Although there is no simple formula for good writing, most
successful writers view writing as both a means of communication
and a process involving several stages of development.  Every
writer starts with an idea or an assignment and then must work to
translate his or her thoughts about the subject into a clear and
easily read essay.  In general, the writing process has three
stages.  During invention, sometimes called prewriting, you
decide what you will write about.  Then you accumulate ideas and
information to support or explain what you want to say.  During
the next stage, arrangement, you decide how you are going to
organize your ideas.  And finally, during writing and revision,
you write your essay, progressing through several drafts as you
refine ideas as well as style, structure, and mechanics.
     When you write, you need not finish one stage before
starting another.  Because the three stages often overlap, most
writers engage in some aspects of invention, arrangement, and
writing and revision simultaneously--finding ideas, considering
possible methods of organization, and looking for the right words
all at the same time.  And even as writers draft or revise their
essays, they may discover ideas that had not occurred to them
before.  In fact, no two writers approach the writing process in
exactly the same way.  Some people outline; others do not.  Some
take elaborate notes during the invention stage; others keep
track of everything in their heads.  But regardless of the
differences in their particular systems, almost all successful
writers work in some orderly way.  Of most importance, this helps
to carry out assignments and to become a more effective,
competent, and relaxed writer.

Stage One:  Invention
     Invention, or prewriting, is a crucial part of the writing
process.  Unfortunately, many people totally ignore this stage,
either because they underestimate the importance or preparation
or because they simply do not know how to plan to write.  In
college and afterward, you will often be told what to write
about, at least in part, and you may be tempted to plunge into a
first draft immediately.  Before writing, however, you should
probe your subject and decide what you are going to say about it.
     Your first step should be to make sure you understand your
assignment.  Next, you should limit your subject by considering
your essay's length, purpose, and audience, as well as what you
know about the subject.  You can then move from your subject,
which may be very broad, to a manageably narrow topic.  When you
have settled on a topic, you need to gather and organize ideas
and facts until, finally, you are prepared to formulate a thesis
or the main idea of your essay, the point you want to make.


Stage Two:  Arrangement
     Before you actually begin writing, you have to decide how to
arrange your material into an essay.  This extremely important
choice determines how clear your essay will be and how your
audience will react to it.  Sometimes deciding how to arrange
your ideas will be easy because your assignment specifies a
particular pattern of development.  Also, certain assignments or
examination questions imply how your material should be
structured.  The important thing is to recognize the clues that
such assignments give or those you find in your topic or thesis,
and to structure your essay accordingly.

Stage Three:  Writing and Revision
     When you finally begin drafting your essay, your major
concern should be getting your ideas down on paper.  At this
point, you should not let worries about sentence proportion or
word choice interfere with your flow of ideas.  All you want to
do is to keep your momentum until you finish the first draft. 
Later, when you write the second or third draft, you can polish
your writing, making sure as you revise that each part does what
it should do.  Remember that revision is not something you do
after your paper is finished.  It is a continuing process during
which you consider the logic and clarity of your ideas as well as
their effective and correct expression.  Thus, revision is more
than proofreading or editing, crossing out one word and
substituting another.  It may involve extensive addition,
deletion, and reordering what you want to communicate to your
audience.
     When you are ready to revise, you can start by setting up a
revision checklist and applying it to your essay.  As you move 
systematically from the whole essay to the individual paragraphs
to the sentences and words, you can assess your paper's
effectiveness.  First, check your thesis statement to see if it
is still accurate.  If you departed from your original goal while
you were writing, you will need either to revise the thesis so
that it accurately sums up the ideas and information contained in
your essay or to remove any unrelated section--or to revise them
so that they are relevant to your thesis.
     Next, look at your body paragraphs to see if they need
strengthening.  Are they unified?  Coherent?  Well developed?  Do
the points you make support your topic sentences and your thesis? 
You might have to add more facts or examples to one paragraph to
make it as strong as the others.  Consider your introductory and
concluding strategies.  Are they appropriate for your material,
your audience, and your purpose?  Do they reinforce your thesis?
     Now look over your sentences.  Are they correct?  Effective? 
Interesting?  Are there any sentences that might be added or
deleted or relocated?  Then consider the words you use.  Are
there any additions or substitutions you feel you should make? 
Only now, after doing all your revision, should you go back and
edit your essay.  Polish your sentence structure, check your
spelling, and make sure your punctuation and grammar are correct. 
How you revise--what specific strategies you decide to use--
depends upon your preference, your instructor's directions, and
the time you have.