A basic writing process for authors

Just like every major task, the place of planning cannot be overlooked. Writing is an art, and a step-by-step process is necessary if you must present a piece worth reading in the end.

1. Pre-writing: This is the time to get your act together. The planning, outlining, studying, brainstorming, interviewing, mind-mapping, note-taking, etc., all make up the Pre-writing stage.

2. Drafting: Next, you get down to writing, however shoddy or disorganized it may seem. Get out your pen and paper or notebook, or your laptop and compose the first draft of your work. It is called a ‘draft’ because it is not expected to be perfect, so pen down or type up your thoughts as they flow. The idea is to get the thoughts out of your head.

3. Revising: This is the stage where you review and tidy up your work. Put some structure to it. Ensure your draft is arranged in paragraphs, chapters, or scenes, depending on the genre you’re writing in. Be sure you’re using the appropriate words. Is your writing achieving the intended purpose? Reorganise your work where necessary.

4. Editing and Proofreading: Resist the urge to publicise your work without an editor’s assessment. A pair of professional eyes are always needed to look through your work and get it thoroughly polished. Corrections on spelling, punctuation, grammar, consistency, and style which you might have missed will be highlighted by an editor and/or a proofreader. Developmental editing, which is a more thorough form of editing, would also need to be done where necessary.

5. Publishing: Now, it’s time to get it in the hands of your readers! Publishing is getting your writing to its intended audience. You could either have a specific target audience or intend it to be for a wider reach. You can either self-publish or contact a publishing company to take the stress off you! Publishing can be a fairly long process. It entails graphic designing, designing the inside pages and the book cover, choosing the proper font and accompanying images, opting for either hard or soft copies.

Marketing and advertising strategies are another day’s topic.

To earn the Writer’s badge, you need to write. And to write, you need to follow the process. I hope this article helps you kick start your writing journey. We talk about these and more in our Write-It-Now course - you can sign up here.

Happy Writing!