript for this video

Were there steps in this video that surprised you? That seemed out of order to you? Would you be able to adapt his process to the next writing task you’re faced with?

The rest of this module will address the individual stages of the writing process, and how they work together.

Learning Outcomes

Analyze topic selection activities
Analyze prewriting activities
Analyze activities to find evidence in support of a claim
Analyze essay organizational techniques
Analyze drafting activities
Analyze revision activities
Analyze proofreading activities

Contributors and Attributions

Why It Matters: Writing Process. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution
Image of The Writing Process. Authored by: Kim Louie for Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution