Page 45 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing
P. 45
Although everyone approaches writing a little differently, most of us
follow a process similar to the one just described. Nick, the writer in
the example above, is, in fact, following all of the steps in the writing
process: prewriting, planning, drafting, revising, and proofreading.
Prewriting
“I think first.”
Prewriting covers a range of activity from casually thinking about your
topic to sitting down and doing a prewriting exercise to get your
thoughts on paper. Because you are always thinking, prewriting can
happen anytime and anywhere. When you are waiting at a traffic light
and an example to illustrate one of your points pops into your head,
you are prewriting. When you realize that a paragraph isn’t working
the way you planned and you stop to figure out another approach, you
are prewriting. Prewriting is thinking, and the more thought you put
into your paper, the stronger it will be.
Planning
“I get the ideas down in rough form—I wouldn’t call it an outline.”
Careful and thoughtful planning makes an essay easier for you to
write and easier for a reader to read. Your plan may include a thesis
