3.1 Overview of writing processes

You may have been taught some version of the “steps” of a writing process: brainstorm, draft, revise, edit, submit. While these steps are helpful, we don’t always proceed directly from one step to next in a chronological manner. These processes are often iterative, or recursive, meaning we might return to previous stages in the process from time to time. The more complex the task, the more iteration might be needed. Examine the Writing Process diagram below. What changes when we move from a set of steps to a recursive process?

You may have come across a “writing process” before, and it may or may not have worked well for you. There is no single process that works for everyone in every situation. The key is to recognize the various steps in a typical writing process and figure out how to use or adapt them most effectively for your situation.

3.2 Writing processes are specific to the task and to the writer

You may have come across the 40-20-40 writing process, which suggests that you should break up the amount of time you spend on the writing task into three distinct stages of planning, drafting and revising, and give each one a specific percentage of the time you have available.

These percentages are a helpful guideline, as they emphasize the need to allot significant time for revision, but don’t always work for all people in all situations (think of a final exam situation!). It also does not clearly account for the need to iterate; sometimes while revising your draft (stage 3), you may have to go back to the planning stage (stage 1) to do additional research, adjust your focus, or reorganize ideas to create a more logical flow. Writing, like any kind of design work, demands an organic and dynamic process.

As with the design process, the writing process must begin with an understanding of the problem you are trying to solve. In an educational context, this means understanding the assignment you’ve been given, the specifications of that assignment, the objectives you are meant to achieve, and the constraints you must work within (due dates, word limits, research requirements, etc.). This is often referred to as “Task Analysis.” In professional contexts, you must also consider who your intended reader(s) will be, why they will be reading this document, and what their needs are, as well as deadlines and documentation requirements.

Consider how your writing process might change from assignment to assignment. If you’re writing a short reflection for your class, you may do some short brainstorming of points, write a draft, do a quick revision and editing check, and then submit it. If you’re doing a larger research paper, though, you might spend days or weeks in the prewriting stage: reading scholarship, organizing your thoughts, and drawing connections between ideas. You might seek feedback from multiple places and write multiple revisions. You might even stop in the middle of writing a full draft to get formative feedback on where the paper is headed so far.

Your writing process should also meet your own needs and strengths as a writer. Do you find yourself struggling to find editing errors when you polish a paper? You could respond by giving yourself enough time with a full draft to read it multiple times for errors. Is it difficult for you to organize your thoughts on a complex subject? Rather than starting with outlining, you could use a visual whiteboarding tool to track your thoughts.

Planning out your writing process can also make it feel more manageable. You could break your writing tasks into small steps. One resource is this assignment calendar, where you can choose the type of assignment you’re working on and make a plan around it. You could also make your own calendar with even smaller steps–beginning with some of your course deadlines, in bold.

Image descriptions

Figure 1 image description:

A writing process flowchart that illustrates a linear writing process, in green and blue, and ways that process may be recursive, in purple. Linear steps are prewriting (invention), drafting, revising, editing/proofreading, and submitting. Examples of what might happen at each step are included. An option for “planning a structure” appears between prewriting and drafting, and one for “Getting feedback” between drafting and revising. Image created by Marisa Yerace for Writing Elevated.