Daniel Kies Department of English College of DuPage
Composition English 1101		Contact Form

The Writing Process

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Human language is a remarkable tool. Through the one tool, language, we do such a wide range of tasks, from those as mundane as ordering a pizza on the phone to those as sublime as wooing a lover. No other human artifact that I can think of is as versitile or as powerful at the same time. We admire those who are good with words. We recognize the power of the written word as well, giving it a measure of authority afforded to no other form of language. Finally, we know too that writing is an also art form, something that leads us to believe that writing can only be done by those of us who have "the gift."

Those beliefs often lead us into a trap: an idea that we can not learn to write effectively unless we have "that gift." I really don't think that is the correct conclusion at all. The idea that writing can only be mastered by an elite few rests on the assumption that all writing is the same. However, as I have tried to argue here at the beginning, language (and therefore written language too) is a diverse and varied tool. It is a tool we can all use. Moreover, as is the case with all tools, we can learn to use our tools more effectively. This is why I believe that we can learn to write better, more effectively, whether or not we also have "that gift" to write beautifully as well.

Although writing is a complex task, it is a learned craft that can be mastered and improved with practice. Although no formula can guarantee a good essay, many writers have developed some good advice to help you get started.

What I suggest in the following flow chart is a workable linear model for preparing and writing an essay — it could be summed up as follows:

Choosing a topic		Brainstorming and other methods of inventing ideas		Writing a tentative thesis		Research, reading, and more brainstorming
Outlining		A first draft		Revision		The final draft

Although writing is a complex task, it is a learned craft that can be mastered and improved with practice.

In the real world, the flow chart above would also include different arrows that loop back to different stages of the process. Real writers, for example, often find that after composing the first draft, they need to go back to the brainstorming and research/reading stage to develop more information for the essay. As you gain more experience, you too will discover that you will revisit some parts of the process more than others. I, personally, for example, revise more than once or twice. (I revised this page you are reading now — even as short as it is — six, make that seven, times already.)

The important thing is to keep the process in mind. As you become more proficient, you will become more confident as a writer, developing your own practices and writing techniques.

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