There are six stages of the writing process. These stages include understanding the task, gathering data, invention, drafting, revision, and editing. The first step is Understanding the Task. In college we are going to be asked to write papers in the majority of our classes, not just english. Therefore, we need to understand what the assignment is. We need to read it carefully and analyze what the requirements are. A way that we can do this is by looking for the assignments verbs. That way we will know what is expected of us.
The second step is Gathering Data. We need to ask ourselves what the assignment is about, what do I already know about the subject, and what do I need to know in order to begin writing? Gathering notes or readings that you have about the subject will help you for what you already know. This way it'll make it easier to gather other data. You can gather primary data; data from experiments you've done, observations you've made, or surveys and interviews you've made. Or you can collect secondary data. Secondary data is information constructed or gathered by other people; such as a book, or research you find online. Any of this data is ok to use for a paper.
Stage three is the Invention stage. The invention stage is also known as the "brainstorming" or "predrafting"stage. This stage is the most important part of the writing process. In the invention stage, you need to narrow down your topic. Too broad of a topic may make for a boring paper. You need to start asking yourself specific questions like who, what, where, when, how and why. That way you will be narrowing down your topic to make it specific. Some ways to help you in the process of Invention is to write down your thoughts. You can make lists of your ideas, free write, outline, or even make a bubble diagram. That way, you can visually see your ideas on paper and decide which one works the best.
The next stage is stage 4: Drafting. At this stage you need to know the main point of your paper. What subjects do you need to help support your main point, and which order should your points be arranged so that they best fit my paper? You also need to develop a Thesis Statement. This is a one to two sentence summary on what your paper is about. It needs to represent the conclusion about the topic you are writing. Your introductions should include an attention getter, background information, and a thesis. The body paragraphs should start with transitions, and have examples of the point you are trying to make in that paragraph. You might also use quotations from famous authors, actors, etc. If you quote someone, you need to properly give credit to them by citing your source. Furthermore, your conclusion might be considered the most important. This restates your thesis, sums up your support points, and leaves the reader remembering the main point of your paper. If your conclusion is boring, the reader won't remember the paper.
Stage 5 is Revision. It's not good to revise your paper right after you write the first draft. You should take a break and come back when you have a set of fresh eyes and not a tired brain. By doing that, you're allowing yourself to catch things that you might not have seen if you were tired and skimming through the paper. While you are in the revision process, you need to check for three main things; unity, coherence, and development. A paper is unified if it is focused on a main point. To make sure of this, you need to look over your introduction to make sure your thesis is clear. You need to check your paper's body paragraphs to make sure all the points relate to the thesis. Lastly, you need to ask yourself if your conclusion provides closure to the paper. If you have done all those, your paper is unified. To make sure your paper has coherence, you need to check over to see if it is logical and tays focused on the main point. Make sure all the quotations are in logical order and that the examples make sense. In addition, make sure it is developed. This means that you paper is well explained and supported.
The last stage is Editing. In this stage you are making sure your paper has style and its correct. Don't have choppy, repetitive sentences, make them flow smoothly from one to the next. Fix any grammatical or punctuation errors you may see. After you do that, you will have your final draft.
My own writing process is very similar to Behren's writing process. I first look over the assignment carefully to make sure i fully understand what they are looking and asking for. Then I gather any information that I already have or know. Then from there I look for more data. I use the internet a lot more than the library to look for my research. I then make a chart of how my paper is going to look. When I start to write my first draft, I sometimes have to go back and do a little more research because I might have changed the direction I was going in or needed something a littler different. After that I usually wait at least a day before I revise my first draft. That way the paper isn't fresh in my mind so I will be able to find mistakes easily. I end up editing my paper about 2 to 3 times before I am finally satisfied with it and turn it in.
I believe that the most important part of The Writing Process is stage one. Understanding the Task is the most important because if you don't know what the assignment is looking for, you could waste a lot of time writing a paper that isn't about what was asked. I think the least important is the Invention stage because not everyone needs to make a diagram or a list of their ideas. Some people can sort them out in their head. It helps me to organize my thoughts on paper, but that might not be for everyone.
For me, the easiest part of The Writing Process is the Drafting stage. That stage is easy for me because by that time I have accumulated a lot of ideas just by reading the data that I have collected. It's easy for me to write something after I've collected a lot of data. The hardest part would have to be stage two. A lot of times it is hard to find data; especially on controversial issues. Sometimes you may only find one side of an issue and not the side you are looking for.
I spend the most time in the Revising and Editing stages. I am never satisfied and I like to make a lot of changes. I swop out words all the time and change sentences around to make them sound better. It takes me a few days before I'm fully satisfied. I spend the least amount of time in the Invention stage. Like I said before, after doing the research my ideas come fast so it doesn't take me long to put them on paper.
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