Writing Process


Writing Modules: View modules for more information on specific writing topics and the writing process.


Once you select a topic and complete enough research to commit yourself–at least tentatively–to your stance toward that topic, you are ready to begin writing. Or are you?

Stop for a moment to consider the writing process we recommend.

  • Prewriting: Analyzing your audience, determining your purpose in writing, limiting the scope of what you will cover, and generating potential content.
  • Drafting: Making a case and structuring your evidence for that case.
  • Revising: Putting yourself in the place of the reader, rethinking your approach, and making changes that will improve your case.
  • Polishing: Editing and proofreading to eliminate errors and improve the coherence and readability of your presentation

    • Click to review the principles and procedures for writing a literature review.

Don't let writing a paper seem an overwhelming task. We have a few ideas that can help you beat writer's block and become hooked on writing For example, how about forming a writer's group? Having a hard time getting or staying motivated? You can preview an overview of the essential elements of an effective course paper, or for more in-depth information about the process of writing, visit the rest of this handbook.



This map of a writing process will help writers produce strong academic writing. While this is not the only writing process writers might follow, it does allow time for all of the important steps writers need to take, including organizing thoughts, collecting research, drafting multiple versions of a paper, and polishing work. The most important aspect of this model is that it highlights the relationships among those pieces, while putting research at the center of writing and thinking activities.