Phases of the Writing Process
Writing is a tool that enhances communication in different aspects. It facilitates the conceptualization of one’s ideas through reading. Writing follows various stipulated processes, which enhance the ability to convey one’s ideas effectively. Failure to adhere to the processes in most cases influences the quality of writing negatively. It is therefore prudent to adhere to the steps to ensure easy, effective and efficient communication through writing. The writing processes include planning, drafting, revising and editing. Planning, in this case, involves researching on the topic one wishes to explore. That incorporates the purpose of the writing, the target audience that should benefit from the writing, the style and the organization of the topic or topics to be covered.
I think this phase largely informs the quality of writing that may come forth when a writer expresses his or her ideas. That is because inappropriate planning may lead to disorganization of the ideas one wishes to portray. For example, an improper planning process would lead to mixed subtopics that may confuse the intended audience since they may not establish the purpose of the writing. That means that it is the most crucial element of the writing process. A writer, therefore, needs to ensure that he or she conducts extensive research about the topic he or she wishes to express thoughts on for elaborate writing. The planning process also needs to assess the relevance of what wishes to write about in relation to the target audience. Moreover, the style of writing should relate to the audience since different styles may apply to various audiences. Lastly, the organization of the paper matters since it helps in transiting from one idea to the other.
I think drafting is another crucial phase of the writing process due to its several advantages. Drafting follows the planning process, and it helps in different dimensions. A draft helps one to assess how his or her final work would look like. I think that it is crucial as it provides a mental picture that may make one continue with the writing or make some changes. The changes made may not be part of the planning process but of relevance in influencing the quality of the final output. A draft also influences the organization of ideas since it may help one to develop new ideas on the presentation of the writing. In most cases, many writers fail to follow this step despite its value in the writing process. Failure to draft a piece of writing also limits one from exploring some of the thoughts that may not have had before.
Revision of the content is equally an essential element in the writing process. It has a significant impact on the quality of the work one produces. Lack of revision of the material limits a writer from bringing attention to what may be missing in a piece, integrating new concepts and removing some of the elements that may affect the appropriate quality of a material. Revision of the material, therefore, provides the appropriate platform for evaluation of the material one has written. It takes two dimensions. That includes focus on what others say about the piece and what the writer. Editing is the last phase of the process. It is not one of the tiresome phases but equally one of the most critical of the phases. Lack of editing in writing may make the audience develop a negative attitude towards a writer. Writers often make mistakes during the writing process. One, therefore, needs to edit his or her work to ensure that he or she presents a piece of wring that is free from grammatical errors, inconsistencies, factual misinterpretation and with the appropriate tone among other aspects. Prevalence of grammatical errors and inconsistency may prove that one had not edited his or her work. That may make keep the audience away from the piece due to negative perceptions such as poor writing skills, laziness and insensitive.
I think planning is the hardest phase for me since it involves different aspects. First, it is hard since I have to conduct extensive research to ensure that I remain relevant. It requires my attention and time, which may limit me from pursuing other interests. It is also difficult for me since the appropriate choice of the audience may be difficult, more so when they have varied interests. However, editing is my best phase. That is because it is less engaging and only involves making small changes that may affect the quality of the writing. It is also my best phase, which I am good at since aim keen at pointing out mistakes. I would, therefore, advice someone to explore editing and revising the content of the written piece since they do not mostly involve writers’ minds as it is in the case of the planning process and drafting of the ideas. Editing only requires keenness and the ability to make appropriate changes where they are due for excellent quality in the output.
