1. The Writing Process
“If you can think it, then you can say it. If you can say it, then you can WRITE it!”
– J. Schaffer

2. The Stages of the Writing Process

3. Prewriting (stage 1)
gathering ideas - thinking, planning, and organizing (words & phrases ONLY!) Consider your purpose and audience
Just write… Do not edit your thoughts!
Pre-writing techniques: t-chart, clustering/webbing, brainstorming, outlining, free-writing

4. Drafting (stage 2)
developing your ideas into sentences and paragraphs (gathered from pre-write)
Be flexible…don’t be afraid to add new ideas

5. Evaluating and Revising (stage 3)
Evaluating: making decisions about what you have written – what you have written well and how you can improve
Revising: making changes (making thoughts clearer, adding new info, cutting words, replacing weak words with strong ones--eliminating problems!)
Evaluating CONTENT = IDEAS and ORDER
Reread your first draft at least 4 separate times (at least once aloud).

6. Proofreading and Publishing (stage 4)
Proofreading = editing (searching for mistakes in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar-- then correcting them) Also, check for any errors in formatting
Publishing = sharing your work (making it “public”)