The following table lists six writing process strategies. Often, writers will work through these strategies in order from Pre-writing to Final Review. However, during the critical stages in particular, the strategies can also be used in any order. For instance, at any stage in a writing project, if the writer needs more details, then it is time to do more prewriting. Also, any time a writer gets "stuck" at one point in the process, the writer can move on to another stage. This sometimes helps writers get past writing blocks. For instance, if, while drafting an essay, the writer gets "stuck," it sometimes helps to start editing the language for clarity. As the language becomes clearer, often the writer can get past the block. The key is to keep working on the assignment until it is finished--or until it is due.

Understanding these strategies can also help students interpret instructor comments on essays. For instance, if the instructor suggests that the student needs more supporting evidence, then the student should do more pre-writing or focused pre-writing to find more details that can be used, and then, determine which details would be most effective and in what order (Drafting and Revising). If the instructor is uncertain about the purpose or main idea in an essay, then the student should work on either developing a purpose (drafting) or work on clarifying the purpose (revision). If the instructor suggests that the language is unclear, awkward, or conversational, then the student should spend more time editing the paper. If the instructor identifies grammar, spelling issues, or problems with documentation, then the student should spend more time proofreading. Note: When proofreading, it helps to focus on a single problem, especially with documentation issues.

Explanation of the six strategies within the writing process

Six Strategies of the Writing Process
Broad Goals	Creative Strategies for Discovering Meaning			Critical Strategies for Writing Effectively
Strategies	Prewriting	Focused Prewriting	Drafting	First Review: Revision	Second Review: Editing	Final Review: Proofreading
Purpose	Getting Started by Gathering Details	Discovering a Purpose Discovering Details to Support a Purpose	Selecting/Organizing Details to Support Purpose	Making Effective: Sharpening Purpose and Details	Making Effective: Sharpening Style, Form, and Language	Making Effective: Polishing Format
Procedures and Explanations	Focusing on details using Observation Remembering Journal Writing Freewriting Focused writing Listing Brainstorming Clustering Looping Reporter's Formula (5 W's) Research/Note taking Any method that generates details is a prewriting method. There are free prewriting tools that can be found online.	Focusing on patterns through Brainstorming Listing Clustering Grouping Scratch Outline Looping Questioning The difference between prewriting and focused prewriting is the purpose for doing the activity. Focused prewriting means looking for patterns between details or finding details that fit a pattern (especially useful when responding to an essay prompt, which will suggest a "pattern" or purpose for writing the paper).	Focusing on a single, central idea that reveals Meaning Purpose Value Relevance Significance Write the draft quickly using prewriting and focused prewriting notes The goal is to get a complete draft, even if the draft has "problems." Unfortunately, too often students stop once they have a draft and neglect to work on that draft to make it effective. The hard work of writing occurs during the critical strategies.	Purpose or Thesis Carefully and precisely worded Point worth making Comprehensive Focused to manageable limits Details Appropriate Sufficient General - broad categories Specific - mathematically precise Concrete - involving the five senses Revision means re-seeing the paper. For this reason, it helps to wait a day or two after finishing a draft to begin revising so that the writer can look at the paper with "fresh eyes."	Introduction Interesting Provides background (for thesis) Clear and specific purpose (thesis) In general, the thesis should be a single sentence that comes at the end of the introduction. Body Topic Sentences Direction of ideas Relationships of links between ideas Transtions Accurate relationships Language Clear Appropriate diction Sentence variety Vivid nouns and verbs Free from excess words or clutter The body of the essay should be the bulk of the essay. The introduction and conclusion act as a frame for the body of the essay, where the argument is developed in detail. Conclusion Restatement or summary, or Logical resolution, and Resolution of figurative language, images, and metaphors A logical conclusion is much stronger than a simple restatement of the thesis and main ideas. What is the Significance, Importance, Relevance, or Value (SIRV) of what has been examined in the essay. Every paragraph, every sentence, every word should work together to express the meaning the writer is exploring in the clearest, most concise, and most vivid way possible.	Mechanics (appropriate to genre) Business writing Technical Writing Personal Essay Academic Essay Literary Analysis Research Documentation (research) MLA Other style manuals Check the format of internal citations and the Works Cited entries. Make sure that all quotations and all facts taken from the sources have been properly documented. As a general rule, anything that the student has read in preparation for doing the assignment, if used in the paper, should be documented. Standard Grammar, punctuation, and spelling Appearance Neat and legible Appropriate headings Margins Typed Double-spaced Left justified One inch margins Handwritten (if allowed) Front side of page only Lined white notebook paper Blue or black ink An excellent paper is not only well written; it is well presented. Nothing damages a writer's ethos faster than sloppiness.