What are The Benefits of Process Writing

The writing process is an amazingly productive, constructive, and effective method of writing. This method is undeniably the best method in order to help a writer reach their full potential. The writing process is undeniable because anybody who has used this process has realized the benefits. The process is simple and only requires patience, revision, and the willingness to better ones work. It involves prewriting, revising and rewriting your work if necessary in order to ultimately achieve the best writing you are capable of. We almost never write to the absolute best of our ability on the first draft; which is why the writing process proves to be so successful. Process writing utilizes careful revision and rewriting techniques to effectively help writers compose their ideas into clear, concise, and well thought out statements that represent their style and passion for the subject. Any modern day writer should be familiar with this process because it is necessary to achieve quality writing. Many theorists and writers have written books on writing as a process and almost anyone who has tried the process would agree that it does in fact work.

Initially, the first thing a writer should do to completely prepare themselves for the task at hand is organize their ideas. They should take the time to formulate a main theme or point which they are trying to convey as well as possibly do some prewriting activities such as brainstorming, drafting an outline, or free writing. This step is referred to as prewriting in the writing process and can be extremely useful to a writer that is trying to figure out their main idea or focus of the paper. Prewriting can be as simple as just writing your ideas out onto paper; it is important to remember to just keep writing and not to over analyze anything at this step in the process. The idea is just to get all your thoughts out onto paper so the best possible ideas can be formulated into a well written cohesive document. After prewriting has been completed the writer can now comprise a first draft. This draft can then be revised and possibly critiqued by other people as well as yourself. Revision is an essential part of the writing process because it gives the writer the chance view their paper threw someone else’s eyes. It allows for criticism and discussion which eventually make the writing more powerful and meaningful. Since the writing process allows for revision over time the writers work transforms into something that is very well thought out and written much better than their first draft. After revision, comes probably one of the most challenging steps in the writing process which is known as rewriting (Flower).

Donald Murray once said “writing is rewriting” (Murray). This short statement is as true today as it ever was. In order to create something that is well written you must write and then re write your thoughts which ultimately makes them well thought out and meaningful. Rewriting is such an imperative part of the writing process which is why Murray feels rewriting is just as important as writing the initial draft (Murray). The rewriting step in the process helps the writer narrow down their initial statements into what they truly want to say. Good writing or good English as described by William Zinsser is often the outcome of this step in the writing process. Writers often further relate to the audience as a result of this step by fabricating their ideas into something that most people can relate to and understand. Using common words that everybody can relate to can really help your reader feel connected or associated with the content they are reading. Ordinary everyday sentences are often clear, concise, and brief. These ordinary sentences push the writing forward by making the reader ask more questions about what is going to happen next. In order to write good English a writer must cease the use of unnecessary language and keep their sentences short, simple, and to the point so the reader can truly understand and relate to the content (Zinsser). Even though this may seem like the end of the process you should really repeat the revision and rewriting steps a few times in order to achieve the best possible results. Many writers including myself have seen the writing process work over and over again.

I have seen the benefits of the writing process in my own writings many times. Every time I write something and just hand it in without any type of revision I always notice I could have written it much better if I had simply read through it and revised it. Also, whenever I do have the chance to get a peer revision on my writing I always notice that the final product is undoubtedly much better than the first draft. Sometimes I only want to write a single draft because I procrastinate until the last minute and don’t have time for the writing process. If this is the case my final draft usually suffers in quality. Often times my lack of revision isn’t hard to miss because the final draft usually ends up littered with typos or incoherent run on statements. If I had simply revised my work once the quality would have greatly increased. The writing process is also very important for students learning to write because it gives them the chance to critique and discuss their own writings as well as other student’s writings in the class.

Ultimately, one of the real reasons most people write is because they can not only speak out and express themselves to the world but they may also influence others with their ideas. There are so many great things a person can do with the power of word. Whether it is to persuade, inform, narrate, or inspire, good writing is something that can be appreciated by all and is a very powerful tool. If you aspire to write well then using the writing process correctly is something that must be on your top priority. After all, a well thought out meaningful sentence is a weapon of great power in our literary world.