THE WRITING PROCESS

Every writer starts with an idea or an assignment and then must work to translate his or her thoughts about the subject into a clear and easily read essay. If the writer’s struggle is successful, the finished essay is welded together without a seam, and the reader has no sense of the writer’s frustration while hunting for the right word or rearranging the ideas.

In general, the writing process has three stages. During invention, sometimes called prewriting,you progress from subject to topic to thesis. As you develop your thesis, you also generate ideas that might be used to support it. During the next stage, arrangement,you decide how you are going to organize your ideas. And finally, during writingandrevision, you write your essay, progressing through several drafts as you refine style, structure, and mechanics.

When you write, you do not move mechanically from one stage to another because the three stages overlap.

PREWRITING / INVENTION

Prewriting, or invention, is probably the most important part of the writing process. Before you attempt to draft your essay, however, you should probe your subject and decide what you are going to say about it. This entails narrowing your general subject to a manageable topic and arriving at a thesis. To accomplish this, your first step during invention should be to make sure you understand the assignment your instructor has given to you. Next, you can move from your broad subject to a narrow topic by using questions to probe your subject. When you have discovered a limited topic, brainstorming will help you generate ideas until, finally, you are prepared to formulate a thesis – the main idea of your project.

ASSIGNMENTS

Almost everything you write will begin as an assignment. Therefore, before you begin to write, it is important that you understand what you are being asked to do. If the assignment is a written question, read it carefully several times. If the assignment is given to you orally be sure to copy it accurately since a missed word can make quite a difference. Whatever the case, don’t be afraid to ask your instructor for clarification if you are confused. Remember that the project, no matter how well written, will be unacceptable if it doesn’t fulfill the assignment.

ESTABLISHING BOUNDARIES

Once you are certain you understand your assignment, you are ready to establish the boundaries of your research by considering itslength, purpose, audience, and your own knowledge of the subject.