What Should Be the First Step in the Writing Process? (Answered)

Good academic writing requires effective planning, drafting, and revision, do you know what should be the first step in the writing process? Prewriting is the answer.

Every writer approaches the writing process differently. There is no “right way” or “wrong way” to write. The process can be extremely clumsy and unpredictable.

To help you learn how to write more effectively and share your ideas with the world, we’ll break down the five steps of the writing process in today’s post.

What Should Be the First Step in the Writing Process?

Prewriting is the first step to the writing process. Prewriting entails researching your topic and practicing your writing style.

Before drafting, revising, editing, and publishing, this step is completed. Thinking and planning come before writing. Since it is covered in school, anyone can perform this.

We learn to write plans and/or webs in elementary and middle school. Depending on the professor, we may be required to write outlines in college.

Here, I loosely define the term “outline.” To me, creating prewriting outlines is a way to keep ideas organized and in groups.

Also Read: How to Start Writing?

Steps of the Writing Process

Step 1: Prewriting

Think and Decide

• Verify that you are familiar with your assignment. See Research Papers or Essays
• Choose a subject for your article. See  Prewriting Strategies and Narrow your Topic
• Think about your audience when writing. See Audience and Voice
• Think of ways to organize your ideas as you come up with new ones for the topic. Make an outline. See Outlines

Step 2: Research (if Needed)

Search

• Make a list of resources for information.
• Do your research. See the many KU Libraries resources and helpful guides
• Analyze the reliability of your sources. Examining Sources and Primary vs. Secondary Sources
• Create an outline to assist with organizing your research. See Outlines

Step 3: Drafting

Write

• Despite their imperfections, sentences and paragraphs should be written.
• Your main idea should be the thesis statement. See Thesis Statements
• Put accurate, non-plagiarized information from your research into your essay. Recall to include a bibliography page as well as in-text citations. See Incorporating References and Paraphrase and Summary
• Examine your writing to see if it accurately expresses your intentions. Write some more.
• Read it again.
• Write some more.
• Read it again.
• Write until you have covered all the ground you wish to cover.

Step 4: Revising

Make it Better

• Reread your writing. See Revising Content and Revising Organization
• Sort words, sentences, or paragraphs into a coherent sequence.
• parts are removed or added.
• If you think you should, conduct more research.
• Substitute other words for any that have been overused or are unclear.
• Make sure the writing flows by reading it aloud. Add transitions.

Read More: How Long Should A Paragraph Be?

Step 5: Editing and Proofreading

Make it Correct

• Be sure to finish each sentence. See Editing and Proofreading
• Correct capitalization, spelling, and punctuation
• Words that are misused or unclear should be changed.
• Make sure you are formatting your writing in the correct style.
  • APA Formatting
  • Chicago Style Formatting
  • MLA Formatting
• Verify your work with someone else.

Conclusion: What Should Be the First Step in the Writing Process

Everything has a process, from making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to putting together a low-Earth orbit space telescope.

Plan, write, revise, edit, and then publish your work—these are the five steps in the writing process that can help you become a better writer.

You Might Also Like:

• Why is Writing Important?
• What Are Conventions in Writing?

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