Pre-writing

Prewriting is preparation process that you can complete before you actually write your paper, essay or summary. Prewriting helps you organize your thoughts, plan your research or writing, and clarify your thesis.

Topic Selection

Visual Prewriting

Questioning and Freewriting

  • Using Questions
  • Freewriting (Missouri University of Science and Technology)

Outlining

Writing First Drafts

After you have completed some prewriting activities, you will either start researching your topic (for a research paper), or begin writing the first draft of your essay. It is in the first draft that you will clarify your thesis, begin writing your introduction and conclusion, and start work on the body paragraphs.

Thesis

Introductions and Conclusions

Transitions

Revising and Proofreading

Once you have completed your first draft, you should look for ways to improve your work. This part of the writing process is generally called revising.
After you have written several drafts of your paper, and you think you are basically finished, you should proofread your paper to catch any grammar, spelling, and format errors.

Revising & Checklist

Proofreading