The Steps of the Writing Process

Pre-Writing, Writing, Revising, and Editing: Steps of the Writing Process

Before taking this class, I did not approach writing in a systematic way. I would often write from start to finish, with little thought of how to tailor my writing for specific projects. I would correct my writing for grammar and spelling, but I did not understand how to edit my own work. Then, I was introduced to “The Four Steps in the Writing Process,” of prewriting, writing, revising, and editing.

Prewriting is something I have often neglected, because I often have procrastinated in the past when an assignment was due, leaving me little time to brainstorm interesting ideas or to outline. I would just rush right through the essay, and also have little time for revision. When writing my comparison on essay of “Astrology versus Astronomy,” however, it was useful to first brainstorm topics that might be useful to compare (ones which shared similarities as well as differences), and then to create clustered lists of different subtopics, once I had decided upon the two main subjects.

Once I conducted more research on the two topics, I began to take notes from my various sources, including listing important pull quotes with different historical facts. According to “4 Prewriting Strategies to Prepare You for Your First Draft,” prewriting can include general brainstorming or it can be more structured, using techniques such as clustering ideas. The closer I got to actually writing the essay, the more useful it was to use more structured prewriting strategies, like clustering and outline, versus general brainstorming.

Of course, after a certain point, the actual writing of the essay is inevitable and must be done, no matter how much procrastinating about writing is tempting! In fact, once I began prewriting, it was tempting just to linger on that step. But the actual process of writing felt so much easier, as I knew what I wanted to say. I was able to make sure each paragraph of the essay had a point, and a clear topic sentence. Revising the essay was also easier. I found the process or revising much easier than the process of actually writing. Even though I made some mistakes with the citation format, at least I understood the point I was trying to make, and I think I clearly established how astrology and astronomy were different.

Finally, during the editing process I was able to make the meaning of my sentences clearer, and the comparison and contrast of the two different elements. I tried to look at the essay with fresh eyes, as if I was reading it for the first time, although I had done so much research by then, it was difficult to distance myself from what I writing about. It was also hard to cut words out, because I was already very close to the minimum required word limit when I started. I think I added more than subtracted sentences, in the end.

The illustration essay about traveling during the COVID-19 epidemic I found much easier to write. The essay was designed to celebrate the mind-broadening benefits of traveling, which we will hopefully all be able to do with complete freedom, once the pandemic has truly ended or a larger percentage of the population is vaccinated. As someone who has traveled, I was able to reflect on how exposure to different ways of life abroad can challenge the common belief that the United States is unquestioningly considered the best country in the world. Brainstorming ideas for this essay was much more enjoyable and easier, because it was more based on my observations and personal opinions.

When I was revising the essay, I tried to incorporate the experiences of other people and feedback about their own travels, such as how it showed them a side of different countries they could not access on television or online. I also reflected on how it can be an important asset to a curriculum vitae, illustrating that the applicant is a risk-seeker, interested in other nations. In other words, I added many important elements to the essay during the revising process, before doing my final edit for style and grammar. In retrospect, I might have titled the essay differently, as it was less about travel restrictions and more about the benefits of traveling in the end.

The persuasive essay was definitely the most challenging, in terms of selecting a topic that had two arguable sides. It also required the most organization in the prewriting process, as I had to first address the arguments in favor of my position, but also consider the arguments in opposition to mine, so I could address them later in the essay. Still, although this was the most difficult essay to write, I think the persuasive skills I gained were some of the most useful for my other classes. All of my classes require some type of argumentation.