Part

The Writing
Process 1
Chapter 1
The Writing Process and
Prewriting

Chapter 2
Discovery Drafting

Chapter 3
Revising

Chapter 4
Editing and Proofreading

Chapter 5
Publishing and Academic
Writing

Whatever you’re writing—an e-mail to your college advisor, or an

assigned paragraph or essay for class—you use the five steps in
the writing process: prewriting (brainstorming to get ideas), dis-
covery drafting (putting ideas on paper), revising (adjusting, add-
ing, or deleting ideas), editing and proofreading (looking at the fine
points), and publishing (presenting your work in its final form).
Part 1 helps guide you through each separate stage of the writing
process.

“The scariest moment is always right before you start.”

– Stephen King, On Writing

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chapter
The Writing Process
1 and Prewriting
Learning Goals
Getting There
In this chapter, you’ll learn
The writing process is a series of
1 How the writing process works steps that make up the activity of
writing.
2 How to use prewriting techniques (listing, clustering, Prewriting is the first step writers use
fastwriting, reporter’s questions, and journaling) to discover to gather ideas for their paragraphs
ideas for paragraphs and essays or essays.
Writers use several prewriting
techniques to help generate topic
ideas and support to develop those
ideas.

Writing as a Winding Path

Many people consider writing a difficult and aggravating task that seems impossible to
Learning Goal
“get right.” Often, frustrated writers are put off because they are trying to write a perfect 1 How the writing
piece all at once, and yet they stop and stumble along the way, running into spelling and process works
punctuation errors and even brick walls commonly referred to as “writer’s block.”
Over the decades, professional writers and writing teachers have looked at
writing as an activity that proceeds on a straight path, moving from beginning to
end in a straight line:

Point A Point B

Recently, these writers and teachers have considered writing more of a winding
path, crossing over itself time and time again, but still with a beginning and an end.

start prewriting discovery drafting new ideas revise

3

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4 Chapter 1  The Writing Process and Prewriting

You may find this view more helpful because it allows you to go back and forth
from Point A (your beginning idea) as many times as necessary on your path to
Point Z (your conclusion).

The Writing Process

For many of you, the term writing process is nothing new. Since you were in elemen-
tary school, you’ve heard teachers use this phrase. For others, this is the first time
you’ve seen this phrase, and you may be intimidated by it.
Simply put, the writing process is the name for the five steps everyone goes
through in order to get the desired finished product.
These are the steps:
• prewriting (brainstorming to get ideas)
• discovery drafting (putting ideas on paper)
• revising (adjusting, adding, or deleting ideas)
• editing and proofreading (looking at the fine points)
• publishing (presenting your work in its final form)
While everyone goes through the five steps of the writing process, different
writers find success with different techniques throughout the process. So that you
will be able to discover which writing techniques help you create your best writing,
Part 1 of Ticket to Write offers instruction and practice in a number of methods for
each step in the writing process. By the end of this part, you will have the tools you
need to write a basic paragraph or essay.

The Building Blocks of Paragraphs and Essays

Academic writing involves clear and concise composition of both paragraphs and
essays. A paragraph focuses on one subject, theme, or idea that you state in an in-
troductory sentence (a topic sentence). Next come several sentences that elaborate
on what you stated in your topic sentence (supporting sentences) and a concluding
sentence that summarizes the points you made.
You could describe
In some ways, an essay is a paragraph that you expand because your subject is
what your cell
phone looks like in a too complex to cover in a single paragraph. An essay, like a paragraph, focuses on
paragraph, but you’d one subject, theme, or idea, but it needs several paragraphs to make its point. The
need an essay (sev- first paragraph, the introductory paragraph, contains a sentence with the main idea
eral paragraphs) to
of your essay (the thesis statement). Next come several paragraphs that elaborate on
describe the features
of it you frequently your main idea (body paragraphs) and a concluding paragraph that summarizes the
use. points you made.

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Prewriting Techniques 5

Paragraph Essay

Introduction in one sentence, a topic Introduction in one paragraph that

sentence that gives the main idea includes a thesis statement that gives
the main idea
Sentences that elaborate on the Paragraphs that elaborate on the
main idea main idea
Concluding sentence summarizing Concluding paragraph summarizing
the points about the main idea the points about the main idea

In Part 1 of Ticket to Write, you will learn the steps—the writing process—in com-
posing a basic paragraph and essay. Part 2 introduces you to nine types of academic
writing, and you can hone your paragraph and essay skills with each type.

Prewriting Techniques

Everyone needs a little push to get going. The scariest sight for many novice writers Learning Goal
is a blank page. If getting started writing makes you nervous, then do a bit of writing 2 How to use
before you start writing. prewriting
A marathoner will jog before a race; a cyclist will ride before an event. Just as techniques to
these athletes run before they run and ride before they ride, writers also need to discover ideas
warm up. That’s where prewriting techniques come in. Prewriting techniques are for paragraphs
and essays
unique methods of brainstorming that help you discover ideas, find support for
those ideas, and fill in that empty screen or blank page.
“The best way to get
a good idea is to get
Listing lots of ideas.”
In listing, you let your mind go free about a particular subject, idea, or ques- —Linus Pauling
tion. Jot down random thoughts as they occur, and don’t worry about their
relevance to each other. Use this technique for developing subjects of entire
essays, for determining topics of paragraphs, or for finding small details that
support your subject.
If you have the freedom to choose what you write about, then answering a few
general questions can start your brain down the path of subject discovery:
• What interests do I have? • What subjects interest me?
• What special knowledge do I • What issues do I care about?
have?
In Alma’s first writing class, her instructor directed the students to list, for five
minutes, all their thoughts on any issue they cared about. Here is Alma’s list:

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6 Chapter 1  The Writing Process and Prewriting

Recycling
make world better for future wish trucks picked up stuff every
generations week
city underwrites some recycling second-hand stores forms of recycling
find place to send used batteries wish college had more places for recycling
why don’t others recycle—too lazy? homeless man who collects cans is
don’t care about future? recycler

In college, you’ll often be given topics on which you have to write. Expanding
the same listing questions can also help you discover your thoughts and knowledge
on topics assigned to you:
• What interest do I have in this topic?
• What special knowledge do I have about this topic?
• What related subjects interest me?
• What issues do I care about concerning this topic?
Once you begin to answer one of these questions, you might find that you have
more than one answer, so just keep listing your answers. You can go back later and
put similar answers together.
For another specific assignment, Alma’s instructor asked the students to list
ideas on the topic of fast-food restaurants. Here is Alma’s list for that topic:

convenient when I’m in a hurry not many cola alternatives

worked at McDonald’s 6 months more fast-food places than sit-down
not good for date night wait in line not always “fast”
too many fried things don’t usually make nutritional choices
my cholesterol always high I love cheeseburgers

TICKET
to WRITE 1.1 Listing
Directions: Use listing to discover ideas about one of the following topics:
sleep habits Facebook role models
study habits career planning military life
job market cell phones American symbols

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Prewriting Techniques 7

Clustering
Clustering is writing a key word or phrase and then jotting down other ideas that
spring from it, tracking this path of ideas with connecting lines. Your key word or
phrase may generate a number of ideas that radiate from it; each of these, in turn,
may produce additional ideas.
In this example, Isabelle took the topic of mountain biking and used it as her
key idea, which she put in a large circle in the middle of her paper. From this idea,
Isabelle branched out to other ideas as they occurred to her. With each new idea,
she drew another circle and filled it in. Every time she could go no further, Isabelle
returned to the nucleus mountain biking and began a new train of thought.

$$$ Keep bike tuned

State Park trails

Good terrain Mountain Want to ride more

Free to use Biking
Nature, peaceful Weekends, not enough New trails at Lake
Jackson coming soon
Plenty of trails
Would like a new bike Tanner and I will
ride them

TICKET
to WRITE 1.2 Clustering
Directions: Use clustering to discover ideas about one of these topics:
tattoos procrastination job interviews anxiety fake IDs
computer privacy advertising gambling smart phones caffeine

Fastwriting
Fastwriting is exactly what it sounds like, writing fast. It’s also known as freewriting
“Creativity consists
because the goal of this technique is to write freely, without worrying about correct of coming up with
grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Fastwriting is your license to write fast . . . and many ideas, not just
make mistakes without consequences. that one great idea.”
Jamal’s instructor asked his class to freewrite for five minutes about test anxiety. —Charles Thompson
Here is what Jamal wrote:

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8 Chapter 1  The Writing Process and Prewriting

This happens when I’m unprepared. If I feel like I haven’t studied enough,
I get nervous. Even if I have studied enough. I don’t sweat or anything. I just
feel uneasy. I can’t eat anything for a couple of hours before a test. And I worry
Heads Up!
When Jamal couldn’t
about my teacher knowing that I’m not prepared. I know that’s kind of ??? of me,
think of the right but I don’t like to look up from a test and see the teacher looking at the class. I
word, he just insert-
ed some question know the teacher has to do that, but I think she’s looking at me wondering if I’m
marks, which told
him to come back to trying to cheet. Andrea once told me that some different breathing techniques
that part later. helped her with test anxiety. I don’t remember what the techniques were. Maybe
I’ll ask her again—see if they’ll help me. Or maybe I’ll google them. When the test
Heads Up! is over I still don’t want to eat anything for an hour or so.
Jamal didn’t worry
about grammar
or spelling in his
freewriting. Also, he
noted several details
TICKET
that probably won’t to WRITE 1.3 Fastwriting
end up in his final
paper. Directions: Think about a relaxing pastime you enjoy frequently. It could
be reading, texting, gaming, biking, or some other activity. Write as much
as you can about why you enjoy this pastime. Don’t worry about spelling,
grammar, punctuation, or anything else. Just write as much as you can as
fast as you can for five minutes.

Reporter’s Questions
Reporter’s questions are the six questions (Who? What? Why? Where? When? and
How?) that journalists use to guide readers through a news article. These work well
in the writing process to help you discover specific ideas and details about a par-
ticular topic. Isabelle developed these questions and answers regarding mountain
biking:

Topic: Mountain biking

Who usually rides with me? Tanner, my best friend
What is special about mountain biking? helps me unwind
Why do I enjoy mountain biking? get away from city and work; relax
Where do I usually ride? trails at state park
When do I usually ride? weekends . . . time to unwind
How do I prepare for a day of biking? tune up bike, pack daypack

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Prewriting Techniques 9

Reporter’s questions work even better when they are reused, taking answers to the
first set of questions as starting points for new questions:

Where do I usually ride? trails at state park

Why do I usually ride there? trails are long, a lot of features, peaceful
How long are the trails? six trails = 56 miles
What features do the trails have? flat pine forests, breezy, quiet, secluded
  . . . picnic areas

TICKET
to WRITE 1.4  Using Reporter’s Questions
Directions: Use the reporter’s questions to discover ideas about one of
these topics:
Twitter student expectations my television list
buying a vehicle instructor expectations blue jeans
celebrations job expectations
bank accounts my music

Journaling
Journaling is writing about personal experiences or reflections. You may think
journaling sounds a bit like keeping a diary, and it is. Like writing in a diary, journ-
aling can help you examine and reexamine certain events, topics, or ideas.
Below is what college freshman Jeong wrote when asked to create a journal
entry about the differences between high school and college.

College is nothing like high school was. I don’t have to attend class because
not all my profs take roll. If I miss class I have to get the notes from the class
website or another student. Seems like everyone was pushing me to do well—Ms.
Connie, the counselor, Mr. Russell, senior homeroom. He was the best. Mr. R. always
made sure we had our homework assignments before we left for the day. If I
missed it in some class he’d give me a hall pass and send me to get the homework
I needed. All my teachers were available afterschool for help—some stayed longer
than others but all would stay if asked. Mr. R. brought in snacks if some-
one was dragging. My college professors are not always in their offices when I go
(continued)

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10 Chapter 1  The Writing Process and Prewriting

looking for them. Some part-time faculty don’t even have office hrs. No one
checks up on me every day to see if I’m missing an assignment or falling behind
in a class. There’s free tutoring for a lot of classes (but not all) and I have to go
to Academic Services to sign up and find a tutor. It’s across campus and that’s a
hassle. Tutors are usu. students. The writing ctr has student tutors and faculty
tutors but it’s not open all week. Online tutoring’s available 24/7 and doesn’t
cost anything. Bulletin boards all over campus advertize study groups anyone
can join. I study in the library a lot because I can bring in a soda.

TICKET
to WRITE 1.5 Journaling
Directions: Write a journal entry about one of these topics:
my reaction to a local news item If I could change something at work . . .
my reaction to a national news item In my culture . . .
impressions of college When I was lost . . .
Techno Tip I wonder why . . . If I could do something over, I’d . . .
Never again will I . . . a national event I’ll never forget
For additional ideas
about prewriting,
search the Internet
for this video:
The Writing Process: Visit MyWritingLab.com and complete the exercises
Prewriting Strategies and activities in the Prewriting and Writing Process topic areas.
Video

Run That by Me Again

You should think of writing not as a straight line but as . . . a winding path.
Learning Goal
1 How the writing The five steps of the writing process are . . . (1) prewriting, (2) discovery
process works drafting, (3) revising, (4) editing and proofreading, and (5) publishing.
A paragraph focuses on . . . one subject, theme, or idea called a topic.
A topic sentence states . . . the topic of a paragraph.
Supporting sentences elaborate on . . . the idea stated in the topic sentence.
A concluding sentence summarizes . . . the points made in a paragraph.
An essay is different from a paragraph because . . . its subject is too
complex to cover in a single paragraph.

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Run That by Me Again 11

The first paragraph of an essay is called . . . the introductory paragraph.

The sentence that contains the main point of an essay is called . . . the
thesis statement.
The paragraphs that elaborate on an essay’s main idea are called . . .
body paragraphs.
The last paragraph that summarizes the essay’s points is called . . . the
conclusion.
Prewriting techniques are unique methods that can help you . . . discover
ideas and find support for those ideas.
Five prewriting techniques are . . . (1) listing, (2) clustering, (3) fastwriting,
Learning Goal
(4) reporter’s questions, and (5) journaling.
2 How to use
When you list, you . . . let your mind go free about a particular prewriting
subject or idea and list all your thoughts as they occur. techniques to
discover ideas
When you fastwrite, you . . . write freely all that comes to mind, without for paragraphs
worrying about correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. and essays
When you cluster, you . . . write a key word or phrase, and then jot down
other ideas that spring from it, tracking this path of ideas with connecting
lines.
When you answer reporter’s questions, you . . . answer the questions
Who? What? Why? Where? When? and How? to help you discover specific
ideas and details about a particular topic.
When you journal, you . . . write about personal experiences or reflections.

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12 Chapter 1  The Writing Process and Prewriting

The Writing Process and

Prewriting Learning Log

1. What is the writing process?

The writing process is the name given to five specific steps that writers go

Complete
this through to get their desired finished product.

Exercise
2. What are the five steps of the writing process?
The five steps of the writing process are (1) prewriting, (2) discovery drafting,

(3) revising, (4) editing and proofreading, and (5) publishing.

3. What sentence states the main point or topic of a paragraph?
The topic sentence states the main point or topic of a paragraph.

4. What sentence states the main point of an essay?
The thesis statement states the main point of an essay.

5. How is an essay’s topic different from a paragraph’s topic?
An essay’s topic is too complex to cover in a single paragraph.

6. What are body paragraphs?
Body paragraphs are the paragraphs that elaborate on an essay’s

main idea.

7. How can prewriting techniques help in the writing process?
Prewriting techniques can help writers discover ideas and find support for

those ideas.

8. What are five prewriting techniques?
Five prewriting techniques are (1) listing, (2) clustering, (3) fastwriting,

(4) reporter’s questions, and (5) journaling.

9. What is listing?
Listing is letting your mind go free about a particular subject or idea and

listing all your thoughts as they occur.

10. What is fastwriting?
Fastwriting is writing freely all that comes to mind, without worrying about

correct grammar, punctuation, or spelling.

11. What is clustering?
Clustering is writing a key word or phrase, and then jotting down other ideas

that spring from it, tracking this path of ideas with connecting lines.

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The Writing Process and Prewriting Learning Log 13

12. What are the reporter’s questions, and how can answering them help you in
prewriting?
The reporter’s questions are Who? What? Why? Where? When? and How?

and answering them can help you discover specific ideas and details about

a particular topic.

13. What is journaling?
Journaling is writing about personal experiences or reflections.

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