Steps in the Writing Process - Writing for Learning
Writing is much more than putting words on paper. It is a means of communicating ideas. In this article, we discuss the six steps in the writing process.
Orientate yourself towards the writing task
When you are about to start the writing task, first orientate yourself towards the task. Prepare your mind and aim your thoughts towards your writing goals. When you write with learning objectives in mind, your goals will be to enable the reader to achieve their learning outcomes through the text. The text will inform, describe or explain the topic to readers.
Use a scrap piece of paper to write down your topic. Next, write a short description of what all the information contained in this text needs to be. Draw a mindmap or use bullet points if this helps your thought process.
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Design a construction plan for text
Planning is a very important element in writing. Much like a house, a piece of writing needs a foundation and framework before it starts looking like we intend it.
The structure of a text consists of the main theme, main questions, sub-questions and key answers which are all presented in a logical sequence. A few fixed structures exist to aid the writer in this process. Each text structure consists of a series of questions which ultimately create the text body by answering them. Let's briefly look at four types of fixed structures:
Problem structure:
- What is the problem?
- Why it is a problem?
- What is the cause?
- What is the solution?
Evaluation structure:
- Theme?
- Relevant characteristics?
- Positives/benefits?
- Negatives/disadvantages?
- Conclusion of evaluation.
- Suggestions?
Instruction structure:
- What is the purpose?
- What it the conditions?
- What is the process?
- Describe the steps?
- What is the expected result?
Network structure:
- Main Question (MQ1) - What is the measure?
- Main Question (MQ2) - Why is the measure necessary?
- Key Answer (KA2) - To solve x.
- Sub Question (SQ2.1) - What does the problem entail?
- Sub Question (SQ2.2) - Why is it a problem?
- Main Question (MQ3) - How will the measure be executed?
As you can see from the above structures, these questions will form the basis for the various paragraphs. They serve as a map for the text and indicate what information you should include.
If your topic has no clear problem, theme or instruction to communicate, the network structure can be applied. If you write frequently, the patterns of the different structures will become a natural process for you, and you will easily apply them to various texts.
Formulating the draft text and revising content
During this step, the writing piece starts to take shape. Write the text in full according to the construction plan. Answer your questions with full sentences and elaborate on the topic where necessary. You are now creating the body of the text.
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Check the content and formulation of the text
Take time to ensure that the content is correct. Ask yourself; is this making sense? Did I provide understandable explanations? Is concepts/ideas/principles correct?
Read your text once you have completed your first draft. This simple check indicates if the sentences read well. This flow is important because the text needs to communicate the information accurately and enable the learner to retain this knowledge.
Ensure good visual representation
To achieve good visual representation, your next steps will be to pay attention to the format to your text. When you right for the learning environment, your text can have various forms. It can be a textbook or instructional guide, or a different type of writing. An article looks different than a study guide.
Align your text with the requirements of each form. If you intend to submit the text to any kind of publisher, make sure that it meets the required standards. This is true for both online and offline publishing.
Proofread and finalise
In this phase, the last steps entail that you ensure your text is ready to be submitted. Keep the following questions in mind:
- Does the text reflect what you intended to communicate?
- Is there glaringly obvious spelling mistakes, especially industry jargon?
Your text is now complete and can be published or distributed.
These six steps can easily be used to direct your writing when you are facing the writing task and you are unsure where to start. Although this article focusses on writing with learning outcomes in mind, these steps can be applied to all forms of writing.
Happy writing!